Stella, slightly bemused yet cautious, chose not to press further.
“sir, you do know that Sanford and my cousin are acquainted, don’t you?”
Caught off guard, Declan’s mind scrambled for a plausible response.
After a moment’s pause, his face brightened with a convincing smile.
“Ah, Sanford tends to keep his cards close to his chest. And, as I am hardly his biological grandfather, he seldom shares personal details with me.”
His voice softened, tinged with a hint of resignation.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes widened. “Tell me, could it have been your father who sponsored Sanford all those years ago?”
Stella’s initial doubts ebbed away, swayed by his seemingly reasonable explanation. After all, Sanford was known for his reticence.
She experienced a twinge of guilt for doubting Declan, wondering if perhaps she had read too much into his questions.
She nodded, a quiet affirmation. “Yes, sir.”
Declan exhaled a soft sigh. “No wonder Sanford likes you.”
Stella offered a hesitant smile, caught off guard and unsure how to respond.
She harbored no romantic feelings for Sanford; he was merely a friend.
Now, being married, she couldn’t afford to entertain such thoughts.
Noticing Stella’s vigilance, Declan wisely chose not to delve deeper, mindful of not unsettling her further.
He tactfully changed the subject, steering their conversation away from anything too personal.
After their meal, they exchanged contact information and went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, back at the headquarters of Prosperity Group, Fernando walked into the CEO’s office, a fountain pen in hand, and presented it to Matthew.
The pen was ornate, engraved with Stella’s signature.
Matthew furrowed his brow, puzzled, trying to recall why he had requested such a personalized item for Stella.
“Fernando, what’s this about? Why did I order a customized pen for Stella?” he queried.
Fernando shrugged, his tone calm. “Mr. Clark, I’m not certain. I was merely executing the instructions given.”
Before Fernando exited, he reminded Matthew about the ointment.
As Matthew fetched the ointment, memories of Stella’s aid the previous night washed over him, causing his heart to flutter.