Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Well Done
It had been just like this back at the Sterling family’s home.
Whenever she was in a bad mood, Wanda Larkin would find an excuse to punish Stella Sterling.
Even when Stella had done nothing at all, she would get caught in the crossfire.
What’s more, Yara Sterling was often there, stirring up trouble.
All Yara had to do was put on a show in front of her, act pitiful, and say a few words that overtly or covertly accused Stella of bullying her.
Wanda Larkin would believe Yara’s every word without question, never giving Stella a chance to explain before she started scolding her.
Even if it was later discovered that Stella wasn’t at fault, she would never show the slightest bit of remorse.
Stella Sterling didn’t know why she had been so attached to the Sterling family back then. Perhaps it was because her foster parents had treated her poorly, making her desperately crave a real, blood-related family.
But that was only what she had wanted; the Sterling family didn’t feel the same way.
She had only spent half a year with the Sterling family, but those six months had stripped her of her self-confidence.
But Wanda Larkin was clearly mistaken now. The current Stella Sterling was not the Stella Sterling of the past, and she wouldn’t just let her lay a hand on her.
Besides, she wasn’t alone here. Stephen Lawrence and the others hadn’t left yet.
Before Stella Sterling even had to lift a finger, someone sent Wanda Larkin flying with a single kick.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"Honey—"
Evan Sterling and Marcus Sterling cried out in alarm and rushed to help Wanda Larkin.
Stephen Lawrence looked at them coldly. "How dare you try to hit our boss right in front of us? Damn it, you must have a death wish, huh?"
Wanda Larkin was in agony from the kick. She lay on the ground, crying out in pain, unable to answer.
Marcus Sterling was furious. "Your boss is our daughter! This is none of your business when we’re disciplining our own child!"
Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence were unmoved. "We don’t care who you are. As long as we’re here, we won’t let anyone bully our Sterling."
"As for whether Sterling beats us or punishes us afterward, that’s for her to decide."
With that, the two of them stepped forward, closing the distance. "It doesn’t matter which one of you it is. If any of you try something like that again, we won’t be so considerate."
Both Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence were tall to begin with. On top of that, they had lived well at the base these past few years and had never gone hungry, so they were well-built. Just standing there, they exuded an intense, intimidating pressure.
Marcus Sterling recalled the sight of that man sending his wife flying with a single kick, and he felt a surge of fear.
For a moment, he didn’t dare to speak.
He could only glare furiously at the two men, especially Stephen Lawrence. The more he looked at him, the more familiar he seemed. He felt like he had seen him somewhere before but couldn’t recall where.
Evan Sterling stared at them, then turned his gaze to Stella Sterling. "Are you just going to watch your subordinates bully your mother like this and not do anything to stop them?"
Stella Sterling took a sip of her tea first, then said with a smile, "As my subordinates, their primary duty is to protect me. I’m very gratified that their first instinct was to react so quickly when they perceived me to be in danger."
Hearing this, Wanda Larkin’s face, already twisted in pain, became even uglier.
’What does she mean by that? Is she saying her men did a good job hitting me?’
Marcus Sterling was even more eager to curse Stella Sterling for being an unfilial daughter, but when he saw Stephen Lawrence and the others, the words died in his throat.
He could only glare at Stella Sterling, his eyes filled with a rage so intense it was as if he wanted to kill her with his gaze alone.
But Stella Sterling was mentally tough. A glare like that meant nothing to her.
Evan Sterling’s expression was also grim as he stared at Stella Sterling. This sister was different from the one his parents had described.
He suppressed his anger. "They are your parents. What kind of threat could they possibly pose to you? I think these men just don’t respect you, and by extension, they don’t respect your parents. That’s why they would attack Mom and Dad right in front of you without your command."
Evan Sterling had actually started trying to sow discord.
Even though Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence knew Stella Sterling didn’t have a good relationship with this group, they still felt a pang of worry when they heard him say that.
A bad relationship was one thing, but the man had a point. No matter what, they were still family, bound by blood.
Besides, they really hadn’t received an order from Sterling before they acted. If Sterling decided to hold them accountable...
They looked toward Stella Sterling, watching her expression carefully.
Then they saw that Sterling wasn’t angry at all. In fact, she was smiling. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.
Stella Sterling held her teacup, leaned back, and said with a beaming smile, "What can I say? Ms. Larkin looked like she was about to murder me just now. Isn’t it perfectly normal for my subordinates to react that way? If they hadn’t reacted, I’d have to hold them accountable for dereliction of duty."
She spoke without any fear of angering her parents. The two of them glared at her fiercely, feeling as if their chests were about to explode with rage.
’This unfilial daughter! Just listen to the things she’s saying!’
’Does she even see us as her parents anymore?’
Stella Sterling paid them no mind and had no intention of stopping there. She continued, "When you get down to it, you can’t blame them. Just look at Ms. Larkin’s actions. Does that look like something a mother would do? Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was my mortal enemy. How could you possibly blame my men?"
Upon hearing this, Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence almost burst out laughing. Now they understood Sterling’s thoughts completely and were no longer worried.
Besides, Sterling was right. The way these people acted, they didn’t seem like family at all.
This was especially true for Stephen Lawrence. He knew just how ruthless Sterling could be when she got serious. Back then, the people in their residential complex had been utterly terrified of her.
No one dared to provoke Sterling, and he had been one of the first to be taught a lesson by her.
Someone like Sterling wasn’t the type to be shackled by familial bonds. Yet these people thought that just because they were her relatives, they could do whatever they wanted.
’They were dreaming.’
The three members of the Sterling family looked at Stella Sterling and understood that she had no intention of punishing the two men.
They were furious, but there was nothing they could do.
Wanda Larkin also got to her feet with the help of her husband and son, her eyes filled with nothing but disappointment as she looked at Stella Sterling.
At this point, Evan Sterling had started to realize a few things.
This sister, whom he had never met before, was not only different from what he had imagined, but she also placed no importance on their parents.
He took a few deep breaths and softened his tone. "Everything that happened before was a misunderstanding. Let’s not dwell on what just happened. We’re a family reunited. Let’s sit down and have a proper talk."
