Chapter 193: Beating Up the Cheap Dad

"Oh, right. I found something good while I was out."

Stephen Lawrence seemed to recall something. He carefully took a palm-sized object from his clothes and handed it to Stella Sterling.

It was a piece of ice-type jadeite, slightly larger than his palm and shaped like a small mountain.

His Master had once said that if he ever found things like jadeite or jade, or any other special materials, he should try to get them for her, no matter the quantity.

Although he didn’t know why, he had taken her words to heart.

When Stella Sterling saw the object, she raised an eyebrow. It was the highest-quality jade she had ever seen, and it wasn’t small either.

The sight of it delighted her. ’This is good stuff.’

But what surprised her wasn’t the jade’s quality, but the fact that she had seen this object before.

It used to be a decoration in her so-called father’s study. She had seen it once when she went inside.

’Wasn’t this at the Sterling Family’s estate? How did it end up in Stephen Lawrence’s hands?’

’Where did Stephen Lawrence get it?’

’It seems the Sterling Family hasn’t been doing so well these past two years.’

If things were going well, an item like this wouldn’t have found its way out.

Stella Sterling asked directly, "How did you get this?"

Hearing Stella Sterling’s question, Stephen Lawrence held nothing back and explained what had happened. "After I parted ways with you, Ms. Sterling, I was wandering around on the water in Mirefall and got into a few conflicts with people."

"Finally, while passing through one area, I ran into a middle-aged man in his forties. He looked like he’d been starving for a long time. He begged me for a bite to eat."

"I wasn’t going to bother with him, but then he took out this piece of jade and offered to trade it. I remembered what you told me, Ms. Sterling—that you needed to collect these things. Figuring it would be useful to you, I gave him a pack of instant noodles and a piece of bread."

"But that guy was a real sly one. After I gave him the food, he actually tried to trick me and run off. I caught him and gave him a good beating, though."

"Still, I’m a man of my word. After I got the jade, I didn’t take back the food I gave him."

As he spoke about it, Stephen Lawrence’s tone was still laced with anger.

If he hadn’t been watching the man closely, he really would have gotten away.

Who knows how many people that guy had scammed with that piece of jade.

Hearing this, the corner of Stella Sterling’s mouth twitched. Although she wasn’t certain the man was her so-called father, she had a strong suspicion.

Logically speaking, at the beginning of the apocalypse, the Sterling Family had a large amount of supplies delivered to their villa.

With those supplies, as long as they were a little frugal, they should have been able to last for quite a while. They shouldn’t be at their limit already.

"Do you remember what the man looked like?" Stella Sterling asked.

Although Stephen Lawrence didn’t know why his Master was interested in the man, he still nodded.

Stella Sterling went into her room and returned shortly after with a pen and paper. She handed them to Stephen Lawrence, telling him to draw the man’s face.

Stephen Lawrence had some basic drawing skills. And since it had happened recently, his memory of the man’s appearance was still quite clear. After taking the pen and paper, he quickly sketched out the man’s likeness.

Stella Sterling looked at the familiar face on the paper. Now she was even more certain that the man was Marcus Sterling.

However, the man in the drawing was much thinner than she remembered. His eyes were somewhat bulging, and his appearance had changed drastically from the last time she saw him two years ago. Even so, Stella Sterling could still recognize him easily.

"Ms. Sterling, are you looking for him? Do you want to see if he has any other items like this? I searched him at the time, though. Besides this valuable piece of jade, he didn’t have anything else of worth on him. He looked like he’d been starving for a long time."

Stephen Lawrence added after a moment of thought. The man had looked utterly wretched. He figured that even if he’d had other valuables, he’d probably traded them all away by now.

After all, things like jade, jadeite, and jewelry were practically worthless in the apocalypse. Other than a few collectors, these items were now worth less than nothing. They were nowhere near as important as food.

Hearing this, Stella Sterling shook her head. "I just wanted you to confirm this person’s identity."

This made Stephen Lawrence even more curious. "You know him?"

’Could this man be related to the Master somehow?’

’If so, I beat him up... Is the Master going to blame me for it?’

The thought made Stephen Lawrence uneasy. He could only hope that his Master wasn’t on good terms with the man. He even hoped the man was an enemy or a rival of hers.

But Stella Sterling’s next words terrified him.

He watched as Stella Sterling stared at the drawing, her expression so complex he couldn’t decipher it at all. "Know him? Of course, I know him. He’s my father!"

The moment she said it, Stephen Lawrence was so scared he collapsed onto the floor. His eyes went wide as he stared at Stella Sterling in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.

’That wretched man is the Master’s father?’

’If that’s the case, then what I did...’

He remembered how he had just recounted the entire incident to his Master, including the part where he beat the man up, without leaving anything out.

A cold sweat instantly broke out all over his body. He felt like he was a dead man walking.

How was he supposed to know that the scammer he ran into was his Master’s father?

After all, in the past two years, he had never seen any of his Master’s relatives, nor had she seemed anxious to find anyone. He had always assumed his Master had no family left and was all alone.

Otherwise, living as well as she did, how could she not show any concern for her relatives?

Under these circumstances, he had naturally assumed Stella Sterling was an orphan. Who would have ever connected that man to her as her father?

Thinking back now, the man’s features did bear some resemblance to Stella Sterling’s.

So she wasn’t teasing him; she was telling the truth.

At this thought, the cold sweat poured down even more heavily. His clothes were already soaked from walking on the water, but now, covered in a fresh layer of sweat, his whole body felt sticky and even more uncomfortable. But that was nothing compared to the fear in his heart.

He suddenly looked at Stella Sterling with a tearful expression and pleaded, "Do you think there’s any chance for me to be saved?"

As he spoke, he blinked, giving Stella Sterling a peculiar look. ’I didn’t know, so I’m innocent, right?!’

"Did you hit him hard?"

Stella Sterling didn’t answer his question. Instead, she asked a completely unexpected one.