Chapter 18

Chapter 18
“Grandfather.” Liam greeted him as he entered the living room.

The old man seated on the couch didn’t look up from the newspaper he was reading.

“Hmm.” Alfred Carson snorted.

Liam didn’t press further. He went to sit on the sofa next to the couch. “How is your health?”

“It would be better if you didn’t do things that worried me.”

Liam smiled faintly. “Everything I do is for the good of Kings Corporation.”

“The good of Kings Corporation?” Alfred lowered the newspaper slightly and glanced at Liam. “You fired an old and important staff member because of a woman.”

“Miss Moore is my secretary,” Liam said. “It’s my duty to protect her. And Mr. Stone was going against the corporation’s interest.”

“Taking a few kickbacks isn’t that big of a deal. There was no need  to escalate matters.”

“It wasn’t just a few kickbacks,” Liam replied, his tone calm as he met his grandfather’s gaze. He wasn’t backing down. “He’s also wanted by the police for drug-related crimes. If we hadn’t cut ties with him fast, by the time they gathered all the evidence and the press caught wind of it, our share price would be affected.”

Alfred’s expression stiffened. “Drugs?”

Liam nodded. “He’s a VIP member of a private club that smuggles. Someone from there invited me and mentioned his name. That’s how I found out.”

The old chairman set the newspaper down fully. After a long pause, he muttered, “You did a good job this time.” 

Stella didn’t go anywhere. She was waiting for a call. 

The rest of the day passed in a blur of organizing, reviewing, and rearranging the information she had gathered so far. 

The Kings Corporation was divided into two groups, well, now three. For years, it was the old chairman, Alfred Carson, and the current Vice President, Peter Carson, who held equal power in the company. But in recent years, Peter Carson’s side had been gaining more power, almost eclipsing the old Chairman. 

Because of that, Alfred Carson had invited Liam back to serve as CEO and President. After he came back, the first thing he did was fire a lot of the executives who, if you looked closer, actually worked for Peter, even though there wasn’t any concrete evidence linking them together. 

The move changed the power structure. The highest authority was Alfred, Peter almost none, and Liam was slowly building up his own. 

But Mr. Stone was different. He was connected to the old Chairman. Now that Liam had dealt with him, was it the old chairman’s intention or his own? A

nd which of the two groups was responsible for her parents’ death?

She circled Laim’s name on the board hidden in her closet. 

How much power did his father hold before he died? 

And more importantly… What part did he play in what happened to her family?

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Her phone was ringing. It was an unknown number.

“Hello,” she answered calmly.

“You’re her,” a man said quietly on the other end. “The Stanley kid. Stella Stanley”

Stella paused. She hadn’t heard that name in years. No one called her that anymore. It felt foreign.

“I’m Stella Moore.”

The other person was silent for a few moments.

“I don’t know how you survived or how you were able to escape,” the voice was low and serious. “But you shouldn’t have returned. Those people are dangerous. You can’t beat them.”

Stella’s fingers tightened around the phone. “I’m Liam Carson’s secretary.”

The man’s breath caught. “How, how is that possible? Kings Corporation always does extensive background checks on all its workers.”

“I was invited to join them.”

There was a pause. “It seems you have your own methods.”

“I had to come back,” she said. “I want justice.”

“I advise you to go back. You can’t defeat them.”

“Uncle Paul…”

He didn’t answer.

“I’ll only do one thing for you,” he said finally. “I’ll tell you where your parents are buried.”

Stella froze. No matter how hard she had tried, she couldn’t find out where their graves were.

“Back then, the police concluded that it had been a murder- sucide. That he killed your mother, the nanny, and you. Before taking his own life, because his company went down.”

“They believe my father committed suicide?” Her voice trembled.

“Yes.”

“That’s not true.” Her voice cracked. “I saw those men kill them.” Stella’s mind was in disarray. “Where are the case files?”

“There was no evidence of other people ever entering the house. Or forced entry”

Stella didn’t know what to say. 

“I secretly claimed their bodies and had them buried, but I couldn’t put their names on the tombstone.”

“Thank– Thank you.” Stella’s eyes reddened. That’s why she couldn’t find them. If the Carson family had investigated. Uncle Paul would have been in danger.

“I'll send you the address,” he said. “After you visit, leave here as soon as possible. While you still can.”

And with that, he ended the call.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed. A message came through.

The address of her parents’ final resting place. It was a cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

The morning before the sun rose, Stella visited their graves for the first time in twelve years.

The cemetery was a quiet place filled with trees and flowering bushes. Butterflies fluttered around tombstones, adding a splash of color. The place wasn’t gloomy like she had expected. It even seemed to have a sense of livelyness to it. 

Uncle Paul chose the perfect place for them.

She collapsed to her knees in front of the two headstones. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to brush the surface.

“Mom. Dad.” She called tearfully. “It’s me. Stella. Your daughter. I’ve returned.” 

A flower petal floated and landed in front of her as if welcoming her.

“I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit before now, I didn’t know where you were. After you both passed, Aunty Wendy took me to Germany with her boyfriend. They’re married now.” 

She smiled bitterly through the pain.

“They even have twin daughters, Olivia and Sophia. The girls are delightful. You would have loved your nieces,” she whispered.

She told them everything. About Leipzig. How hard it had been at first. How they lived. The happy memories and all they had achieved.

“I don’t know if you’ll agree with what I’m doing now... but I have to. Our family wasn’t the only one harmed by them. That company is filled with evil people. I’m now the secretary of the heir. Don’t worry, I’ll protect myself.”

After a few hours, Stella stood up and wiped her tears. After speaking her mind, she felt as if the weight she was carrying had been lifted off her shoulders.

On her way to the gate, she bumped into someone.

“I’m sorry. I—”

Stella froze. What was he doing here? Did he find out something?

Liam Carson was standing in front of her, holding a bouquet of white Lilies.

“Stella?” he looked surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Stella schooled her expression as fast as possible. “I came to visit an old friend.”

“You cried.”

“I just remembered some memories,” she replied, offering a half-smile. 

He didn’t press. He understood what it felt like.

”What about you?” she asked.

By this time, Liam was supposed to be at work. Today was just Friday.

Liam looked down at the bouquet in his hands. “Today is my parents’ death anniversary. I came to visit them.”

Stella nodded. Liam was also an orphan, though the circumstance around their deaths wasn’t made public.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It was many years ago. They both passed away in a car accident. I was a drunk driver.”

Stella didn’t say anything. Who knew if the driver was really drunk? Or it was something else.