Chapter 120
Serena raised her hands, putting distance between them. “You’ll ruin my makeup. Besides, we didn’t come here to exchange pleasantries with you p>
Her cold tone baffled Stefan. “What’s wrong p>
“We came here to strip Stefan of his position at the hospital and his family,” Silas declared, anger laced in his voice.
Only then did Stefan realize Silas looked furious.
Silas Vander was seething.
The veins in his neck protruded, and if looks could kill, Stefan would already be dead.
“Gentlemen, there seems to be a misunderstanding,” Stefan said quickly. “Whatever this is, let’s discuss it privately. We’re in the middle of closing a deal with Stonewatch p>
“Sterling, old friend,” Charles said, standing. “What’s going on? Earlier today, Serena confirmed she was willing to marry Stefan, and now you arrive like this. What happened p>
“What happened,” Sterling said evenly, “is that you and Stella lied to our faces, and your son believed we were too blind to see through him. There will be no engagement between our families p>
“I-I don’t understand,” Stefan stammered. “Uncle Sterling, whatever this is, we can discuss it later. And Serena_”
He turned to her. “Didn’t you agree to be my fiancée earlier today? I gave you that necklace p>
“Fiancée?” Serena scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. “When did I say that? I said I had a surprise for you p>
Silas handed Serena a stack of photos. She threw them into Stefan’s face. “This is my surprise p>
As Stefan picked them up, a chill ran down his spine. They were surveillance photos of him and Melanie entering an apartment building. Some showed them intimately close. Two captured their son, Mathew.
“I have standards,” Serena said coolly. “I don’t enter relationships with men who already have a family they pretend doesn’t exist p>
Stefan panicked. He turned to Melanie, who looked just as stunned. “No-she’s not my lover. She’s just my secretary. I was helping her with her son. It has nothing to do with me p>
“Really?” Serena scoffed. “Then explain this p>
The conference room had a large monitor. Silas walked to it, handing a flash drive to the hotel staff.
Before Stefan could react, a video filled the screen. What played before them was a conversation he had with Melanie at the hospital.
His blood ran cold.
Every instinct screamed at him to disappear.
‘Fuck p>
‘Fuck p>
‘This can’t be happening p>
‘How did —’ Setefan suddenly realized that Serena was at the hospital.
He was too complacent.
“You think you can fool us, Stefan?” Silas snarled. “You’ll pay for even daring to look down on my sister p>
Silas lunged, grabbing Stefan by the collar.
“No-no-ahhh!” In the next second, Silas’s fist connected with Stefan’s face.
As chaos erupted, Sterling placed a thick folder on the table and slid it toward the board members.
“Mr. Montgomery has been diverting hospital funds for personal use,” Sterling said firmly. “Hotel
accommodations billed as medical missions. Housing expenses filed under staff support. Even living
costs for his assistant and their child disguised as operational reimbursements p>
Stefan barely had time to react before Silas grabbed him again. At the same time, Stella and Melanie tried to restrain Silas.
“We trusted you, Stefan!” Silas roared. “We wanted you to be part of our family! Did
all those years of friendship mean nothing p>
“You wanted us to hand over our
wealth to your illegitimate son? Marry my sister while keeping your lover on the side?” Silas punched him again “You’re despicable will never marry my sister! You don’t deserve Serena p>
“Enough!” Stefan tore himself free, breathless and red-faced.
“What makes your sister so special?” he spat. “She’s someone else’s leftovers, and
her daughter can’t even talk properly p>
The words spilled out, louder and uglier, like he couldn’t stop himself.
“And those kids?” he sneered. “You think they’re special? The boy is loud, spoiled, and always clinging to people p>
“And Alisa?” He laughed sharply, circling a finger beside his temple. “She’s slow in the head. Everyone can see it p>
Stefan laughed again.
“What the—” Before he could say more, someone grabbed him from behind.
He was flipped to the floor with brutal force.
Nathaniel Thorne stood over him,
fists clenched eyes blazing. His ared as he said, quietly and
nostrils
lethally, “What did you just say about my kids p>
“What p>
Stefan didn’t understand it at first. The room had gone unnaturally still.
Then he saw it.
In Nathaniel Thorne’s eyes was the cold certainty of a father’s anger. For the first time that night, Stefan felt true fear.