The wrong girl 193

Without saying a word, Abraham shot Ethan a cold glance.

Just then, Judson returned from answering a phone call. When he saw Abraham and Abel, he froze for a moment before stepping forward. His expression was serious, yet respectful.

“Hello, Mr. Luke. Nice to meet you.”

Judson recognized Abraham immediately—the heir of the Luke family.

Five years ago, Judson had been fortunate enough to meet him once. Back then, Abraham still carried a trace of youthful innocence. Now, however, that innocence had completely vanished, replaced by maturity and calm authority.

Judson had long hoped to meet Abraham again, but he believed Ethan needed to learn how to handle matters on his own. Especially during such a critical time for the Keene family, Judson wanted to see how his son would deal with the crisis independently.

What he hadn’t expected was that this foolish son of his had wasted all his time and energy on romance.

Ethan instinctively extended his hand, intending to shake Abraham’s.

Despite being the elder, Judson remained extremely courteous in front of Abraham—especially since Ethan, who was usually so casual, had deliberately dressed up for this meeting.

In contrast, Abraham stood there casually in a bathrobe.

Seeing his father treating the man who had beaten him with such respect—and even calling him Mr. Luke—Ethan’s mind buzzed violently. He froze on the spot, his pupils shrinking sharply.

His gaze flickered between Abraham and his father.

“This way, Mr. Luke,” Judson said.

Abraham walked past Ethan without sparing him even a single glance.

The cold aura surrounding Abraham brushed past Ethan, finally snapping him back to reality.

He stared at Abraham’s retreating figure, disbelief flooding his mind.

Mr. Luke? This guy… is the heir of the Luke family? Impossible…

His thoughts completely collapsed.

At that moment, Ethan wasn’t just shocked—his mind went completely blank.

Judson led Abraham inside politely. The two men chatted calmly, even laughing at times, but Ethan couldn’t hear a single word of their conversation.

All he could hear was the relentless buzzing in his head.

He didn’t even remember how he ended up outside the building.

Standing there, he lit one cigarette after another.

Soon, Jason returned.

Seeing Ethan outside, Jason asked, “Mr. Keene, why are you standing out here?”

Ethan didn’t respond.

The frustration on his face was impossible to miss.

“Did you back out?” Jason asked coldly. “You’re still thinking about that woman, aren’t you?”

Ethan remained silent.

Jason sighed. “Mr. Keene, the Luke family has probably already signed the contract with Collins. Judson showing up now is just to grab whatever scraps are left. The biggest share is already gone.”

“She came with the man who beat you,” Jason added.

Still, Ethan said nothing.

Jason scratched his head. “My guess is that Stella and that man are dating. I heard she was seen driving his car at Verdant Villa.”

At those words, Ethan’s face darkened instantly.

Before Jason could continue, Ethan’s phone buzzed.

He checked the message—it was from Stella.

There were only a few words:

“Ethan, I’m at Verdant Villa. I need to rest and recover. Don’t come.”

After reading the message, Ethan’s expression turned completely grim.

He recalled how they had mocked Stella back then—how they said she would be nothing once the engagement was broken, that she wouldn’t survive without the Keene family.

Now, realizing that Stella had been living in Verdant Villa all this time, Ethan finally understood just how ridiculous they had been.

Maybe, deep down, Stella had always seen them as clowns.

With trembling fingers, Ethan typed a single word in reply:

“Okay.”

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the so-called “compensation” he once believed in had become nothing more than a cruel joke.

They had all underestimated Stella.

And now, everything was too late.