Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 454 Allan Returns to Jaffina As Stella watched the two of them leave, she slowly leaned against the door, raising her hand a little. The chubby little peregrine falcon fluttered down from Sebastian's shoulder to her finger, nuzzling up to her like a spoiled pet, even remembering to engage its core like a pro. The little peregrine falcon reminded itself, 'Breathe in, lift that booty!' "Bringing up the past is going to make Matthias and Tallulah the most uncomfortable," Stella mused, her lashes lowered as she thought of something, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"How are they supposed to spin Allan's return without embarrassing themselves?" Stella raised an eyebrow. She said, "Mrs. Reed." There was a storm gathering in Sebastian's eyes, pitch-black and dangerous. Stella said calmly, "So tonight, the Reed family will spread the news that Mrs. Reed is critically ill." Like it or not, if Allan didn't show up, everyone would call him the ultimate ungrateful son. Stella lifted her hand, letting the little peregrine falcon launch itself into the sky like a bolt, slicing through the night. The peregrine falcon let out a piercing screech.

In the darkness over Jaffina, flocks of birds from all directions took flight, wings beating as they followed, before melting into the night sky. "Matthias won't take this lying down," Stella said, pulling her gaze from the sky and glancing at Sebastian. Their eyes met, and everything was understood without a single word. Stella let out a lazy yawn. "I'm tired. Time for bed." That night, word spread like wildfire that Mrs. Reed had suddenly fallen gravely ill.

***** The next morning, in Jaffina, Matthias and Tallulah showed up at the main road into the city, with a bunch of Reed Group higher-ups in tow. Reporters who'd caught wind of the story were already lurking all around, cameras at the ready. "When Allan gets here, make sure your expression is convincing," Matthias murmured in Tallulah's ear, dressed in a custom Brioni suit. "Don't forget, you're the victim in all this." Tallulah, with a no-makeup look, her gaze flickering. She nodded.

Yesterday, word spread all over Jaffina that Lab 709 had suddenly cut ties with the Reed family because of Allan, with some schemers fanning the flames. And thanks to this twist, the steamy stories from Hendrix's funeral night were now something everyone knew about. The reporters who'd caught wind of the story were all hoping to catch Allan and Tallulah in the same frame again. After all, Allan was one of the only three Nova Group bosses who ever handled things in the open. Who wouldn't want a taste of some real drama? Something stirred in the branches above the reporters lying in walt.

"Hey," a fellow reporter nudged him with his elbow. "Doesn't it seem like there are way more birds up there than usual?" The reporters all looked up, almost on ref 1/4 Successfully unlocked! 624 Chapter 454 Allan Returns to Jaffina Suddenly, the reporters saw the branches absolutely swarming with birds, so many that it made their eyes pop. There were big birds and small ones, gray ones and white ones. Some they recognized, others were a complete mystery. "And the freakiest part is, all of them are just sitting there, staring at us with those eyes, not making a sound, just watching.

Man, it's seriously giving me the creeps," one of them muttered, rubbing his arms as goosebumps broke out all over. Suddenly, the roar of engines shattered the silence. Everyone whipped their heads around. A top-tier military jeep came barreling down the road, leading the way, with several black Bentleys trailing behind. They tore out of there like lightning. The cars came to a stop. The door opened, and a white sneaker stepped out first. Matthias was stunned. Tallulah was shocked. The reporters didn't know what happened.

Everyone watched as Stella stepped out of the lead military jeep, stone-faced. Her beauty was impossible to ignore. Those striking features were even more captivating in the spotlight. Matthias and Tallulah were stunned. Their eyes went wide in shock. 'Why does it always have to be her?' they thought, totally floored. "You..." Tallulah started to step forward, but Matthias grabbed her arm, his eyes locked on the military jeep. His expression kept changing, growing darker by the second. 'That license plate... That's from the special division!' Matthias realized, his heart pounding.

