Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 79: Thank You, My Dear Wife

"Shane Donovan?"

Aidan Sterling’s face instantly darkened, his brows furrowing tightly. "What are you doing here?"

Shane Donovan stepped into the living room, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile, neither a smile nor a sneer, "I’m really sorry, President Sterling, to disappoint you."

Aidan Sterling’s brows knitted tightly. In a flash of thought, a realization struck him, his face turning ashen, his gaze as sharp as a blade fixed on Shane Donovan, as he almost bit out his words, "You... You’re Julian Sullivan... You all..."

Shane Donovan just smiled, without confirming or denying, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

Aidan Sterling instantly understood it all!

Julian Sullivan!

That backstabbing bastard!

Actually schemed against him!

His chest heaved violently, veins throbbing on his forehead, he stared hard at Shane Donovan, his gaze as if he wanted to tear him apart.

After a while, he squeezed out from between his teeth, "Fine, very fine! Shane Donovan, you’re ruthless!"

Having said that, he suddenly shook his sleeves, bumped against Shane Donovan’s shoulder, and left the living room in large strides, filled with menace, seemingly intent on settling the score with Julian Sullivan.

The large living room suddenly was left with just Shane Donovan and Stella Sterling.

And at this time, Stella Sterling was still in shock, unable to come back to her senses. She looked at the door slammed shut, then at Shane Donovan just within reach, opened her mouth, her mind a complete mess.

She tilted her small face up, staring blankly at the man in front of her, and her first reaction was to blurt out, "Did you... did you break out of prison?!"

"..."

Shane Donovan obviously didn’t expect her to say that, was stunned for a moment, then laughed lowly, his stern features softening instantly, like ice melting at the onset of spring.

He took two steps forward, approaching her, bent slightly, and affectionately tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertips, the touch slightly cool.

"Get it together, Our Little Counselor Sterling," his voice was tinged with unspent laughter, deep and pleasant to the ear, "With such a vivid imagination, why not write novels?"

The cool touch from his fingertips on her nose, carrying his fresh, pleasant scent, snapped Stella Sterling back to reality. She instinctively took half a step back, but was gently pulled back by his arm around her waist.

"You... let go!" She glared at him in embarrassment, but her heartbeat was uncontrollably erratic.

Shane Donovan let go as she wished but his deep gaze remained firmly locked on her, almost like a hook.

"Heard you rushed back from Riveria for me, then went to the Old Mister’s place trying to find out news..."

He tilted his head slightly, his tone teasing but inexplicably tender, "Our Stella... were you so worried about me?"

"Who was worried about you!" Stella Sterling reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling, her cheeks blushing deep red, even her ears turning crimson, "It was humanitarian concern!"

The amusement in Shane Donovan’s eyes deepened, a low "Hmm" spilled from his throat, the ending note drawn out, filled with indiscernible affection and understanding, "Is that so."

He suddenly moved closer again, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, his voice dropped to a whisper, only audible to the two of them:

"Well then... thank you, dear wife?"

"Boom——!"

Stella Sterling felt a rush of heat surging to her head, her whole body almost ripe with embarrassment and annoyance as she raised her hand wanting to hit him, "Shane Donovan! What nonsense are you talking about! Who’s your wife!"

Shane Donovan effortlessly caught her small fist coming at him, wrapped it in his palm, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand, sending a tingling electric sensation up her spine.

She glared at him, trying to mask her inner turmoil with a fierce gaze, "Shane Donovan! What is all this about?!"

Seeing her adorable outburst, the amusement in Shane Donovan’s eyes deepened further.

He no longer teased her, pulling her to sit down on the sofa.

"It’s quite simple." Shane Donovan’s tone was calm, "Your brother wanted to use Julian Sullivan to take me down, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong person. I’d long since been in talks with him..."

Stella was stunned, "How... how did you know my brother would go to him?"

"A guess." Shane Donovan turned his head to look at her, the light casting faint shadows on his well-defined profile, "Your brother’s opposition to our engagement was so strong, he wouldn’t sit idly by. And right now, someone who could cause big enough trouble for Innovatech, who has the motive and capability, Julian Sullivan is the most suitable choice."

"So you turned the tables?" Stella seemed to understand a bit.

"Yes." Shane Donovan nodded, "That old fox Julian Sullivan really did want me dead. We’ve been at it for so many years, more than anyone, he knows that once Innovatech’s Pre-IPO succeeds, the gap between the Donovan and Sullivan families will widen further, and his Sullivan group will have no chance of rising."

He paused, "But he understands better that going head-to-head with me, his chances are slim. Compared to being enemies, being an ally who profits from it is obviously more worthwhile."

"So you guys..." Stella felt it was unbelievable, "You teamed up to set a trap? That anonymous report..."

"It’s a real report, and the evidence is real too, but they are ’processed’ evidence." Shane Donovan said faintly, "Enough to attract the attention of the FDA, start an investigation, create public uproar, but not enough to really convict. The goal was to lure the snake out of its hole, and by the way... clean up a few restless figures inside Innovatech..."

Stella listened, utterly stunned.

So... the so-called "data falsification" uproar, the so-called investigation, was all a play he wrote and directed himself?!

The purpose was just to clean house?!

Shane Donovan watched her face change, reached out, gently squeezed her palm.

"Scared?" he asked, his voice a bit slower.

Stella raised her head, a complex look in her eyes as she gazed at him, "You... you planned all this from the start?"

No wonder Old Mr. Donovan and Elias Peyton both told her not to get involved...

Yet she just couldn’t help but get involved.

Shane Donovan was silent for a moment, then reached out to tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

"Actually, I was quite surprised by your attitude..." he said, his voice deeper than before.

Stella was stunned.

Shane Donovan looked at her deeply, emotions within his deep, dark eyes that she couldn’t understand, "When everyone thought I might lose completely, you still believed in me, still chose to stand by my side..."

He paused, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, "Turns out, Our Counselor Sterling likes me more than I thought."

Stella’s heart skipped a beat, her face instantly flushed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who likes you?!"

Shane Donovan chuckled softly, "Right, nonsense, it’s me who likes you..."

"..."

Stella’s face turned completely red.

She didn’t expect Shane Donovan’s confession to be so outright...

The living room quieted down, the only sound being their gentle breathing.

The man was so close, Stella could clearly smell the fresh scent coming from him, mixed with a faint woody coolness, disturbing her thoughts.

"So," Stella pressed her lips together, trying to change the subject, also asking another doubt in her mind, "What exactly is the grudge between you and my brother... Why does he hate you so much?"

This was something she had never understood.

Even if there is business competition, her brother’s reaction is too extreme, going as far as working with Julian Sullivan to ruin Shane Donovan.

Shane Donovan’s gaze darkened almost imperceptibly, he shifted his gaze, "Well this..."