CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: DO YOU THINK I DON’T DARE?

Silas Sutton’s voice sounded extremely uncomfortable.

The words fell, and before Stella Grant could respond, there was another bout of fierce coughing.

Listening to Silas Sutton’s cough, the residual sleepiness in Stella Grant quickly vanished.

After a few seconds, Stella braced herself and replied, "President Sutton, it’s Stella Grant."

Silas seemed not to hear her and continued talking to himself, "Buy some fever-reducing medicine and come over."

After speaking, he coughed a few more times and hung up the phone directly.

Hearing the silence on the other end, Stella looked at her phone screen, saw that it had gone dark, and pursed her lips into a straight line.

She was certain now that she and Silas Sutton were destined to clash.

Throwing her phone aside, Stella sat up and irritably ruffled her hair.

After a while, she picked up her phone again and called Forrest Keller.

The call went through three times, but no one answered.

Stella looked out the window.

Outside, the night was pitch-black. She felt utterly despondent.

Finally, Stella rummaged through the medicine cabinet at home, found some fever-reducing medicine, and left.

After all, with someone like Silas Sutton, she really couldn’t afford to provoke him.

Silas Sutton had collaborations with Omni; she knew where he lived.

With the address recalled from memory, Stella drove over.

About an hour and a half later, Stella arrived at Silas’s villa.

Silas’s villa was in the city center. Despite being downtown, it was quiet amid the hustle and bustle, surrounded by high-end villa communities, well-vegetated, having good feng shui, and with no trace of noise.

Stella parked the car, got out, and rang the doorbell.

The doorbell rang seven or eight times, but there was no movement in the villa.

Just as Stella thought she had done enough and considered taking a photo to prove she’d been there and leaving, Forrest Keller suddenly called her.

Stella hesitated for a moment and answered, "Hello, Assistant Keller."

Forrest Keller replied, "Manager Grant, you called me so late, is there something wrong? Sorry, I just fell asleep."

At this moment, Stella really didn’t want to ask why he was awake now; she simply stated, "Silas Sutton called you earlier but dialed the wrong number and reached me instead, saying he was sick."

Forrest’s voice was surprised, "Really?"

Stella said, "Yes, I’m at President Sutton’s villa right now; I’ve been ringing the doorbell for ages but no response, Assistant Keller, do you think..."

She thought about suggesting that she head back while he find a doctor to help Silas Sutton.

But before she could finish speaking, Forrest Keller replied, "It’s okay, Manager Grant, don’t worry. I’ll tell you the password, you can just go in."

Stella’s prepared words got stuck in her throat; she let out a dry laugh and squeezed out a ’thank you.’

Forrest said, "I should be thanking you; this was originally my responsibility."

Stella, "Hehe."

Forrest, "The password is 241688."

Stella responded, "Alright, I’ll give it a try."

With that, Stella raised her hand to enter the password, and with a ’click,’ the door opened.

At this moment, Stella’s mind suddenly wandered, and she thought of Sue Woods.

If Sue were here, she’d surely be winking and asking her: Surprised? Unexpected?

Very surprised, very unexpected.

Stella carried the medicine, pushed the door open, and said to Forrest on the phone, "Assistant Keller, I’m in."

Forrest replied, "Just follow the cobblestone path straight ahead; at the end is the main building where President Sutton resides."

Stella answered, "Okay."

Forrest said, "Manager Grant, thank you so much."

Stella ingenuously replied, "No trouble."

After entering the main building, Stella hung up on Forrest’s call and went to the third floor as he mentioned, arriving at Silas Sutton’s master bedroom.

The bedroom door was tightly closed; intense coughing from Silas could be heard from time to time.

Stella walked to the door, raised her hand, and knocked, speaking softly, "President Sutton, it’s Stella Grant."

From inside the door, apart from coughing, there was no response.

Well, she couldn’t expect much response from a feverish patient at this time.

Stella took a shallow breath, turned the door handle, and walked in.

The lighting in the master bedroom was dim; Silas lay half-prone on the bed, with his quilt covering his waist, his upper body... completely bare.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, muscle contours evidently clear.

Stella stepped forward, placed the medicine on the bedside table, and touched Silas’s forehead. He was indeed burning up.

Perhaps due to the illness, Silas looked much less intimidating; his bangs hung limply over his forehead, appearing... quite puppyish.

Puppyish?

Thinking about this word in connection with Silas Sutton, Stella quickly dismissed the idea from her mind.

"Water."

Stella was lost in thought when Silas, lying on the bed, spoke hoarsely.

Upon hearing this, Stella quickly left the room, went downstairs, and fetched a glass of water. On her way back, she also poured the fever-reducing granules she had brought into the glass.

Returning to the master bedroom, Stella bent down and asked Silas Sutton, "President Sutton, can you sit up?"

Silas’s eyelids lifted to look at Stella for a while, suddenly reached out, grabbed her by the back of her neck, and pulled her forcefully forward.

Stella lost her balance and knelt on one knee, spilling most of the water.

Immediately after, before she could struggle, Silas slightly lifted his head, pressing his forehead against hers, saying, "Stella Grant, do you think I wouldn’t dare?"