The James would hold a family gathering every half a year and it was to gather all the James together
to go through a set of procedures in nature.
Ancestor worship was its main theme as well as an indispensable part.
The youngers didn’t like these unnecessary and overelaborate formalities, but the seniors were still
adhering to the traditions passed down from their ancestors and treated every detail seriously and
carefully.
Therefore, the family gathering of the James family had never been a form of entertainment and no
outsider was allowed to attend it.
After Clarence’s leaving, Archer wiped away the sweats on his forehead and hurriedly dialled Darnell.
He reported, “Clarence came to me.”
Darnell replied in a flat tone, “What did he ask you?”
Archer coughed, “He… He asked about the child’s condition and some insignificant matters.”
“What else?”
“He required me to take him into the James’ Mansion next Sunday.”
Darnell at the other end of the phone remained silent. Archer could only hear his even breath.
Archer said tentatively, “Should I go out to evade him? He will not be able to do anything as long as I’m
not in Riverside.”
Darnell replied, “No need. He can find a way to enter the James’ Mansion even without your help.”
“That makes sense. Who will deal with this troublesome thing if I leave?”
“I will arrange it and you can directly take him into the James’ Mansion later.”
Archer asked after a short while of silence, “Do you plan to tell him about the truth?”
Darnell replied, “I’m just doing it according to the rules. As for other matters, they have nothing to do
with me.”
Archer was rendered speechless.
How awesome! He’s really good at shifting blames.
Even Bancroft James, the former patriarch, would praise it if he was still alive.
There came Darnell’s voice soon, “Someone has got the news that you’d once left Riverside. Don’t
create any troubles in these few days, stay in the laboratory and don’t go out. Wait until the day to
worship the ancestors.”
“I see. I will come back now.”
After ending the call, Darnell took a quick shower and then came back to the laboratory.
…
In the hotel…
Stella gave Channing a call and told him that Little Noah was sick and she and Clarence took him to
see a doctor.
But she didn’t tell him about the details and told him she wasn’t sure when she would be back.
Knowing that Stella didn’t want to talk too much about this, Channing didn’t probe into it.
Stella put down her phone, looked out of the window and heaved a sigh.
The doorbell rang at this moment.
Stella thought it was the staff of the hotel that came to send her the dinner.
She stood up and opened the door, yet only to see several strange men standing at the door.
The leader said, “Please go with us.”
Stella stepped backwards, holding the door handle, “Who are you?”
The man replied, “You don’t need to know this.”
When they prepared to walk over, Stella took out her phone, “I will call the police if you step forwards.”
“Calling the police will not do any good to you.”
“Seems like it’s not a pleasant thing for you either.”
When they prepared to resort to force, the manager of the hotel, who received the news, hurriedly
walked over, “Excuse me, what’s the problem? You can tell us if you have any problems.”
The man replied, “Our master wants to invite this lady to visit his home.”
Stella replied expressionlessly, “I don’t know you. Nor do I know your master. Why do I have to come?”
The manager recognized the man and hurriedly said, trying to alleviate the embarrassment,
“Misunderstand. It’s a misunderstanding...”
The man interrupted him and looked at Stella, “Mr. Conrad took away our lady several days ago,
causing her not to come back the whole night. Was this a misunderstanding?”
Stella was stunned when she heard the question. Several days ago? When?
The man continued, “Don’t worry. Our master just wants to ask you several questions and we will send
you back right after that.”
Stella pulled herself together, “I will repeat it. I don’t know your master, so I won’t go. Moreover, it was
Clarence who took away your lady and you shall come to Clarence. Why do you come to me? Do you
think I’m the one who can be trifled with so that you want to shift the blame on me?”
The man didn’t expect these words from Stella and frowned.
The manager chimed in, “Yep… Or you can wait until Mr. Conrad comes back. Maybe there’s really a
misunderstanding, right?”
The man glanced over him and the manager immediately shut up.
Franklin James was also a prestigious person in the James family. Different from Darnell, he always
showed up in the media reports, and this was the reason why Elaine invited many media practitioners
to her birthday party.
Therefore, every businessman in Riverside had seen Franklin’s trusted subordinates.
When the two parties were in a deadlock, Clarence came back.
He walked to Stella and asked in a cold voice, “What happened?”
The manager hurriedly explained, “Maybe it’s related to Ms. James.”
Clarence looked towards the leader of those men, “Tell your master that I will visit him in person several
days later. No matter it’s because he wants to know about the reason why I came to Riverside or it’s
because he wants to cross me, I won’t evade it.”
The man hesitated and didn’t move.
Clarence asked, “You don’t want to leave? Are you waiting for me to send you off?”
Those men quickly left when they heard the words.
Seeing this, the manager heaved a sigh of relief. He slightly nodded at them and then left.
Stella withdrew her hand from the door handle and came back to the living room.
Clarence took off his suit jacket, tossed it onto the sofa, unbuttoned his shirt with one hand while asked
in a low voice, “Have you had dinner?”
“Yes.”
“What did you eat?”
“Some anger.”
Clarence was rendered speechless.
He sat down on the sofa and put his long legs on the tea table casually, looking at the woman in front of
him, “Don’t take the James to your heart.”
Stella replied blandly, “I ignored them.”
Clarence raised his brows, “Then why do you look so unhappy?”
Stella took a deep breath after a long while of silence, “I have been bewildered by a question.”
“What’s that?”
“Why it’s me to suffer every time after you attract the other woman outside? Is it reasonable?”
Clarence was confused.
Stella didn’t want to talk with him. She took out her phone and prepared to order some take-out food,
like barbecue.
Clarence snatched her phone and explained, “I have no relationship with Ms. James they mentioned. It
was just that I bumped into her when I came to find Darnell last time and she insisted on following me.
Plus that you were with Darnell at that time, so I allowed her to follow me.”
Stella groaned a simple answer and said, “Oh, she insisted on following you? Mr. Conrad, sounds like
you’re still charming and girls would still be captivated by you no matter where you go.”
Clarence chuckled and asked, “You only realize this now?”
Stella was rendered speechless.
Fuck off, you wretched man.
She snatched her phone back and continued to select skewers.
Seeing this, Clarence asked, “Don’t you want to order other food?”
Stella ignored him.
Clarence continued, “You like spicy and sour noodles, right? Order one and don’t add vinegar.”
He added after a pause, “It’s because you’re having it.”
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