Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Not a Biological Daughter
She sat in her chair and turned to look out the window.
The rain had stopped. The scorching sun shone down, almost blindingly bright.
Many, many years ago, she never would have imagined she would become so ruthless.
"Haha."
She laughed wantonly, then drained the tea from her cup in one gulp.
But she indulged in this sentiment for only a moment before pushing the strange emotions aside to focus on what needed to be done.
After a while, she stood up and headed toward where the three members of the Sterling family had gone.
When she arrived, she found Mr. and Mrs. Quinn sitting on the ground, their faces pale as if all their strength had been drained, their eyes numb.
Wanda Larkin’s eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying her heart out.
Only Evan Sterling was relatively calm, but his expression was grim.
"So, have you seen your Yara?"
Stella Sterling’s arrival broke the silence between them.
At the sound of her voice, the three Sterlings looked over at her in unison.
It was like a switch had been flipped. The moment they saw her, the expressions on Marcus Sterling and Wanda Larkin’s faces turned wild.
The two of them charged at Stella Sterling. "You monster! What did you do to Yara?"
At this moment, only Evan Sterling remained composed. He grabbed one with each hand, holding them back tightly. "Mom, Dad, calm down! There must be some misunderstanding. Stella would never do something like this. Both of you, just calm down!"
As he spoke, he frantically shook his head at them.
’It doesn’t matter if Stella did it or not. They have to calm down right now.’
’If Stella didn’t do it, acting like this will only alienate her further, making their already strained relationship even colder.’
’And if Stella really did do it, then it’s even more important for them to be calm.’
’She was capable of harming Yara, so what about them? Provoking her now would do them no good. They might really lose their lives here.’
’Right now, regardless of the truth, he had to play dumb. Everything else could be dealt with later. First, they had to get out of here, off Caeluna Base’s territory. Once they were back at Sanctyr Base, they would be safe. They could worry about the rest then.’
’But for now, they were still on Caeluna Base’s turf. Their lives were in Stella Sterling’s hands.’
’Whether they lived or died depended on a single word from her.’
Although Mr. Quinn and Mrs. Sterling were furious, they hadn’t completely lost their minds. Besides, the one speaking was their beloved son, and his words managed to pull them back from the brink of their rage.
They merely glared fiercely at Stella Sterling, and Wanda Larkin demanded, "Did you kill Yara?"
Stella Sterling watched the scene unfold and felt just like the main villain in a movie.
’But to this family, wasn’t she—this person who should never have appeared in their lives—the ultimate villain anyway?’
’But could she really be blamed for any of this?’
’Compared to how she treated others, she had already been incredibly lenient with this family.’
’But they were the ones who had recklessly insisted on coming to her. She couldn’t be blamed for that.’
She looked at them calmly. "Yes."
Hearing her admit it so directly, Evan Sterling’s pupils constricted. Fear gripped his heart, a fear more intense than any he had ever felt.
’She just admitted it, just like that. What did that mean? It meant she was completely fearless. She had no scruples whatsoever. That was a terrifying thought.’
’It was highly likely she wouldn’t show them any mercy either.’
He took two steps back, watching Stella Sterling warily.
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were still in a state of disbelief. Seeing Stella Sterling’s demeanor, they didn’t charge at her again.
But they began to curse her loudly, "We never should have given birth to you! Yara was so sweet and kind, how could you bring yourself to harm her?"
"Stop it!"
Evan Sterling shouted, stopping them. His face was dark; he had never thought his parents could be so stupid.
’How could they still not see the gravity of the situation?’
"Evan, she killed your sister Yara!"
Wanda Larkin looked at her son sadly. "Don’t you have the backing of a major base? Make them do something! Make them avenge your sister."
’Evan’s face remained grim. Forget whether Sanctyr Base would even stand up for him or be willing to offend Caeluna Base on his behalf. Even if they were, Caeluna Base was no pushover. Dealing with Stella Sterling wouldn’t be that simple.’
’Besides, did his mother have any idea what she was saying? They were still at Caeluna Base.’
’Even if they wanted revenge, that would have to wait until after they were safe. But right now? It was like she wanted them to die faster.’
He said in a low voice, "Mom, what are you talking about? Even if Stella really did this, it must be because Yara did something unforgivable. That’s the only reason Stella would act this way."
"Besides, Yara was just an adopted daughter. She wasn’t your biological child, and she wasn’t my real sister. Stella is your real daughter! She’s my sister!"
"Now that Yara is gone, Stella is the only family we have left. We should be treating her better."
Evan Sterling delivered this string of words, hoping to quell Stella Sterling’s murderous intent toward them.
Stella Sterling glanced at him. She had to admit, there was at least one smart person in the Sterling family. Based on that speech, anyone else might have been moved.
But when Wanda Larkin heard this, her eyes went wide. She screamed hysterically, "She is not! She’s not! Yara is my daughter!"
Her words seemed nonsensical, but Stella Sterling’s head snapped toward her.
Marcus Sterling’s expression changed, and he moved to cover Wanda Larkin’s mouth.
But Wanda Larkin was beyond caring at this point. "You are not my daughter! Yara is my biological child! The long-lost daughter returning home—it’s all fake! It’s all a lie we made up because your organs were a match for Yara’s!"
As soon as she said this, everyone else fell silent.
’He had never imagined such a thing was part of the story. He was stunned, and at the same time, he was certain his life was over.’
’If Stella wasn’t his parents’ daughter, then their current situation was even more dangerous.’
At that moment, Marcus Sterling realized the same thing. His face turned ugly, and he no longer dared to curse Stella Sterling.
Magnus Sterling, who had just arrived, also saw his expression change.
Stella Sterling was surprised for only a moment before she quickly calmed down.
She stared at the members of the Sterling family. "So that’s the reason. But... you didn’t actually think I wouldn’t run a paternity test, did you?"
