Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 576

"You are so screwed, Stella. Let's see Julius keep you around after he finds out you're wearing out a hotel bed with another guy."

Thrilled with the compromising evidence, Yvonne immediately called her friends to coordinate dinner plans.

Since Stella had left the premises, there was no point rotting in her hotel room. Tonight was for partying.

She was on vacation in Bay City, after all.

Meanwhile, Kyson and Stella arrived at the Waterfront Pavilion, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.

A basic dinner here easily ran into the five figures, effectively filtering out anyone without serious financial backing.

By the time they walked into the private dining room, the minority shareholders of Astral Pharmaceuticals were already seated.

As the founder and majority shareholder, Stella rarely made public appearances. This trip was a rare opportunity to break bread with her partners.

"Astral Pharmaceuticals is where it is today because of everyone's support and dedication. Thank you all, especially for backing Kyson. Supporting him means supporting me. I'll drink to that—please, enjoy yourselves."

Stella despised corporate networking, so she kept the speeches short and let the alcohol do the talking. Whenever someone raised a glass to her, she didn't hesitate, throwing back the liquor in one smooth gulp.

The minority shareholders were instantly charmed.

"Chairwoman Hawthorne isn't just brilliant and gorgeous—she can drink us all under the table! What a powerhouse!"

"Seriously! You rarely see a young woman handle her liquor this well. I'm genuinely impressed."

"With a boss who drinks like this, there's no way we aren't heading to the top. Sticking with Chairwoman Hawthorne guarantees we're all getting rich."

"Mr. Sterling has our full support, always."

Stella internally cringed at being called "Chairwoman." It made her feel like a middle-aged corporate drone, even though she was only twenty-one and functionally owned the entire company.

In the end, with Kyson totally sloshed and sent home in a cab, she was left to order her own Uber back to the hotel.

Coincidentally, Yvonne and Lydia had also dined at the Waterfront Pavilion. Just as they were walking out, Yvonne spotted Stella standing by the entrance, surrounded by several wealthy-looking older men.

Hiding behind a decorative pillar, she practically vibrated with excitement as she snapped a rapid-fire sequence of photos.

Today was a goldmine! This trip to Bay City was the best decision she'd ever made.

She just needed to wait for the perfect moment to present this gallery of horrors to Julius.

Once he divorced Stella, her path to becoming Mrs. Blackwood would be wide open.

The universe was practically handing her this victory on a silver platter.

After ensuring everyone was safely in their cars, Stella hopped into her ride back to the hotel, completely unaware of the digital crosshairs Yvonne had painted on her back.