Stella~"Et... Ethan... w... what are you doing here?" When I saw him standing in my office, my speech trailed off. "Who is he?" He ignored my question and cast an angry look at David. I'm at a loss for words. What should I tell him?In my absence from California, David and his mom created countless problems for my business, constantly pressuring Avery to ask me to return. I never thought my crafty aunt would team up with Mr. Chang to harm me. At first, she used her fake affection to lure me into marrying her son, but when I refused, she switched tactics. She physically attacked me just before my wedding. If Avery hadn't helped me escape through the backyard gate, things could've been much worse. Poor Avery, she even broke her leg, saving me from Aunt Lily.I thought marrying Ethan would end Aunt Lily's interference, but she keeps finding ways to meddle. Today, she sent David to try to negotiate a deal-she wants a 50% share in my company in exchange for keeping my past life secrets
"Ethan POV,""Why are you staring at me?" My face heated up when I saw her staring at me. "Nothing. You look cute when you blush." She made fun of me. This woman dares to make me feel nervous. I scratched my neck and stared at the ground. Knowing he wasn't her boyfriend brought me a sense of relief. But why did she return to California without even saying goodbye to me? Her assistant entered the office with two coffee mugs. "Welcome to California, Mr. Woods. You did a great job coming here, as Stella missed you so much last night that she couldn't sleep." Placing the coffee mug down on the table, she turned to face Stella. "Is she telling the truth?" I looked at Stella in surprise. "No, she is telling a lie; I didn't miss you." She refused to accept what Avery said to me, but her expression revealed something else. Her hazel eyes did not meet mine; her cheeks flushed. My subconscious is urging me to interpret the deep, buried emotions in her eyes, but my ego is telling me to be
Stella~"Stella, you didn't do good by insulting Mr. Woods." Once I finished my office work and sat in my car to return home, Avery complained to me. "Avery, please don't begin now; I am already upset with what he did in the conference hall. I mean, how could he do this?" I tighten my grip on the steering wheel in anger. "Stella, you are overreacting; he did nothing wrong; he was clearing his doubts." Avery and I argued for Ethan Woods. "Really? Oh, my God! You said that The Great Ethan Woods did nothing wrong when he offered me to work for his company for my desired salary." I gave her a furious glance. "That's precisely why I'm curious why he gave you money to work for his business when, as his wife, you are obligated to do so for free." Her remarks only heighten my ire. "First of all, Avery, we are not real husband and wife; we are just contracted married. Second, if you think he owned me because of our relationship, then you are also my friend, so you too don't have to take m
Ethan~"Thank you, Avery." Steve smiled broadly at the sight of Stella's assistance. "My pleasure, Steve." Avery's face also blushed. What's going on between them? I was surprised to find them. "I hope getting there isn't too tough for you, Mr. Woods." Avery questioned me. "Not at all; with your help, we had no trouble getting here." Before I could respond, Steve answered her question. What the hell? How is it possible for my assistant's love story to be resolved more easily than mine? Stella didn't want to talk to me and locked herself in the room, and here my assistant flirted with her assistant. "Steve, please bring me some coffee; I'm starving." I felt a slight wave of jealousy as I watched him happily conversing with Avery. Why won't Stella speak to me with such affection? Because you always irritated her by showing your anger. Without asking, my subconscious gave me the answer. Avery followed Steve into the kitchen to help him get coffee for me. Why did Stella lock her
"Stella's point of view,""Who the hell is he?How could he overtake Stella Parker's car?" My rage reached the seventh sky as soon as a boy passed my car.What do today's lads think of themselves?If he hadn't looked back through his car's mirror and given me a mischievous grin instead of forgiving himself, I would have been willing to overlook his error. However, after seeing what he did, I will be less inclined to do so.I shifted into high gear in my black Porsche, and now I'm here.A top racer from a Californian city.As I moved my car out of the midst of traffic, I overtook the boy's car."Exactly what are you doing?" Holding the car's steering wheel, the young man was shouting violently."Fuck off.Do not repeat the fatal error of passing my car." A grin spread across my face as I took my hand away from the car mirror and raised my middle finger.On the streets of California, my car was already moving at peak speed. For this reason, I could arrive at Parker Industries far ahead
"Ethan's point of view,""Miss, why should I hire you?" Without looking at her resume, I questioned the girl who was seated in front of me.Since seven in the morning, I have been sitting in my office and searching for a knowledgeable financial advisor for my company's finance division.Because of my stupid and careless P.A., although I had made it plain to Steve that only men should apply for this post, I've been wasting my valuable time by interviewing a tonne of pointless and annoying girls since the morning."I can help you out a lot in terms of efficiency. I possess a variety of talents that would set me apart. I'd rather show my skills than describe them. Please allow me the chance to let the quality of my work speak for itself."Oh crap, here comes another cocky female candidate."Wao. Miss Green, you're saying that your actions speak louder than your words."I didn't want to waste my time reading her resume, but after hearing her arrogant response, I couldn't resist interrogat
