Chapter 302: If He Were the Real Ethan Linden

Stella Shields said, "You’re that desperate for me to get married, aren’t you? Well, I won’t!"

"..." Nathan Fawcett raised an eyebrow. Ignoring whether Stella Shields agreed or not, he said, "Then it’s settled. I’ll have someone come to the house tomorrow!"

"I’m still sick!" Stella Shields cried, on the verge of a breakdown. "Are you a devil? You won’t even leave a sick person alone."

Nathan Fawcett said, "Then we’ll talk about this after you’ve recovered."

"..." Stella Shields glared at Nathan Fawcett. "I really have you to thank for this!"

Nathan Fawcett said, "No need to thank me. My mother sees you as a daughter, and I see you as a sister. It’s only right for me to be concerned about your future."

Hearing him say he saw her as a sister, Stella Shields looked at him, her face falling.

Her gaze fell upon Anne Sutton...

Anne Sutton felt very uncomfortable under her stare.

Seeing Stella Shields looking at her like that, she frowned.

’I can feel it. Stella’s blaming me again for what Nathan did.’

The next second, Stella Shields asked Nathan Fawcett, "Have you really decided to spend the rest of your life with this woman?"

Nathan Fawcett glanced at Anne Sutton, then nodded at Stella Shields. "Yes."

"I don’t believe you!" Stella Shields said. "I don’t believe you’ll marry her!"

Anne Sutton’s status was what it was.

’Even though we all know Nathan Fawcett and Ethan Linden are the same person, no one else does!’

She didn’t believe Nathan Fawcett would marry Anne Sutton using Ethan Linden’s identity.

Hearing Stella Shields’s words, Nathan Fawcett said, "It doesn’t matter. You’ll see it sooner or later."

Stella Shields sat to one side, watching Nathan Fawcett debone the fish for Anne Sutton.

’He’s so patient!’

When he finished, he gave it to Anne Sutton, looking at her with a gentle expression.

’He used to be a bit more discreet in front of others, unwilling to be too nice to this woman.’

’But I’ve only been gone for a few days, and Nathan’s relationship with Anne has already progressed this far!’

As the patient, Stella Shields didn’t eat much.

She ate a little and went upstairs.

Justin Shields glanced at her retreating back, then his gaze fell on Nathan Fawcett. "I’ll go check on her," he said.

After speaking, he went upstairs.

Upstairs, Justin Shields pushed open the door to find Stella Shields had just thrown a pillow to the ground.

Seeing this, he good-naturedly picked up the pillow.

Stella Shields said, "You’re not just going to stand by and watch them get married, are you?"

Justin Shields replied, "What else can I do? Anne Sutton has no interest in me. I’ve already done my best. Stella! Why don’t you... think about it... he’s not the only man in the world."

Stella Shields was losing control of her emotions. "You’re taking their side too?"

"I’m not taking their side, I’m trying to help you!" Justin Shields said. "You’re my sister. I don’t want to see you this miserable over Ethan Linden, especially since he isn’t the real Ethan Linden. If he were, how could he bear to see you so hurt and sad?"

Justin Shields’s words struck a sore spot, and Stella Shields murmured, "That’s right... If he were the real Ethan Linden, how could he bear to make me so miserable?"

It was only Nathan Fawcett; no matter what she did, she couldn’t catch his eye. He was completely impervious.

Justin Shields said, "If he had even the slightest affection for you, I would support you. But look at him now, the way he treats Anne Sutton. Has he ever treated you like that?"

Anyone with eyes could see it.

Even if Stella Shields spent another ten years with Nathan Fawcett, he would never treat her that way.

Just as Justin Shields finished speaking, Stella Shields’s tears began to fall. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Justin Shields said, "If you don’t want to stay here, let’s go home, okay? This isn’t your home, anyway."

She had lived here before because she still had expectations, still held onto fantasies about Nathan Fawcett.

But now...

Anne Sutton had arrived, and nothing here belonged to her anymore. It never would again.

Stella Shields desperately wanted to refuse. ’Why should I be the one to leave? Anne Sutton is the one who should go!’ But the grief in her heart was too much, so she reluctantly agreed.

Justin Shields packed her things. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw her standing to the side, staring blankly at something on the bookshelf.

It was a small decorative piece, a birthday gift from Nathan Fawcett from a long time ago.

Just a little trinket.

But because he had given it to her, she treasured it. Seeing it now only brought her pain.

Justin Shields said, "I’ll wait for you downstairs."

With that, he took her things and went downstairs.

Anne Sutton and Nathan Fawcett had already finished eating and had someone clear the table.

Seeing Justin Shields come down with the bags, Anne Sutton asked, "You’re leaving?"

Justin Shields said, "Stella wants to go home and see her mother. She isn’t feeling well, so I’m planning to take her back for a couple of days."

"You’re leaving at this hour?" Anne Sutton glanced at the time. She was especially surprised that Stella Shields was actually willing to leave. That was unexpected.

Justin Shields said, "Sorry for all the trouble."

Nathan Fawcett replied, "Not at all. It’s good that you’re taking her home. She really should go back and spend more time with her family."

Justin Shields could tell there was a hidden meaning in Nathan Fawcett’s words.

He spoke up, "Ethan, are you serious about finding a match for Stella? You know she likes you. Do you have any idea how much those words must have hurt her?"

Hearing Justin Shields’s words, Nathan Fawcett looked at him and said, "I took her to the hospital, and it became a news story. Do you think I wanted to see that? I let it slide before, but now, I’m afraid Anne might get the wrong idea."

Anne Sutton: "..."

Justin Shields looked at Nathan Fawcett, recalling the news story. ’This man knows everything. You can’t hide anything from him.’

’Stella’s little tricks must just be a joke in his eyes.’

Nathan Fawcett said, "I know what you’re thinking. For Ethan’s sake, our business partnership won’t change, no matter what happens in the future. But if she pulls any more stunts like this, then I can’t make any promises."

If Stella Shields didn’t cause trouble, the Shields Family would continue to be under his protection.

But if she kept it up, they could lose everything they had now.

Hearing Nathan Fawcett’s words, Justin Shields fell silent for a moment. Finally, he looked at Anne Sutton and said, "Well, I’ll be heading back then. We’ll get together when you’re back in Westhaven."

Anne Sutton nodded. Soon after, she saw Stella Shields come downstairs.

The car was already waiting outside. Justin Shields opened the door, and Stella Shields walked out.

...

Watching them leave just like that, Anne Sutton looked at Nathan Fawcett. "They just left. Isn’t that a little... bad?"

"What’s bad about it?" Nathan Fawcett was more than happy to see it happen. "I think it’s great. She should have gone back anyway. Being with her family, under their care, she’ll recover faster."

"..." Anne Sutton looked at him. Seeing that he wasn’t concerned, she didn’t say any more. "By the way, your second sister-in-law was discharged from the hospital today. The paperwork was done this afternoon. But... I haven’t seen your second brother these past two days. He’s not off causing trouble, is he?"

The fact that Ryan Linden hadn’t shown up and had gone so quiet made Anne Sutton feel a little uneasy.