Mr. Kane Got Blacklisted

Chapter 6

realistic. Stella dawdled until six in the evening before she finally drove to the Jewell residence. Once she arrived at the door, she composed herself and rang the doorbell. Sophia opened the door. She was the adopted daughter of the Jewell family.  “Stella, you’re here,” she said happily. Then, she peered behind Stella, “Where’s Keegan?” “Something came up at the last minute, so he couldn’t make it.” Sophia’s expression evidently turned disappointed. She grumbled slightly, “Then, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Stella glanced over Sophia’s dolled-up look and countered, “You’re all dolled up tonight. You got a date?” Sophia froze and avoided Stella’s gaze. She vaguely responded, “No. I was just practicing.” However, Stella had already entered the house. Sophia gritted her teeth and followed her. Albert thought that Keegan would surely come, so he got the servants to prepare many dishes. In the end, only Stella came. Naturally, Albert did not look happy. He stared at Stella and studied her expression. Stella’s facade was flawless. Even experienced people like Albert could not tell if she was telling the truth. Moments later, he finally spoke, “Let’s eat.” Stella breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I can’t let Albert know about the divorce before I get the divorce certificate. Otherwise, things might go south,’ she thought. The dining hall of the Jewell residence was enormous, yet only the three of them ate there. As a child, Stella had never been quite close with Albert. After her mother—Rainee Spade—got into a car accident and fell into a vegetative state, she and Albert’s relationship grew even stiffer. Their stiff relationship only got a little better after her marriage with Keegan. However, it was only on the surface. The father and daughter seemed more like blood-related strangers whenever Keegan was not around. On the other hand, he and Sophia—the adopted daughter—seemed more like the biological father and daughter. Compared to Stella’s dull demeanor, Sophia was lively and a sweet-talker. While they ate, Sophia made jokes from time to time to entertain Albert. Even though Stella found that Sophia’s jokes were lame, Albert laughed along. The way the two showed affection as if no one was around made Stella lose her appetite. “I got a new job recently, dad. Since the clients I usually meet are of pretty impressive status, I want to change to a better car. It’ll be more convenient for work.” After entertaining Albert, Sophia started making requests. “Sure. What kind of car do you have in mind?” “Well, I don’t necessarily have to get a new one, just one that’s slightly better than this one. An old one will do,” Sophia said while shifting her gaze toward Stella. However, Stella lowered her gaze and ate her food. She had no intentions of joining the conversation. In the end, Sophia had no choice but to address her directly, “Stella, could I use your Cayenne in the meantime?” Stella still did not speak. Sophia continued, “You don’t drive it often, anyway. Even if something comes up, Keegan has plenty of cars at home, so you’re not short on cars. Won’t you lend it to me for a while? Stella, you’re not that stingy, right?” “You don’t know me well.” Stella looked up and glanced at her, “I’ve never been generous. Cars are