"Stella's point of view,""What happened?" I looked for the source of the stress that was concealed beneath the troubled expression on her face."Stella, Woods construction based on New York City, has been given the contract for the project our company has been working on for years.Not only this, the client has also canceled two ongoing projects with our company and both projects are currently being handled by Woods Construction.""What?How can things be this way? Only our business was qualified to receive the project; no other business in California could have met the contract's requirements in full."Why someone coming to California from New York City, which is so far away, would be so interested in signing this contract baffles me."Avery, I need every detail about wood construction as soon as workable." Avery nodded in agreement after hearing me and then left me in my office.The news that Avery told me a while ago has caused a lot of turmoil in my thoughts. I abruptly took the
"Ethan's point of view,"I want to finish my dream project as quickly as possible, but it is stalled because of a little plot of land. After all, who is the owner of this land that is so mysterious? I am becoming irate right now. Despite the greatest efforts of my entire team, the identity of the owner has not yet been revealed.Since leaving the conference room, that specific plot of land has been constantly floating in front of my eyes, making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything else. I need to take a break to clear my head so that I can concentrate on anything else. And what better way to unwind than by racing?On my gaming computer, I started playing the NFS: Most Wanted game. And I believe Jesus is testing my patience today. As a result, a player by the name of Cold Devil keeps passing my car, but I am also Ethan Woods, a person who has never learned to quit. No matter what, I will keep fighting the cold devil. I was playing my game with complete concentration. I was
Ethan~"Thank you, Avery." Steve smiled broadly at the sight of Stella's assistance. "My pleasure, Steve." Avery's face also blushed. What's going on between them? I was surprised to find them. "I hope getting there isn't too tough for you, Mr. Woods." Avery questioned me. "Not at all; with your help, we had no trouble getting here." Before I could respond, Steve answered her question. What the hell? How is it possible for my assistant's love story to be resolved more easily than mine? Stella didn't want to talk to me and locked herself in the room, and here my assistant flirted with her assistant. "Steve, please bring me some coffee; I'm starving." I felt a slight wave of jealousy as I watched him happily conversing with Avery. Why won't Stella speak to me with such affection? Because you always irritated her by showing your anger. Without asking, my subconscious gave me the answer. Avery followed Steve into the kitchen to help him get coffee for me. Why did Stella lock her
Stella~"Stella, you didn't do good by insulting Mr. Woods." Once I finished my office work and sat in my car to return home, Avery complained to me. "Avery, please don't begin now; I am already upset with what he did in the conference hall. I mean, how could he do this?" I tighten my grip on the steering wheel in anger. "Stella, you are overreacting; he did nothing wrong; he was clearing his doubts." Avery and I argued for Ethan Woods. "Really? Oh, my God! You said that The Great Ethan Woods did nothing wrong when he offered me to work for his company for my desired salary." I gave her a furious glance. "That's precisely why I'm curious why he gave you money to work for his business when, as his wife, you are obligated to do so for free." Her remarks only heighten my ire. "First of all, Avery, we are not real husband and wife; we are just contracted married. Second, if you think he owned me because of our relationship, then you are also my friend, so you too don't have to take m
"Ethan POV,""Why are you staring at me?" My face heated up when I saw her staring at me. "Nothing. You look cute when you blush." She made fun of me. This woman dares to make me feel nervous. I scratched my neck and stared at the ground. Knowing he wasn't her boyfriend brought me a sense of relief. But why did she return to California without even saying goodbye to me? Her assistant entered the office with two coffee mugs. "Welcome to California, Mr. Woods. You did a great job coming here, as Stella missed you so much last night that she couldn't sleep." Placing the coffee mug down on the table, she turned to face Stella. "Is she telling the truth?" I looked at Stella in surprise. "No, she is telling a lie; I didn't miss you." She refused to accept what Avery said to me, but her expression revealed something else. Her hazel eyes did not meet mine; her cheeks flushed. My subconscious is urging me to interpret the deep, buried emotions in her eyes, but my ego is telling me to be
