Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 444 : "What did you just say?" Stella raised an eyebrow, looking utterly baffled. Stella raised an eyebrow, completely taken aback. Bernard said firmly, "Become my granddaughter." Stella froze. She was totally confused by the whole thing. VPN 76 55 vouchers "Is this really how the Harper family says thank you? Always gotta be so extra?" Stella scoffed, her disbelief evident. The guards just stared, totally at a loss for words. Everyone was dumbfounded. They thought, 'I'd seen Jaffina's rich kids falling over themselves to get on Bernard's good side.

If any of them got this chance, they'd be over the moon. But this girl? She just looked bored out of her mind. Bernard, looking all lively and full of energy, walked right up to Stella and started acting like a stubborn old kid. "I don't care, I just want you to be my granddaughter." Stella was utterly confused. 'Is this how it works now? Just strong-arm someone into being your granddaughter?' Stella thought, completely speechless. Off to the side, Lucas was so sleepy he looked like a little zombie, his eyelids drooping. Stella looked down.

There was Lucas, looking all drowsy and adorable, his head bobbing up and down as he fought to stay awake. "Stella!" Lucas mumbled, his voice soft and sleepy. He was moving super slow, like he was half-asleep. "Lucas..." Lucas mumbled, barely cracking his eyes open. "So sleepy..." After that, he rubbed his chubby little cheeks, then wrapped his arms around Stella's leg with a loud hug. He thought, 'Cuddle time!' Stella froze. "Bernard, the room's all set," the housekeeper guard reported from the stairs, right on cue. 11:25 Thu, Feb 12 Chapter 444 ...

: VPN 76 55 vouchers Suddenly, Lucas found himself airborne. His tiny hands and feet wiggled wildly in Sebastian's arms, just like a little turtle flipped on its back. "Let's get some rest first," Sebastian said, making the call. Sebastian's word was final. Late at night, downstairs, Bernard asked for a stool to be brought over. He sat down beside Salem, taking his son's hand in his own. "Charlie," Bernard called. The guard stood up straight and saluted. "Yes, sir!" Bernard's eyes darkened with resolve. "Bernard?" the guard asked.

"Let everyone know Salem's awake now," Bernard said, his face grim. All these years, those vultures couldn't wait for Salem to kick the bucket so they could snatch up everything he controlled. But after tonight, they were about to be sorely disappointed. "And second..." Bernard paused for a moment, letting his words hang in the air. He'd caught wind of what went down with the Clinton family tonight. If Salem hadn't had that episode and scared him half to death, Bernard would've shown up at the hospital himself to stand up for that girl, if only for Sebastian's sake.

Bernard finally spoke after a beat, and Charlie's heart skipped. He knew the old man meant business. "Yes, sir! I'll send out the orders right now!" The next day, the news hit Jaffina like a bomb. Last night, Aveline made a huge scene on Jaffina Channel, searching for her real daughter. Rumor had it that an ambulance had whisked Sophie away in the middle of the night. The whole city was in a frenzy of gossip. But before anyone could get to the bottom of it, a clarification dropped: [Mrs. Clinton picked the wrong daughter and ended up making a fool of herself.] Everyone was left speechless.

'Seriously? She got the wrong kid?' But regardless of whether Aveline got the wrong daughter, the fact remains: [Sophie was hospitalized last night. Gossip blogs swore up and down that she'd tried to take her own life because she couldn't handle the Clinton family's real daughter coming back.] Then, someone claiming to work at the blood bank leaked the blood transfer records from last night. Turns out, Sophie wiped out Haliville's entire supply of rare blood types, all by herself. While everyone was busy dragging Sophie online, nobody expected the bombshell that dropped from Dragon Hill next.

Everyone was left totally shaken. 11:25 Thu, Feb 12 Chapter 444 : Bernard's only son, Salem, had finally regained consciousness. It was like a bolt from the blue. VPN 76 55 vouchers All those elite families who'd been scheming to win Bernard's favor and snatch the throne for themselves? Their dreams were shattered in a heartbeat. Everyone was floored. 'Salem's been out of his mind for over ten years. How did he suddenly wake up now?' "Could this just be one last spark before the flame goes out?" some whispered, still clinging to their hopes. Some people were still holding out hope.

If this really was just a last gasp, maybe they still had a shot. But before the Jaffina crowd could finish speculating, the real bombshell hit that in just two weeks, Bernard was throwing a massive party at the State Hall, and he was about to make it official. He'd be introducing his granddaughter to everyone. 'Granddaughter?' Everyone was floored. They supposed, 'Since when did Bernard have a granddaughter? 'Who exactly?' 'Who's the lucky one?' The whole city was buzzing, desperate to find out.

