Only Clarence, Stella and Darnell were sitting in the side hall.
Sitting on a sofa with a cold face, Clarence looked at Darnell coldly, exuding a cold aura all over.
However, Darnell had been maintaining his indifference and composure, showing no change in his
expression.
The two invisible and strong auras met, filling the whole house with oppression.
Stella, who sat beside Clarence, put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath.
After a long while, Darnell said slowly, “I guess you’ve known what you want to know. What else do you
want to ask me?”
Clarence asked in a cold voice, “What do you want to do?”
“I didn’t involve in the things that happened in City N. If what you want to ask is the thing that happened
just now, I have to say that it has nothing to do with me because it’s your mother’s choice.”
“Or I should ask you about what you said to her before.”
Dolores left Riverside without hesitation even if she had to be erased from the family tree and lived in
City N alone for many years. Although she had suffered a lot, she never stepped into Riverside again
or turned to the James family for help. It could be seen from this that she was arrogant and unyielding
in nature.
She would not choose to come back to Riverside and return to the James family at this point.
Darnell replied casually, “Didn’t aunt say the reason. I guess she regretted not taking care of grandpa
when he was alive.”
Clarence looked at him expressionlessly, “It was you who asked Vincent to take him back, right?”
“I just told her that I can help her come back to the James family. As for whether to come back or not,
it’s up to her.”
Clarence repeated the question, “What do you want to do?”
Darnell became a bit serious. He crossed his long legs and tapped the arm of the sofa with his fingers,
not giving a reply.
Stella felt a bit breathless. Why did they have to talk like this? Couldn’t they make it clear in one go?”
She broke the silence after a short while of silence, “Based on her personality, since she had decided
to leave the James family back then, she won’t come back again.”
Stella then looked towards Darnell, “I guess you have threatened her, or it was because she had to
come back because of some reasons.”
Darnell replied, “Maybe both of them are possible.”
“You mentioned the things that happened in City N twenty years ago. Maybe it has…”
“I’ve told you to investigate it yourself. You can believe in your investigation.”
Stella pressed her lips together, feeling his matter had become more complicated.
But the only thing she could make sure of now was that the things that happened in City N recently had
nothing to do with Darnell.
But they must be related to the James family.
It could be told from today’s worship ceremony. But there were many people in the James family and it
was hard for them to start the investigation.
When Stella was in confusion, Clarence stood up, held up her hand and took her out of the hall.
He walked so quickly that Stella had to trot to follow his paces. She turned around to look at Darnell,
moved her lips trying to say something, yet didn’t utter a word in the end.
Nobody stopped them.
They walked out of the side hall and stopped in a garden. Stella asked in a low voice, “Didn’t you plan
to ask him some questions? Why didn’t you ask just now?”
“I’ve learned about those things I can know today. As for the other matters, he won’t tell me.”
Stella also had perceived that Darnell was beating around the bush today. Except for learning that
Dolores was from the James family, they didn’t get any clues for other matters.
“Then…”
“Let’s go. I will send you out.”
Stella finally realized what he said after taking several steps. He meant to send her out only.
Stella looked at him, “What about you?”
Stella couldn’t read through Clarence’s expression. He said, “I have to stay here to deal with some
matters.”
Stella recalled that Dolores was still kneeling in the ancestral hall.
She nodded her head and replied, “Okay.”
Clarence drove Archer’s car and sent her to the gate of the James’ Mansion.
Nathan was waiting for her outside.
Before getting out of the car, Stella said, “Don’t be impulsive and try to negotiate it if there’s any
problem. Don’t throw your tempers at your mother.”
Clarence curled his lips into a light smile when he heard the words. He raised his hand and tugged her
hair behind her ear, “I know. I’m not a child.”
“The James family is also in a mess. I feel that they’re not that submissive to Darnell. Be careful.”
Clarence fixed his black eyes on her. Several seconds later, his hand which was placed behind her ear
pushed her head forward, and at the next moment, Clarence tilted his head and landed a kiss on her
lips. He rudely opened her mouth, deepening the kiss.
Stella could feel the emotions, which were suppressed by him before, surging in his chest.
She slowly closed her eyes and kissed him passionately, trying to console him.
Stella had been indifferent to him for a long time, and Clarence clasped the back of his head and
deepened the kiss when feeling her passion.
When the kiss was over, Clarence said in a low, husky voice, “I have to go.”
“Okay.”
Stella stood on the spot after getting out of the car.
She watched Clarence coming back to the James Mansion. Only when the black car disappeared in
her sights did she retreat her gaze.
In the ancestral hall…
Sitting on the Archer was not enough to satisfy Archer and he even began to eat the fruits and pastries
on the desk.
When he was full, there were finally footsteps from the door.
Archer hurriedly wiped clean his mouth and knelt with a straightened back.
When spotting the person walking into the ancestral hall was Darnell, his posture immediately
collapsed. “Oh, it’s you. I thought it was someone else,” said Archer.
Darnell shot a glance at him, “Are you full?”
“I’m…”
Archer suddenly paused when he spotted the residues of the pastries on the ground.
He said pitifully, “Almost. It will be better if there’s some meat.”
“Clean it and go out.”
Since Darnell had allowed him to go out, Archer immediately stood up and came to find a broom in a
good mood.
Darnell took a glance at Dolores in front of him and then looked towards Elaine, who had been lowering
her head as if she had suffered great grievance.
He slowly called her name, “Elaine James.”
Elaine’s back stiffened when she heard his voice, but she still resisted against him stubbornly and
silently.
She would not marry him even if she had to kneel here the whole day or even her father would beat her
up!
Darnell’s voice turned cold, “You’re twenty years old and you’re not a kid. Don’t throw temper tantrums.
When will this end? Do you plan to kneel here for the rest of your life?”
Elaine finally looked up at him. With tears all over her face, she choked with sobs, “I’m willing to kneel
here for the rest of my life as long as I don’t have to marry you.”
“Did I ever say I want to marry you?”
“But...”
“No one can make this decision for me without my permission.”
Elaine choked again, “But… But what if… What if you suddenly want to marry me one day… Isn’t it like
forcing me to jump into a living hell?”
Darnell’s temples thumped. He suppressed his impatience, “This won’t happen.”
Elaine groaned a simple answer.
She immediately stood up and wiped away the tears on her face, “You’ve promised me.”
She then looked at Dolores, “This lady also heard the words and I got a witness. You can’t go back on
your words.”
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