Chapter 64 Chapter 64: Old Mr. Sterling’s Compensation
At that moment, Kelly suddenly asked:
"Has the wound on your shoulder healed yet?"
Ever since Balthazar warned her to stay away from Selena, she hadn’t had the chance to check on her. She didn’t know if the injury had left any lasting effects.
Mrs. Collin and Wyatt immediately looked worried. Mrs. Collin asked:
"What happened? How did Selena get hurt?"
Knowing that Selena wasn’t good at lying, Kelly took the initiative to explain about the attack by a mentally disturbed person. Wyatt remembered how Balthazar had come to his school to find him and figured that Selena must have been hospitalized then.
He turned to look at Selena, feeling a deep sense of guilt. He should have grabbed Balthazar that day and demanded answers, should have gone to the hospital to care for her. Instead, he had cowered in fear of Balthazar's aura.
The more Wyatt thought about it, the more cowardly he felt. His inferiority complex swelled within him. Did he even deserve to secretly love Selena anymore?
Mrs. Collin didn’t overthink like Wyatt. She gently held Selena's hand and cautiously asked:
"Can I see your wound, dear?"
As soon as she heard that Selena was injured, her heart had been in turmoil. Upon learning that she had been stabbed, her panic grew, prompting her to make this request.
Touched by her concern, Selena nodded and turned her back, pulling her sleeve down.
The scar from the stab was still visible but had faded significantly. Mrs. Collin gently placed her hand over it, her heart aching. But then, her eyes widened in shock as she noticed a very familiar birthmark on Selena’s back.
The birthmark was identical to the one her daughter had, in both position and size. How could this be?
Mrs. Collin stared blankly at Selena, her mind in a whirl. When she first learned that Selena shared the same name as her daughter, she had been shocked. But the two looked so different that she had dismissed the odd thought. Now, even the birthmark matched.
Could this still be a coincidence?
Seeing Mrs. Collin silent, Selena turned to look at her and noticed that she was crying. She quickly asked:
"Are you okay, aunt?"
Mrs. Collin shook her head, holding tightly onto Selena’s hand. This was her poor daughter, no matter why she wouldn’t acknowledge her. Just knowing that she was alive was enough for Mrs. Collin.
"I’m fine. It’s just that you remind me so much of my daughter, and it makes me emotional."
Selena lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt so unfilial for making her mother sad, but now, she no longer deserved to be her daughter.
Seeing the sorrowful atmosphere, Kelly interjected:
"Auntie, if you keep being sad like this, you’ll get sick. Who will take care of Wyatt then? Besides, you can consider Selena as your own daughter, can’t you?"
Mrs. Collin hugged Selena tightly and nodded:
"That’s right, Selena will always be my dear daughter."
The two embraced each other, crying for a while. Wyatt quietly wiped his tears as he stood by. Finally, not wanting to affect Kelly and Mrs. Collin's health, everyone stopped crying.
Noticing that it was already noon, Selena suggested Mrs. Collin and Wyatt stay with Kelly while she went out to buy food.
However, as she walked down the hospital corridor, someone suddenly stepped out, blocking her path.
"The boss wants to speak with you."
Selena looked at the person, and after a moment of thought, she cautiously nodded and followed them.
She was led to a tea room, where the soothing scent of tea helped ease her spirits.
"You’re here. Sit down and try some of the tea your grandpa made."
Selena hesitantly sat down opposite old Mr. Sterling.
Since their last encounter at the hospital, she hadn’t seen him again. She hated the Sterling family but didn’t hate the old man, so she didn’t want to get too involved with him.
"Why did you call me here?"
Selena got straight to the point. Old Mr. Sterling pushed a cup of tea toward her and said:
"Drink. Didn’t you often compliment my tea before?"
Selena looked down at the cup. A girl like her, who had spent more than ten years living in the countryside, didn’t know how to properly appreciate tea. If it tasted good, she said it was good. Back then, old Mr. Sterling used to beam with joy whenever he heard her compliments. She never expected he would still remember.
She picked up the cup and took a sip. The taste was the same as before.
"It’s very good."
Old Mr. Sterling nodded contentedly, then poured himself some tea. After taking a sip, he sighed and said:
"I’ve already heard about Kelly’s miscarriage. At the most critical moment, she still didn’t call Brutus, which proves that my son is completely unreliable."
Moreover, from what he knew, Brutus still didn’t know that Kelly had been in an accident. How could someone like that be a pillar of support for anyone?
Hearing his lament, Selena pondered for a moment before asking:
"Do you know who hurt Kelly?"
Old Mr. Sterling asked back, surprised:
"Do you suspect the accident was planned? Who?"
Selena remained silent, but old Mr. Sterling understood. He helplessly shook his head.
"I will thoroughly investigate this. If it really was him, I’ll make sure he faces the law."
Selena didn’t respond. She didn’t believe old Mr. Sterling could abandon William, as he was the most promising candidate for inheriting the family business.
Seeing her reaction, old Mr. Sterling felt his age weighing heavily on him. Some things were beyond his control now.
He picked up a stack of documents beside him and handed them to Selena.
"These are thirty percent of Sterling Group's shares. I’m giving them all to you. The Sterling family owes you. It’s time we repay you."
Selena stared in astonishment at old Mr. Sterling. Before she could say anything, he spoke first:
"Don't be too quick to refuse. This is something you deserve. I only ask one thing of you: forgive Keith. He's not a bad kid. The reason he bullied you back then was because he was misled by others. Besides, I think he's already facing his own karma."