Chapter 8 The Marriage License
Two and a half hours later, she walked out of Capital City Airport and got into the Johnson family’s car.
Only then did Shane’s message come through.
“Where are you? Why didn’t you go back to the hotel? The marriage office is still open. Head there directly–I’ll be there
soon.”
Stella curled her lips in a cold smirk.
Then she blocked every single one of Shane’s contacts.
He waited a long time, but no reply came.
Shane’s striking brows furrowed.
She used to reply in seconds.
Her temper’s been getting worse lately.
He immediately called her, but the mechanical voice that answered left him stunned.
She had blocked him before, sure–but that was back when they were still in the honeymoon phase. They’d argue, she’d pout and block him to be cute, waiting for him to coax her.
But now, with Wendy still unconscious, he didn’t have the energy to play along.
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and let it go.
At most, she’d come crawling back in two days.
Capital City, the Johnson estate.
Grant had prepared an elaborate welcome dinner. It wasn’t a public affair, but several elders of the Johnson family were in attendance.
Raine stood personally at the door to greet her, carrying herself with poise and a face full of maternal warmth–none of her usual sharpness or cruelty on display.
But this was the same woman who’d pushed her into a swimming pool before her mother’s funeral had even finished. Stella had come down with a raging fever and was sick for days afterward, nearly dying.
“Star, you’re finally home. You’ve been gone so long. Your father and I missed you dearly.”
She reached out to take Stella’s luggage.
Stella sidestepped her.
“Don’t call me Star. We’re not close.”
With that, she walked straight into the house.
Raine’s smile froze on her face.
Two steps behind her, Luna’s expression twisted with disdain.
“So she really thinks she’s some kind of heiress of the Johnsons, huh? Acting all high and mighty. What a joke.”
As Stella passed by, she stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at her, eyes cold as ice.
She hadn’t forgotten what this half–sister had done–jabbing a needle into her thigh over and over when she was feverish and barely conscious.
1/3
Smack!
Without warning, Stella raised her hand and slapped her hard.
The slap landed squarely across Luna’s face, catching her completely off guard. Her flawless makeup was instantly ruined, one side of her face swelling up fast.
“You b*tch! How dare you hit me?!”
Luna lunged at her like a madwoman, hand still covering her cheek.
Stella raised a knee and kicked her back.
Back when she ran from Capital City to Cloudtopia, she’d been weak–so frail that a gust of wind could knock her down.
But what she never lacked was grit–the refusal to bow to anyone.
So even when her aunt’s herbal concoctions tasted bitter as poison, she took them all without complaint, as long as they helped her get stronger.
And now, it was paying off.
Raine rushed to help Luna up, her voice trembling with sorrow.
“Sir, we were just trying to welcome her! How could she treat us this way?”
Several of the family elders shook their heads.
“She’s been raised outside too long–turned into a wild child. Marrying her off will only disgrace the Johnson name.”
“Find someone to teach her some manners. Even the wildest animal can be broken.”
“James, the Landons are the wealthiest family in Capital City. They control trillions. Whether the Johnsons rise further depends on this. We don’t expect her to bring glory, but she absolutely must not bring trouble.”
Grant and James both looked grim.
“Star, stop fooling around! Come greet your elders.”
Stella rolled her suitcase over.
She looked past James and swept her eyes over the so–called kind–faced elders.
The Johnson family was deeply rooted in Capital City. One of their ancestors had held a third–rank government post–once a source of great pride.
But their descendants had squandered that glory, preserving only outdated rules and rituals,
They called themselves a noble family and looked down on Stella’s mother for being an orphan. They hadn’t even held a wedding for her, yet had built Johnson Corp step by step on her culinary talent.
When James brought Raine and Luna into the Johnson household, Stella had tried to appeal to the elders.
But they’d told her that, with James’s status, having multiple women was normal.
Absolutely shameless.
“If you think I’m too wild and will shame the Johnsons by marrying into the Landons, then fine–Luna can marry him. Aren’t you planning to erase me and my mother from the family record anyway? To show my loyalty, I’ll start working at Johnson Corp tomorrow.”
The elders bristled, their beards trembling in outrage.
James turned green with fury, but had no choice but to suppress it.
2/3
“Star, what
are you talking? You’re my eldest daughter. I’d never let Luna’steal your engagement.”
“Oh, please.”
Stella let out a cold laugh.
“I might stay away from Capital City, but I’m not clueless. You think I’ve never heard of Moses from the Landon family? You’re just afraid your precious Luna would be stuck with a m
father‘
ct in front of me.”
James’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
who can’t have kids. Don’t bother putting on the devoted
It was true that Moses’s condition was no secret–but Stella didn’t know the rest.
To
prevent their fortune from leaking outside the family, Mr. Landon had forced Moses to sign a will before he fell ill. All of his assets would eventually go to his only nephew.
A marriage with no future–no money, no heirs. No matter how handsome Moses might be, with looks worthy of a god, plenty of women flirted but none wanted to marry him.
Jame
James had been planning to slowly coax Stella into it, but now that she’d torn off the mask, he no longer cared to play nice.
“We’re father and daughter. No need for pleasantries. There’s a Johnson Corp project stuck in Moses’s hands. Pack up and go meet him.”
Stella thought it over, then nodded.
Before coming to Capital City, she’d already looked into Johnson Corp. This project mattered–a lot.
“I have two conditions. First, once the deal is made, I want full responsibility for the follow–up.”
“You? What gives you the right?!” Luna shrieked. That project was her ladder into the Landon family. She didn’t want to marry Moses–she wanted to marry John Landon, the one with inheritance rights.
Stella gave her a bland look.
“Then you marry
him.”
Three words left Luna speechless.
James paused, then nodded. “Fine. But Johnson Corp doesn’t belong to me alone. If you mess it up, you’re never bringing up Johnson Corp again.”
Stella didn’t reply directly. Instead, she pointed upstairs.
“Second condition–clear out my old room. I’m moving back in tonight.”
Already fuming from losing both her role and her room, Luna was on the verge of exploding.
“I don’t agree!”
But Stella couldn’t be bothered. She let go of her suitcase, turned, and walked out.
“I’m going to register the marriage with Moses right now.”
