Chapter 21 All in the Family
And yet, Stella couldn’t deny the strange, swelling feeling in her chest.
The feeling of having someone in her corner.
It wasn’t so bad.
After some thought, she agreed to meet Moses and head over together.
Weekend.
James had the housekeeper prepare a table full of lavish dishes.
Raine and Luna watched with envy-since when had James ever been so accommodating to anyone else? Only Moses received this level of flattery.
Moses and Stella arrived together as planned.
She carried two shopping bags-things she’d picked up while waiting for him.
Moses wore a tailored suit, smelling faintly of alcohol, like he’d come straight from a reception.
“You ditched someone’s opening party midway, but clearly didn’t hold back on the drinks. You’d better eat something to sober up.”
Stella ignored the others entirely and led him to the table.
Moses rubbed his temples in silence.
The two of them sat down as if no one else were present.
James wasn’t sure how to break the ice. He motioned for Raine and Luna to sit and asked the housekeeper to bring out the rest of the food.
With the full spread before them, James noticed Moses wasn’t touching his fork-possibly dozing-so he shifted his attention to Stella instead, offering some “concern” while piling food onto her plate.
“Mr. Moses has been drinking. You should’ve said something earlier-I would’ve asked the maid to prep a remedy.”
“You’re doing well at Johnson Corp, but those project negotiations haven’t moved much.”
“Since Mr. Moses is here, maybe you should ask him for a few tips?”
Every word was dipped in business, not the slightest trace of fatherly care.
Stella was used to it.
But Moses slowly opened his eyes and gently took Stella’s wrist.
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“What’s wrong? Ran into some trouble?”
The touch was perfectly timed and perfectly measured.
Stella didn’t even flinch. Not only did she let him hold on-she even placed a bowl of chicken soup in front of him.
“It’s all because you’re blocking Johnson Corp’s projects. My dad can’t yell at you, so I get the heat.”
“Wh-! That’s not what I meant…”
James looked horrified.
Moses released her wrist with a blank expression.
“I thought you were too busy to visit my grandfather, so I held up the projects a bit. I didn’t expect it’d get you chewed out both at work and at home.”
Stella raised an eyebrow slightly.
As far as she remembered, the project freeze happened before she ever met Grandpa.
Moses was lying through his teeth-without even blinking.
She rested her chin on her hand. “So what now, Mr. Moses? Still planning to trip me up?”
Polite words. Light tone. Brazen delivery.
James tensed-how dare she talk to Moses like that?!
Luna scoffed-what, did Stella think she was someone special? Talking back to Moses now?
“Sis, what are you saying? You and your husband are a team. You should be loving and supportive. I’m sure he didn’t mean to make things difficult. Maybe… maybe it’s the Landons who look down on the Johnsons, and he couldn’t-”
‘I’ll do whatever she says.”
Moses cut in calmly.
Luna’s face twisted in fury.
The great Moses-speaking so tenderly to Stella?!
Why her?!
Knowing he was playing along, Stella took it a step further, pretending to hesitate as she spoke.
“But the truth is, I may be the Johnsons’ daughter, but I don’t actually hold any shares. Whether the projects go through or not, all I get is commission-no dividends.”
James flinched.
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That was clearly a veiled threat. He rushed to respond.
“Now, now-don’t say that! Don’t forget, your dowry included three percent of the company shares!”
Raine’s face paled.
They’d never discussed any shares before!
Stella added, “Shares are one thing. But all these years, as your daughter, I never even got allowance
money…”
“Twenty million. Spend it however you like.”
James jumped in.
“And my mother’s urn,” Stella said, her sharp gaze landing directly on Raine. “She’s gone. And I’m treated like a stranger. If her urn isn’t allowed in the family cemetery, then maybe… maybe I don’t count as a Johnson either.”
Raine’s eyes burned with fury. Her grip on her plate turned her knuckles white.
The standoff was thick with tension-
Until Moses spoke.
“My mother-in-law’s urn… doesn’t deserve a place in the Johnson cemetery?”
Mother-in-law?!
James’s breath hitched.
Just like that, Moses had elevated Stella’s mother’s status.
He didn’t dare hesitate.
“Of course she does! Of course! I’ll take care of it right away!”
“James, you-!”
“Shut up! How could Mr. Moses’s mother-in-law not deserve? We’re all family! Don’t start drawing lines!”
James roared at Raine.
Raine clutched her chest, looking ready to pass out from fury.
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