Chapter 176

[I'm happy.]

The twisted expression on Sophia Durand's face filled Stella Valentine with immense satisfaction.

[Good. The room has been redecorated. Go see if you like it.]

Stella's fingers trembled slightly. [Didn't Lily Savigny always occupy my room?]

[Just go take a look.]

The villa's grand doors suddenly swung open. A dozen familiar faces filed out—all former staff who had worked for the Shi family years ago.

"Madame, Miss, welcome home."

Martha Langley, the head housekeeper, had tears in her eyes. She had served the Shi household for over two decades and was like a sister to Grace Laurent.

When Victor Lefèvre seized the villa, she was the first to be dismissed.

Grace had pleaded desperately but failed to keep these loyal employees.

Charlie Macmillan made an elegant gesture. "Mrs. Laurent, Miss Valentine, welcome home."

As they walked through the garden, Stella noticed workers bustling about. The roses had been uprooted, replaced by young sunflower sprouts.

Charlie positioned himself discreetly behind them, shielding the mother and daughter from any potential outburst from Sophia.

"Mr. Alistair ordered sunflowers planted across five miles within three days."

Grace was too stunned to speak.

Stella remained composed. "When did this start?"

"The garden renovation began last night. The land was purchased three days ago."

"So quickly?"

"Mr. Alistair made a very generous offer."

Stella couldn't resist asking, "How much did it cost?"

Charlie smiled without answering. "He asked me not to say."

"Why?"

"You understand."

Stella immediately fell silent.

Planting sunflowers in this prime real estate area? Some extravagances were better left unknown.

Inside, decorators were hard at work.

"Mr. Alistair requested the original design be restored. It should take about five days."

Grace looked surprised. "He knew what our home used to look like?"

"Yes."

"Has he been here before?"

Stella whirled around. "Mr. Alistair visited my home?"

Realizing his slip, Charlie lowered his head in frustration.

"When?"

"When Mr. Alistair wants to go somewhere, he finds a way." Charlie changed the subject. "The second-floor room is ready. Miss Valentine, see if it meets your expectations."

"What about Lily?"

Grace sighed. "Isn't she marrying Adrian Roland? She probably moved to the Roland residence."

"That wedding won't happen." The words escaped Charlie's lips before he could stop himself. He immediately covered his mouth in dismay.

Stella narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Charlie wished he could bite his tongue off. His employer had too many secrets for him to handle.

The second-floor bedroom was an exact replica of how it looked six years ago.

Even the limited-edition Snoopy plush on the bed was identical—the original's ear had worn off from washing, while this one still had its tag attached.

"Was this toy hard to find?"

"Mr. Alistair traveled to several countries before convincing a collector to part with it."

Stella's heart skipped a beat. "So when he disappeared recently, he was searching for this?"

"Most likely."

Grace suddenly asked, "Where will Sophia and the others stay?"

"The villa will be restored to its original state. There's no room for them." Charlie assured her, "Security will be tight. Contact me immediately if anything happens."

Standing in the familiar room, Stella felt as if she'd stepped back in time.

Eight years.

This room, once filled with a teenage girl's dreams, now only held one painful memory clearly—the rest were fragments featuring a boy in a school uniform.

In her memories, he'd always open his arms at dusk and say, "Come on, let's go see the stars."

She would leap from the second floor without hesitation, landing safely in his embrace.

Later, as she grew taller, she nearly knocked him over a few times. He'd tease her with a laugh, "You've gained weight again."

She would sulk until he coaxed her out of it.

Now...

The windowsill remained.

But the boy who caught her was going to marry someone else.

Did it hurt?

Without love, there was no pain.

But youth had been so beautiful—so beautiful she once thought she could live off those memories forever.

Until Adrian Roland taught her life's cruelest lesson in the harshest way.

"Miss Valentine, any other changes needed?"

Stella shook her head. "No."

"Would you like to see the other rooms?"

"No need." She took a deep breath. "I trust Mr. Alistair's work."

His promise of restoration would be flawless.