Early that morning, army jeeps rolled up to the gates of every major family in Jaffina, handing out invitations one by one. The Clinton family even got a special note that two weeks from now, they absolutely had to be there, no excuses. Everyone was completely stunned. "Granddaughter?" In the dining room of the Reed family's villa, Matthias muttered as he glanced at the invitation, his brows knitting together. All these years, he'd never heard of Bernard having a granddaughter, and now a weird sense of unease was creeping up on him.

Beside him, Tallulah looked like she hadn't slept at all, totally spaced out. After coming back from Jaffina Channel last night, she hadn't dared breathe a word to Matthias about the disaster she'd caused. And this morning, a call from her cousin Payton had her nerves shot even worse. The Stout family was in serious trouble. All the projects Quovadis had been negotiating were suddenly canceled by their partners, and every supplier suspended all deliveries. Payton was sobbing on the phone, finally telling Tallulah through her tears what had happened at the kindergarten yesterday.

'Jaxon!' Tallulah thought, her heart skipping a beat. 11:25 Thu, Feb 12 Chapter 444 "Matthias..." Tallulah started, but the words just wouldn't come out. VPN 76 55 vouchers Just then, Matthias's phone rang. He didn't even glance at Tallulah as he answered. Whatever the caller said, he just laughed, sounding totally at ease. He said, "Relax, we've got a long-term, stable patent licensing agreement with Lab 709. That's our ace in the hole at Reed Group!" Tallulah didn't say a word. She bit back the words on the tip of her tongue. Her mind drifted to that girl from last night.

Tallulah couldn't shake the anxiety twisting in her gut. At the same time, over on Dragon Hill, Stella was jolted awake by her phone. She opened her eyes. For a couple of seconds, her eyes had that cold, killer edge, then, as she remembered where she was, it all melted away, replaced by her usual laid-back vibe. The little chubby fish in her arms, Lucas, was just waking up; too. He planted a big, noisy kiss on his beloved Stella's cheek. Stella scooped Lucas up into her arms, and without even opening her eyes, she picked up the call.

"Talk." A moment later, Stella said, "Have Broderick draft the official notice. Revoke all patent licenses with Reed Group and terminate every partnership, effective immediately." She ended the call without another word. She reached out to the spot next to her. It was cold. He'd been gone for a while. "Where's Uncle Sebastian?" Stella mumbled, eyes still closed, sounding totally chill. Lucas tilted his head. "Downstairs. He's with someone." Stella didn't say another word. Half a minute later, she finally rolled out of bed, looking as laid-back as ever.

She'd come up so late last night that she hadn't really noticed the room until now. The decor totally screamed Sebastian, minimalist, sleek, and just a little bit cold. On the bookshelf, there was a photo of Sebastian and Eric as kids, looking all cute and mischievous. Stella raised an eyebrow. Outside the door, John lowered his voice. "Ms. Carter..." 11:25 Thu, Feb 12 Chapter 444 Downstairs, the vibe was definitely off. :. An old man in simple clothes was sitting at the head of the table. His hand pressed down on a wooden cane, radiating authority.

VPN 76 E55 vouchers This was the old patriarch of the Harper family, the one the side branches had gone out of their way to bring He was well past a hundred, ancient, even by Jaffina standards. And he was the oldest and most senior member of the Harper family. His word was law in the Harper family. The guards stood at attention, Bernard sitting in a place of honor with his tea, eyes closed. Sebastian was at his right, his striking features cold and unreadable. To the side branches who'd rushed over at dawn, he looked like a living nightmare, so intimidating that nobody dared step out of line.

No one even thought about causing trouble with him there. "Bernard, I heard Salem's finally awake. So why haven't we seen him yet?" Seth was the most ambitious troublemaker among the side branches. As he spoke, he shot a glance at the tightly shut bedroom door. Bernard replied, "Yeah, Salem's still asleep." Seth stroked his white beard, faking concern. "Did you get the doctors to check on him? Hope it's not something..." 'How does a guy who's been crazy for years wake up like nothing happened? Unless... Seth thought, suspicion creeping in.

'Is he testing us?' Seth wondered, his mind racing with schemes. Seth, with a sly glint in his eye, finished his sentence, "Just a last gasp before the end?" Sebastian lifted his gaze, eyes icy and sharp, locking onto Seth. 11:25 Thu, Feb 12 Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.