My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 73: Our Marriage Has No Stain

At that moment, the look on Yolanda Thorne’s impeccably maintained face was dreadful.

Besides Stella Sterling and Kiana Sterling, the person in the room who knew the most about what had transpired was Yolanda Thorne, the behind-the-scenes manipulator.

A girl who had once been on the verge of calling her "Mom" was now openly and properly calling her "Sister-in-law." Yolanda Thorne almost lost her composure, her mask of an elegant, wealthy socialite nearly slipping.

Across from them, Stella Sterling smiled demurely. "I’ve only heard Owen Rhodes mention this matter. I don’t know the specific terms Father agreed to with Owen back then. But since it was done with such fanfare, I imagine the penalty for breach of contract won’t be light.

"Father is a man of great prestige and always keeps his word. I imagine he must be here to test my sincerity. Otherwise, if he were to break the agreement just because someone stirred up trouble, I wonder if the instigator would be able to bear the losses on his behalf?"

After speaking, Stella Sterling turned her smiling gaze to Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling, who were seated next to Bernard Rhodes.

After hearing this, some of Bernard Rhodes’s initial fury subsided. His cloudy but sharp eyes stared intently at Stella Sterling.

’This girl is quite clever.’

It was unclear how much she knew about the wager, but just as she said, the terms for breaking the high-profile bet he and Owen Rhodes had made back then were indeed not to be taken lightly.

He had left the engagement party early that night and didn’t know what happened afterward.

But a few days later, Yolanda Thorne had brought Kiana Sterling to him in a panic, telling him that Owen Rhodes’s new wife was Stella Sterling. That had certainly surprised him.

He had initially been fond of the girl, Stella Sterling, on account of Sterling.

But the girl was too quiet and of little benefit to the Rhodes Family. Plus, Stella Sterling didn’t interact much with the Rhodes Family later on, so he had all but forgotten about her.

His impression of her might have been faint, but that didn’t mean he was unaware that Stella Sterling had once been Ethan Rhodes’s girlfriend.

How could he accept her turning around and marrying Owen Rhodes?

What was Owen Rhodes’s status now? And what was hers?

Moreover, if word ever got out that an uncle and nephew had vied for the same woman, where would the Rhodes Family hide their face?

That was why he had come today, truly burning with rage.

But her words had reminded him of the wager.

’Why is this girl so clever?’

Because with just a few words, she had shifted the blame, given him an escape route, and saved his face.

He, Bernard Rhodes, was a "man of great prestige"; he couldn’t be seen breaking up a happy couple. His words were merely a test of her sincerity.

Even if he had initially intended to interfere, it was because he had been provoked. The "instigator" was the one with malicious intent.

Yolanda Thorne wasn’t a fool. Hearing the implication in Stella Sterling’s words, she quickly said, "Father, don’t listen to her trying to sow discord. The Rhodes Family has a reputation to uphold. How can we let a scheming woman like her tarnish our family’s name?"

Stella Sterling lifted the teacup before her and took a sip. Her movements were elegant and refined, clearly those of someone raised in a wealthy household.

She set down the cup and said unhurriedly, "You’re mistaken, Sister-in-law. I believe the rumors from the engagement party have misled you. I made it very clear at the party that my relationship with Ethan Rhodes was entirely innocent. I was single when I met Owen Rhodes. There’s no blemish on our marriage, so I don’t see how it could tarnish the Rhodes Family’s reputation."

As she spoke, she raised her eyes and looked at Kiana Sterling with a smile. "If Sister-in-law is truly that concerned about these rumors, there is a solution. After all, Ethan Rhodes and Kiana Sterling are only engaged, not yet legally married. Perhaps it’s best to stop here. That would also protect the Rhodes Family’s reputation."

The moment she finished speaking, Kiana Sterling glared at her with undisguised venom, as if she wanted to peel a layer of skin right off her.

Upon hearing this, Yolanda Thorne’s expression turned just as ugly.