'She's got ties to the special division?!' he thought, utterly stunned. Just as Stella stepped out of the car, the little peregrine falcon, after a whole night of wild adventures, swooped down from the tree and plopped onto her shoulder, looking for all the world like a fluffy little ball. Almost at the same time, the branches, absolutely crowded with birds, erupted as they all flapped their wings in unison. It was almost like they were all greeting her.

"Stella, are you here for Allan?" Matthias asked, barely sparing her a glance as he kept peering into the car, trying to spot who was inside. Stella gave Matthias a sidelong glance, scratching the peregrine falcon's chin, then looked at him. "Maybe." Matthias didn't know how to continue. 'So... Is she or isn't she?' he wondered, left scratching his head. Since Sebastian couldn't show his face, Stella figured she might as well swing by and have Allan's back before heading off to the training base. She was just killing time anyway. The reporters shot each other looks. The vibe was kinda weird.

"Stella," Matthias said, stepping up beside her with what he thought was a charming smile. "Whatever's going on between you and Allan, I just hope you won't let yourself get swayed by his sweet talk and end up misunderstanding the Reed family." Stella asked, "Misunderstanding?" 2/4 Chapter 454 Allan Returns to Jaffina Matthias smiled. "Stella, you might not realize this, but I've always known about Allan and Tallulah..." He let his words hang in the air, leaving plenty of room for speculation. Stella's gaze drifted past Matthias, landing on Tallulah with a lazy, almost bored look.

She let out a cold, mocking chuckle. Tallulah didn't know what to say. 'Is she mocking me with that laugh?' Tallulah thought, totally confused. Just as they were talking, a black Cayenne rolled in from the highway exit. It screeched to a halt right in front of everyone. Allan, who hadn't set foot in Jaffina for years, stepped out. His face, behind those gold-rimmed glasses, was all gloom and thunder. Yanking his tie loose, he marched right up to Matthias, eyes full of menace. Just as Allan's fist shot up, a steady, chill hand caught it mid-air. "Allan," Stella said.

With barely any effort, she brushed his attack aside, draining all the force from his punch. Stella's voice was cool and even. "Welcome back." As soon as she finished speaking, the doors of the black Bentleys behind her swung open, and every single higher-up from Nova Group's Jaffina branch stepped out. They marched in perfect sync toward Allan, not sparing anyone else a glance, and then, in one fluid motion, bowed in unison. It was like they'd rehearsed it a thousand times. "Mr. Reed!" they called out in perfect harmony. Their swagger made the Reed Group execs look like total amateurs.

Not just the Reed family, even the reporters were totally floored. Matthias's eyes flashed with something dark as he watched the scene unfold. Allan clenched his jaw a few times, tension written all over his face. After a moment, he finally let his hand drop. "Stella." Stella shot him a lazy glance and replied with a nonchalant "Mm." Behind them, the reporters had their cameras and mics locked and loaded. Everyone was itching to snag an exclusive shot of this high-profile reunion between Allan and Tallulah.

And Tallulah, as the "victim" from back in the day, instantly put on her act the moment Allan appeared. Her eyes filled with tears, a mix of fear, panic, and humiliation, hovering on the edge, never quite falling. She looked just like one of those melodramatic soap opera heroines, the damsel in distress, pushed to the brink by fate. Allan's eyes showed he saw right through Tallulah's act. But Stella didn't even spare them a glance. Suddenly, the little peregrine falcon on Stella's shoulder let out a cry. It was not loud. Something fell from above and smacked Tallulah right on the head.

The reporters were stunned. They all stared at the top of her head, faces twisted in awkward silence, everyone looked like they wanted to say something, but nobody dared to open their mouth. Then came the second, the third, the fourth, one after another, nasty white and green bird poop splattered down from the sky, landing with perfect accuracy on the Reed family's heads, faces, and clothes. The aim was uncannily spot-on. 3/4 Chapter 454 Allan Returns to Jaffina The way it hit was almost magical. The reporters, still clutching their equipment, could only stare in stunned disbelief.

They thought, 'Well, would you look at that... 'Now that's what I call getting crapped on!' Tallulah cried. Subscribed 1 Likes - Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.