Stella~"Et... Ethan... w... what are you doing here?" When I saw him standing in my office, my speech trailed off. "Who is he?" He ignored my question and cast an angry look at David. I'm at a loss for words. What should I tell him?In my absence from California, David and his mom created countless problems for my business, constantly pressuring Avery to ask me to return. I never thought my crafty aunt would team up with Mr. Chang to harm me. At first, she used her fake affection to lure me into marrying her son, but when I refused, she switched tactics. She physically attacked me just before my wedding. If Avery hadn't helped me escape through the backyard gate, things could've been much worse. Poor Avery, she even broke her leg, saving me from Aunt Lily.I thought marrying Ethan would end Aunt Lily's interference, but she keeps finding ways to meddle. Today, she sent David to try to negotiate a deal-she wants a 50% share in my company in exchange for keeping my past life secrets
Ethan~"Open the door, Stella." I knocked on my room's door, but she didn't respond. Huh, what's wrong with her? I tried to be civil by asking her permission before entering, but what does she think of herself? She's not Queen Victoria, from whom I should request entry into my bedroom. My male ego forced my hand onto the doorknob.Are you planning to confess your feelings to her in this manner? You've already realized how you feel, so don't let your ego control you now. Otherwise, your love confession will feel more like an invitation to war, my subconscious advised, trying to calm the fury rising inside me.I loosened my grip on the knob and padded softly into the room. "Where are you, Stella?" Anxiety crept in as I found the room empty. I searched the bathroom-nothing. Where could she have gone at this late hour?My heart started pounding. I had put so much effort into preparing to confess my feelings to her, but it all seemed futile now. She's gone. It took me a long time to und
Stella~"Stella, how are you feeling now?" Seeing concern in his eyes, I rubbed my own in disbelief. What happened to this monster overnight? How could someone go from being a monster to a nice guy in a single night?"I'm feeling tired," I finally replied. I could feel the heat of his palm beneath my cheek. Oh, he waited for me to wake up the entire night while sitting here. I felt as though I had entered a different universe.Shut up and stop being dramatic, my subconscious scolded. I already told you he's not as bad as you think."Get up quickly so we can go to the doctor for a checkup," he said, assisting me as I got off the bed. After my parents' deaths, I hadn't experienced this much concern from anyone, so seeing his genuine worry made my eyes moisten. I quickly wiped my tears, not wanting him to make fun of me for crying."Stella, how are you feeling right now?" His grandparents entered with worried expressions."Grandma, she's all right. You don't need to worry about her." E
Ethan POV "Please move away from me; what are you doing?" She attempted to shove me away from her."Stella, don't move, please. They have their eyes on us," I said softly in her ear."Who's watching us closely?" she questioned, staring directly into my eyes."My grandparents." I pointed towards the shadows that had appeared in our chamber."Get away from me, Ethan. Your heavy body is choking me." She tried to shove me away once more."No, I can't." I felt a wild impulse to kiss her pulpy lips. As soon as I met her hazel eyes, I lost all sense of reality. I don't know how my hands were able to grasp hers firmly or how my lips could latch onto hers. I kissed her and felt a peculiar calmness. It had been a while since I saw my grandmother this happy. I hoped to grant her wish. I wanted to clarify grandma's confusion, but my grandparents were so happy about her pregnancy news that I couldn't bring myself to ruin their joy. As I licked her soft lips, my hand inadvertently moved to her s
Stella POV "Stella, how are you doing?" His grandmother was rapping on the bathroom door. I washed my face with cold water and then dried it with a towel. I looked in the mirror and saw myself. My eyes were red, and I looked pale. It was all because of the sight of mutton on the table. I completely neglected to mention that the sight of the mutton on the dinner table made me sick to my stomach. Since it's impolite to get up from the table before dinner has even begun, I did my best to contain my nausea. However, I had to bolt for the bathroom when I saw the red meat in front of me. What will they think of me now? I must apologize to them for my impolite behavior.With hesitation, I opened the bathroom door. I apologized for ruining the dinner, bowing my head in embarrassment."Stella, I'm grateful that you granted my wish." His grandmother gave me a joyful hug before I could say anything further. I became perplexed when I saw her joy. In my quest to understand her enthusiasm, I gla
"Ethan's POV""When did you arrive here?" She turned to face me, her stuttering making it clear she wasn't expecting me to enter her room. She hadn't noticed me standing in front of her door because she was too preoccupied talking to herself in the mirror. Seeing her stunning beauty, I started having hiccups once more. She looked even more breathtaking in this outfit than in the afternoon. Perhaps her messy hairstyle and minimal makeup contributed to her overall beauty. Why did her outfit make her appear so tall? My masculine ego was dismayed to see her standing before me, staring directly into my eyes. However, I'm relieved her boyfriend can't contact her right now. She must be upset with her partner for not getting back to her in the morning. That's why she claimed not to love him."Shall we proceed?" She gently waved her hand to break my train of thought. Stopping her from receiving calls from her boyfriend satisfies my ego. She will now be with me all the time.You violated y