Chapter 532: Chapter 532

Unfortunately, Mathias’ misdeeds led to his assets being confiscated, leaving his wife and daughter with no place to stay.

That also meant it’d be even more difficult for Stella, who was merely his illegitimate child, to claim a dime from him.

In all honesty, her reason for working with Naomi and becoming a spy in the Faymon Group wasn’t to get back at Mathias. It was simply because Naomi could pay her well.

As for a heartless sc*mbag like Mathias, Stella couldn’t care less if he died.

Arnaud smiled as he crossed his legs and leaned back on the couch. “Even if you can’t get anything from your father, there’s no need to fret. That pathetic inheritance is nothing compared to what I can give you.”

“You’re right, Sir. Your generosity is incomparable,” Stella replied, a smile tugging at her lips while she twirled her hair. “I know there are many benefits from working with you, so rest assured that I’ll do my best.”

Arnaud took a sip of his brandy and nodded, clearly impressed with Stella. Like Naomi, she was deviously clever, and it wasn’t every day that he got to meet a woman of such caliber.

“You’re a lot smarter than I imagined, Ms. Zink. The person you sent to Summerbank accomplished their tasks perfectly.

However...” he said before casting a sidelong glance at Stella. “I only told you to keep an eye on Rayna. I didn’t give any other instructions, did I? It’s impressive that you’ve gotten yourself acquainted with Mrs. Xavier, but there are times when lies backfire.

Given the status and power of the Xavier family, not even I would be able to protect you if anything goes wrong.”

Stella smiled, seemingly unfazed by Arnaud’s words or the Xaviers’ clout.

“Sir, do you know what the butterfly effect is?”

Naturally, that piqued Arnaud’s interest. “Tell me more.”

Stella showed her pearly whites as she plucked a grape and popped it into her mouth, looking both sultry and elegant.

“When a basket of eggs drops on the ground, those at the bottom and sides will most likely crack, while the ones in the middle stay well-protected. However, if you were to toss the eggs out, there’s no doubt they’d all break,” Stella explained calmly.

“Jessica and Jasmine’s friendship with Rayna is hardly a threat. What’s scary is the men supporting them. Those are the ones who are the most difficult to deal with. Therefore, as long as we can create a rift among them, we’d be able to set off a series of negative consequences.”

With that, Stella locked eyes with Arnaud and grinned. “Once we’ve torn them apart, don’t you think it’d be much easier to accomplish whatever we’ve set our minds to?”

Upon hearing that, Arnaud felt a chill run down his spine.

Wow. Stella Zink is way more brilliant and calculating than I thought. That said, she’s also a cold-blooded woman who only cares about her own interests. People like her are the most terrifying, especially since they can betray others in the blink of an eye.

Well... I can continue working with Stella, but I’d have to be constantly wary of her. After all, she’s not someone I’d want as a close confidant.

In just a few seconds, Arnaud had a newfound respect for Stella, though he didn’t let it show on his face. Classy and charming as always, he raised his glass and toasted her.

“You sure are a force to be reckoned with, Ms. Zink. I’m impressed.”

“Ah, but I’m nowhere as formidable as you, Sir,” Stella replied. “You’ve planned everything without stepping out of the house. I have faith that you’ll outdo Jefferson within the next three years.”

As soon as he heard that, Arnaud arched a brow. “Oh? What do you know about that?”

Stella smiled politely and shook her head. “I wouldn’t know unless you want to tell me.”

After staring at the woman for several seconds, Arnaud, too, let out a chuckle. “That’s a good attitude to have, Ms. Zink. I must say you’re worth every penny.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Stella said before pouring herself another glass of wine. “Anyway, given the severity of Jasmine’s injury, she’d most likely be bedbound for the rest of her life. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Are you sure Mrs. Xavier never suspected you at all?”

“Of course! She treated me as a friend and even invited me for tea to pick my brain!” Stella replied smugly. “I had only visited the beauty salon a few times and chatted with her. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d befriend me that quickly! All I did was pull out a random news article, and she immediately believed me and did everything as I said.”

Ha. I’ve always known that Mrs. Xavier’s a sharp-witted lady and not one to be messed with. I was worried she’d see through my facade from the get-go, but to my surprise, she turned out to be nothing more than a paper tiger! I merely told Mrs. Xavier that Jasmine had secretly married and was pregnant. Who knew she’d take my story at face value? Not only did she believe Jasmine was a promiscuous woman, but she also asked me for advice. What a joke!

Despite her deeds, Stella remained unapologetic and derisive. “Oh, if only Mrs. Xavier had used her brain more, Jasmine wouldn’t have ended up in such a sorry state.”

“You were the one who planned for Jasmine to suffer, yet you’re still blaming Mrs. Xavier for not being clever enough?” Arnaud scoffed. “Are you sympathizing with Jasmine? Or... Could it be that you’re jealous of Rayna?”

“That’s right. I’m jealous of Rayna,” Stella admitted without skipping a beat. “I can’t stand how lucky she’s been. Have I not proved myself to be smarter than her? I’ve played her and her little gang like a fiddle, for goodness’ sake!”

The next second, her gaze darkened as she took a whiff of the brandy. “The both of us started from the bottom, but why does she still get to live a good life despite her parents’ divorce? Why does she get to make friends with powerful and influential people?”

The world is full of clever and beautiful women, so why must Lady Luck favor Rayna? She has achieved everything that others might not even accomplish in their lifetime. This is so unfair! I want Rayna to be utterly down and out. I want to see how pathetic she is when she loses her love, luck, and friends!

Having caught the hint of jealousy in Stella’s eyes, Arnaud curled his lips into a smile. “I thought you were a smart and capable woman who only cared for yourself, Ms. Zink. Who knew you’d be jealous of other women too?”

“No matter how clever you are, there will still be times when you can’t beat other people’s good fortune.”

Having chatted with Arnaud for so long, Stella knew she had to return to the hotel soon to avoid suspicion.

With that, she decided to get to the point.

“Sir, I know you’ve called me here today because Naomi is dead, and you need someone to work for you. Alas, you’d never be honest with me because I’m too discerning,” Stella said sweetly with a faint smile. “Lucky for you, I don’t mind that one bit. All I care about is that you pay me enough.”

“As long as you execute my instructions well, you’re free to name the price. By the way, do you have anything to do with the leak of Ocean International and Faymon Group’s plans?”

Upon hearing that, Stella smiled wider. “Well, I live with Gabriel, and his computer password is really easy to crack. In all honesty, I never thought he’d digitize the plan and store it in his personal computer.”

“What? You’re dating Curtis’ assistant, Gabriel?” Arnaud exclaimed, clearly shocked by the discovery.

Given Stella’s ambition, I always thought Curtis would be her target... Who knew she’d go to such an extent?

Naturally, it didn’t take long before Arnaud figured out Stella’s devious plan. “I can’t believe you said that with such nonchalance, Ms. Zink. You truly are a ruthless gold-digger.”

“Ha! People who are too naive can’t survive in this world.”