Just as she was about to start scolding her, Stella Sterling looked at her.

"I understand why Father is here today. But I wonder, what brings my sister-in-law and my nephew’s wife here?"

Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling exchanged a look, momentarily speechless.

What could they possibly say? They had originally come to plead on Ethan Rhodes’s behalf.

After the engagement party, Ethan Rhodes had promised to return to Veridia the next day to follow up on the joint project with the Veridian Group.

But he had spent the night of the party lost in Kiana’s tender embrace. The next day, he followed her back to the Sterling Family’s home to confront Stella Sterling about her marriage. Distraught after learning that Stella had married Owen Rhodes, he had completely forgotten about returning to Veridia.

By the time he landed in Veridia two days later, his spot on the Kyros team was long gone.

When he saw Evan Rhodes sitting next to Quinn Lawson, he finally realized that Owen Rhodes’s words were never just empty threats.

But he knew that if he let this opportunity slip by, his future at Kyros would only become more difficult.

He called Owen Rhodes many times, trying to explain, but Owen wouldn’t even pick up.

Only then did it dawn on him that he had truly angered Owen Rhodes this time.

Unable to get through to Owen Rhodes, his only option was to have Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling, who were far away in Jandor, try their luck with Stella Sterling.

However, Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling had felt guilty from the start and worried that Stella Sterling would put on airs. So, they had specifically brought Rhodes along, hoping to use his authority to intimidate her. In the end, their clever plan had backfired.

Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling looked at each other for a few seconds before Kiana finally said, "Stella, I just came to see you today. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about in private, okay?"

Stella Sterling was not receptive. "But I have nothing to say to you, my nephew’s wife. Oh, wait. You’re not legally married yet, so I suppose that doesn’t make you my nephew’s wife after all, Miss Kiana Sterling."

After saying her piece, Stella Sterling stood up and gave a slight nod to Rhodes. "Father, I do apologize, but I have an appointment and need to leave. Please make yourselves at home with my sister-in-law. Mr. Joel and Tate will see to you. I’ll be taking my leave now."

With that, Stella Sterling actually did stroll nonchalantly out of the Lanthos Bay villa, brazenly leaving Bernard Rhodes, Yolanda Thorne, and Kiana Sterling behind.

Mr. Joel stepped forward at the right moment. "Will you be staying for lunch, sir? I can have someone prepare it now."

Bernard Rhodes glanced at Yolanda Thorne, then pushed himself up with his Purple Sandalwood Walking Stick. "That won’t be necessary."

With Bernard Rhodes gone, there was naturally no reason for Yolanda Thorne and Kiana Sterling to stay.

And so, after having been seated for less than half an hour, the group got up and headed for home.

Only after seeing them all out did Mr. Joel breathe a sigh of relief and hurry to send a report to Owen Rhodes.

He had just sent the message when Stella Sterling, who had supposedly left long ago, reappeared wearing sunglasses.

"Are they all gone?"

Mr. Joel paused for a second, then nodded with a smile. "Yes, the old master and the others have all gone back."

"Good, good, that scared me to death."

’Scared to death?’

Mr. Joel couldn’t see any sign that she had been scared at all.

He also hadn’t forgotten Kiana Sterling’s final instruction, and handed an invitation to Stella Sterling.

"Ma’am, Miss Kiana Sterling asked me to give this to you before she left. She said that Miss Zoe Yates knows she caused a misunderstanding at the engagement party and, as a token of her apology, would be honored if you would attend her birthday party."

The invitation was exquisitely designed. Stella Sterling took it and opened it for a look.

"She’s inviting me to her birthday party to apologize, and at her party, she’ll apologize to me, but I still have to spend money on a gift for her? What kind of logic is that? Whoever wants to go can go."

She shoved the invitation back into Mr. Joel’s hands. "Mr. Joel, please just throw this away for me. I’m going upstairs to work on my manuscript. Making money is more important."