Chapter 149 Stefan's Danger
Stefan froze.
His cold expression hadn't fully softened yet. He just turned his head to look at Cecilia, the corner of his lips curling into a playful smile.
Stefan knew exactly what she was thinking.
She was just afraid things would get out of hand and become hard to deal with.
She was always so rational, rational to the point of being a bit boring, yet somehow that made her interesting to him.
Efren on the floor seized this opening. Ignoring the piercing pain, he frantically freed himself from under Stefan's shoe and scrambled to the corner of the wall, half-crawling.
The way he looked at Cecilia was filled with gratitude for surviving a disaster, and beneath that, a deeper fear of Stefan.
"Get lost." Stefan finally spoke.
Two words, his tone cold enough to freeze the air.
Efren secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Ignoring his already swollen and deformed hand, and forgetting about the three hundred million dollar contract, he stumbled to his feet and fled from this reception room he would never forget, using both hands and feet.
At the doorway, Efren looked back with resentment, his eyes fixed on Stefan's back, grinding his teeth as he forced out a sentence.
"I'll remember what happened today!"
"Stefan, you just wait! I'll settle this score with you sooner or later!"
Stefan let out a scornful laugh without turning around.
"I'm ready whenever."
The contempt and disdain in Stefan's laughter made Efren's whole body shake, and all his harsh words got stuck in his throat.
Efren didn't dare stay a moment longer and disappeared miserably down the corridor.
The reception room returned to quiet. Only a faint trace of blood and violence lingered in the air.
Stefan turned around, and the coldness on his face transformed back into that somewhat cynical, lazy look the moment he faced Cecilia.
"Scared?" He took two steps closer, his eyes carefully studying her expression.
Cecilia shook her head. Her emotions were calm.
That scene just now had actually helped release a lot of the frustration she'd been holding inside.
Though Stefan's methods were ruthless, they surprisingly suited her taste.
To deal with scum like Efren, you should use the most direct, most brutal approach.
"No." Cecilia said flatly. "I just didn't expect Mr. Hensley to have such a hands-on side."
"Can't help it. There are always people who can't read the room, thinking a loud voice means they can take advantage." Stefan shrugged, speaking casually. "Next time something like this happens, don't tough it out alone."
"Just call security. Or call me directly."
His words carried a possessive, protective tone.
"My place doesn't welcome flies."
Cecilia acknowledged with a sound, but another worry surfaced in her heart.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the endless stream of traffic below, her voice somewhat heavy: "A three hundred million dollar deal, just gone like that?"
Ever since she got involved with Stefan, Rufus had been like a mad dog, relentlessly going after the Hensley Group.
Openly and secretly, Rufus had killed who knows how many of the Hensley Group's deals.
Though Stefan had never mentioned it in front of her, she knew.
And now this deal was lost, and because of her.
"A company built on fake accounts and tax evasion thinks it's qualified to talk about a three hundred million dollar deal with me?" Stefan walked to her side, following her gaze outside, his tone full of contempt.
"Even if Efren hadn't come, I was already planning to find a chance to put him in his place. Today, he delivered himself to my door, saved me a lot of trouble."
Stefan paused, turned his head, his eyes slightly curved with a hint of cunning smile, and the topic became more suggestive.
"But, speaking of which, this deal was lost on your watch after all."
"According to our company rules, causing such a big loss, you should compensate me somehow, Ms. Martinez?"
Cecilia turned to look at him, waiting for what came next.
She knew he wouldn't miss any chance to get closer.
"Mr. Hensley, what kind of compensation do you want?" she asked cooperatively.
"What compensation?" Stefan pretended to ponder, his slender fingers touching his chin, his gaze brazenly circling her face before finally landing on her lips.
"How about you treat me to a meal as punishment."
"Of course, if you want to compensate in other ways, I could consider that too."
As expected.
Cecilia felt somewhat helpless. She did owe him this favor.
"Alright." She nodded in agreement, automatically ignoring the teasing in his second sentence.
"But before dinner, I want to go to the hospital first to see my father."
She'd been too busy with the competition these past few days to find time. Though Cecilia talked to Mabel on the phone every day and knew Robert's condition was improving, she still wouldn't feel at ease without seeing him with her own eyes.
"Of course." Stefan immediately put on a gentle, considerate expression, agreeing readily.
"Actually, I've been hearing you mention Mr. Martinez's condition, and I'm very concerned too. Since we have time today, let's visit together."
At five-thirty in the afternoon, Stefan's limited edition car stopped right on time downstairs at the hospital.
The two walked side by side into the inpatient department. Cecilia carried a fruit basket, while Stefan held several boxes of top-grade nutritional supplements packaged as exquisitely as luxury goods.
This scene, no matter how you looked at it, seemed like a couple with a close relationship or family members.
Robert's room was in the VIP area, with a peaceful environment.
Pushing open the door, a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the aroma of food hit them.
Mabel was sitting by the bed, feeding Robert soup spoonful by spoonful.
Robert's recovery was even better than Cecilia had imagined.
He could already sit half-propped up in bed. Though his complexion was still somewhat pale, his spirits were high. Seeing Amelia come in, Robert's cloudy eyes instantly lit up.
"Amelia! You're here!"
"Dad, Mom." Cecilia quickly walked over, placing the fruit basket on the bedside table, carefully examining Robert's complexion. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good, very good!" Robert smiled from ear to ear. "Dr. Heilmann said my recovery speed is the fastest he's ever seen! In a few more days, I might even be able to get out of bed and walk around!"
Mabel also put down the soup bowl, taking Cecilia's hand with a face full of smiles: "Your dad just loves to brag. But Dr. Heilmann did say Robert is recovering well, so don't worry."
Mabel's gaze moved past Cecilia's shoulder and landed on Stefan, who had entered behind her.
Instantly, the smile on Mabel's face froze.
The strength in Mabel's hand unconsciously increased, gripping so tight that Cecilia could feel that sudden tension.
This, this is another different one?
Mabel's eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and a trace of barely noticeable panic.
The previous Rufus, though he looked cold and kept people at a distance, was at least polite and courteous to her as an elder, with the manners cultivated by a distinguished family showing in his every move.
But the one before Mabel's eyes now—Stefan had a warm, friendly smile on his face, his eyes curved and looking charming and harmless.
But Mabel had lived most of her life, and her instinct for reading people was frantically sounding alarms.
She sensed that Stefan was ten thousand times more dangerous than Rufus!
It was a kind of indifference and control that came from deep within, the attitude of someone who played with everything in the palm of his hand.