CHAPTER 13
1045 Words
“Mother” Stella cried out angrily as she steps down the wide staircase to the huge Withman hall. “I am not sure of Ethan no longer. He is up to something very shady.”
“Tsk tsk darling…” Morana Withman crooned from the dining area. “Why do you say so child? You know that man loves you dearly.”
“You heard of the rubbish he did recently?” Stella shrieked. “He invited Mila over to dinner at his family’s mansion, knowing very well I wouldn’t be there—”
“How then did you get the information?”
“I was coincidentally having dinner with the girls at La perle, mother,” she replied, “when Mila got a notification from Ethan, inviting her over to dinner.”
“Oh.” Morana paused in her table arrangement as she stared at her in shock.
“Yes. What insolence!” Stella spat angrily. “And do you know the worst part? I saw that slime dining at the restaurant.”
“What slime?” Morana asked, as she pointed at the maids to set the table. “Darling, don’t you think you are overworking yourself over this….minor issue?”
“Jace, mother!” Stella screamed. “I saw Jace. In his rags and glory. Eating where I do eat. And that sight was disturbing.”
“Oh my goodness. You don’t mean it!” Morana gasped in shock.
Just then Finn and Elliot strolled in the dining area, each with a smirk on his face.
“You don’t mean what, mother?” Elliot asked, as he settled in on his side of the table.
“Yeah, you sounded shocked earlier.” Finn said. “Is everything okay with you and Ethan, Stella?”
Morana shot an angry look at Stella. “Every thing is fine—”
“Everything is not fine, Finn.” Stella replied angrily as she downed her glass of champagne. “I feel Elliot is thinking of cheating on me.” She paused. Then she added absentmindedly, “…but that can easily be settled. The real issue is Jace. I saw him at the La Perle having dinner when I went out with my girls.”
“And so?” Elliot asked.
“Yeah, so what’s the problem if they just pitied him and gave him scraps?” Finn shrugged.
“I hate seeing that monkey.” Stella replied contemptuously, “infact the mare thought of him makes my blood boil. And the most painful thing, he didn’t seem in the least bothered about the insults I hurled at him that night, only for Ethan to embarrass me in public when he sent Mila an invite to have dinner.”
“He did what?” Elliot surprisingly asked, as he placed his fort of lettuce back on his plate. “ what did he do?”
“He asked Mila, my best friend to have dinner with him, at the mansion.”
“I don’t think Ethan will ever cheat on you,” Finn said calmly. “He is too devoted of a man to do that.”
“Exactly. That’s what I told her.” Morana clapped her hands.
Elliot humped sarcastically and said, “Have you seen this Mila, Finn? Any man can cheat on any woman if he has the reason and maybe….the opportunity to.”
“Not with her best friend, Elliot,” Finn shook his head. “He wouldn’t be that stupid. Who is this Mila, Stella?”
“She is my best friend from college—”
“We know that.” Finn nodded calmly. “I mean apart from her being your best friend, who is she?”
“Her family owns the biggest clothing line here in Luxembourg, but she hasn’t always been interested in boutique Buisness, instead she choose to work for Parkinson group and is being paid handsomely.”
“Bingo.” Finn said and waved his fork at their faces to prove a point. “Parkinson group.”
“Yeah, he was kinda inquisitive about her work place too,” Stella replied with a small voice. Then added sharply, “but he was also flirting with her.”
“Stella darling,” Morana said softly as she pulled up a seat beside her. “I know you might be stressed out because Ethan postponed the wedding, but don’t you think you should be assisting him in whatever he is trying to achieve, rather than finding fault in his actions?”
“Mother—”
“Just think about what I said,” Morana stood up abruptly and patted Stella lightly on the shoulders.
Stella shook her head and asked, “So what you are saying is that, I should—”
“Find out more about the Parkinson’s group from your friend Mila,” Finn nodded. “Her workplace, her Boss, who he is, His full name, his activities….everything. Without making it look obvious.”
“I guess that was his goal before you interfered with his dinner with Mila,” Elliot nodded. “Parkinson is trying to dismantle Montgomery hospitals bit by bit, and it’s harder for Ethan and his lawyers to have a headway in trying to make a counter attack if they do not know who Parkinson’s group CEO is.”
“Like they have no idea at all?” Morana asked wide eyed. “I thought the former CEO died and left his estate to his long lost grandson.”
“Yes he did,” Finn nodded. “But the identity of the…grandson, is unknown and it seems he desperately wants to keep it that way, which will be disadvantageous to us.”
“He needs to be unmasked, Stella,” Elliot said earnestly. “Urgently. Or will be next in line, for I feel he has a beef with the Montgomery hospital and we are affiliated with them.”
“That won’t happen!” Morana gasped. Her face white as sheet. “Our wealth goes on for generations.”
“Well, it’s still nothing compared to that of the Parkinson's,” Finn shook his head resignedly, “and of something is not done quick, we will be under fire soon.”
- Writer
