Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Stella looked into his eyes, her expression complicated.

"Alexander, do you know that if you hadn't arrived in time today, the baby would be gone?"

Facing her question, Alexander nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"I know."

Stella's voice remained calm, but her fingers trembled unconsciously.

"Nicholas worked with the doctor to give me an abortion. He lied and said it was to save the pregnancy, but he was actually trying to kill my baby."

"I know."

Alexander repeated these words, guilt showing in his eyes.

"You knew everything?"

Stella stared at him, and saw Alexander nod.

His voice was low, carrying suppressed anger.

"I know Nicholas is no good, but I never thought he'd go this far. Stella, I'm sorry. If I'd found you sooner, I wouldn't have let you..."

Stella interrupted him, lowering her eyes.

"You don't need to say all that. I'm not blaming you. I just want to tell you that I'm keeping this baby, no matter if he's healthy or sick. I'm going to have him and raise him."

"I already said I'm not planning to give him up."

Alexander leaned forward slightly, his gaze burning as he stared at Stella.

"Stella, now that you're back, don't leave again."

Stella listened to his words, stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked up at him.

"Alexander, do you know how your family sees me?"

Alexander froze, not quite understanding why she was bringing this up.

"Your grandfather doesn't like me. Your parents are polite to me, but they've never thought of treating me as one of their own. As for everyone else, they can't wait for me to get lost. Do you think, with me pregnant now, I can stay with the Brown family?"

"That's because they don't know the baby you're carrying is mine."

Alexander explained with a dark expression, while making a promise to Stella.

"Don't worry, I'll handle all this."

"How will you handle it? Your grandfather wants you to marry someone else. Will you do it?"

Facing her question, Alexander opened his mouth, about to speak, when his phone suddenly rang.

The screen showed "Grandpa."

Stella saw it too, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"It's okay, take the call."

After hesitating, Alexander pressed the answer button. Joseph's vigorous voice came through the phone.

"Alexander, you must come home for dinner tonight! Wendy's parents are coming too. You all need to have a good talk and settle the marriage as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Stella picked up her water glass and took a sip, her expression unchanged.

Alexander's face instantly darkened, and he directly refused.

"Grandpa, I already have someone I love. You don't need to worry about it."

"What?"

Joseph even doubted his own ears, never expecting Alexander to still be refusing him at this point.

"I said, I already have a woman I love, so you don't need to worry about my marriage anymore."

Alexander repeated himself, and before Joseph could react, he hung up directly.

Stella's eyebrows furrowed slightly, looking at him as if he were some strange creature.

"You hung up on your grandfather?"

In the past, when Stella worked by Alexander's side, she knew that Alexander basically always answered Joseph's calls immediately.

After all, Joseph was old, and they worried about his temper and his health.

So Alexander basically never went against him.

Alexander didn't answer Stella's question, but instead opened a video call and propped his phone up next to the water glass.

Within seconds, Joseph's livid face appeared on the screen.

"You bastard! How dare you hang up on me, you—"

His voice stopped abruptly when he saw Stella on the other end of the screen, confusion showing in his eyes.

"Why are you two together?"

Before Stella could speak, Alexander suddenly reached out to put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her into his embrace, and lowered his head to give her a light kiss on the lips.

Stella froze instantly.

Alexander spoke to the phone screen, word by word.

"Grandpa, look carefully. This is the woman I love, Stella. She's also the mother of my future child. So please stop bringing up Wendy."

On the screen, Joseph's face turned from blue to purple, then from purple to white.

He clutched his chest, gasping for air, his trembling finger pointing at Stella as he cursed.

"You unlucky woman! Haven't you harmed Alexander enough? And now you want to bring disaster to the Brown family!"

Hearing Joseph's words, Alexander finally understood what Stella had meant earlier.

So this was how his family had been treating her when he didn't know.

Alexander felt heartbroken, and his expression turned completely cold.

"That's way too much."

Hearing his objection, Joseph practically shouted.

"Too much? How am I being too much? Which of my words is wrong? This woman brings bad luck, and who knows whose bastard she's carrying. What right does she have to enter the Brown family's door?"

"The baby is mine."

Before Joseph could say anything else, Alexander coldly interrupted.

"If you keep talking about Stella like this, don't blame me for turning against you."

"You—"

Joseph was too angry to speak. Brian quickly stepped forward to support him and tried to mediate through the phone screen.

"Alexander, don't be impulsive. Whatever it is, let's talk it through when you come back."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm bringing Stella back tonight to let you see for yourself whether she's really an 'unlucky woman' or not."

As soon as he finished speaking, Alexander hung up directly.

Stella sat in her chair, completely stunned.

"Alexander, are you crazy?!"

"I'm not crazy. In fact, I'm very clear-headed."

Alexander called the waiter over to pay the bill, then pulled Stella up and headed outside.

Stella stumbled a few steps as he dragged her along. After finally steadying herself, she quickly shook off his hand with force.

"Clear-headed about what? What you just said will make your grandfather lose face! And now you want to take me back there—you're basically sending me to my death!"

Alexander turned to look at her, his eyes extremely serious.

"Stella, I told you, this time I won't let you leave again."

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

Stella felt like talking to him was like being separated by a wall, and she became anxious.

"Don't you know your family already hates me? After what you said in that video call, they probably hate me even more now. If I go back with you now, isn't that like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?"

"With me there, no one will dare touch you."

Alexander's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Stella stared at him for several seconds, then suddenly smiled, her face full of exhaustion.

"Alexander, you're always like this. You do whatever you want, and you never need to consider other people's feelings."

Hearing Stella say this, Alexander froze.

"You only think about what you think is right. But have you ever asked me whether I'm willing to go back with you?"