The news had spread throughout Ahn City. Naturally, everyone was expecting Weston’s reaction. Weston, however, seemed like he wasn’t taking the matter seriously. It had been days now since he showed himself, and nobody knew where he had gone.At the same time, Warren released the big news, claiming that they had found a witness that could prove Stella had poisoned Zachary.This was bad news for Stella. The evidence was already pointing at her, the sudden appearance of an eyewitness only made matters worse. With all the evidence at hand, it seemed everyone was simply waiting for her to be convicted.Tina was already very busy, and when she heard the news, she grunted and shoved the stack of documents in front of her.“My head hurts…”Tina had worked hard on the case for so many days and even neglected Bryce because of this.The other lawyers at her firm did not dare to accept the case or even help her. Not wanting to get involved in Warren and Weston’s war, they refused to take an
“Okay. Go back to your room first. I’ll have a few words with your mom. I’ll tutor you later.”“Okay. I’ll be in my room then”“You can go.”Bryce turned around and walked a few steps, but he suddenly turned back. “Mom, Dad…”He looked at his parents cautiously. “Can you not fight?”Justin’s heart throbbed when he saw the longing and hopeful expression on his son’s face. He opened his mouth and tasted a little bitterness. “We’re not fighting. Don’t overthink things. Study hard. Your midterms are coming.”“Okay. I’ll study hard. Mom, Dad… Stop fighting…”After that, Bryce ran back to his room.Tina dropped her work and sighed softly. “Sorry…”Justin did not look at her. He only helped her put the messy papers on her desk in order. “You should talk to Bryce about that.”Tina paused a little. She frowned, staring at Justin’s actions. “Don’t touch these. They contain confidential information.”“Okay, I won’t.”Justin put down the file in his hand without looking at it. “Sort it
Justin helped Bryce with his homework patiently. Bryce initially listened to Justin’s explanation, but he slowly got distracted.As a teacher, Justin could easily sense Bryce’s distraction. He tapped his finger on his son’s head to get his attention.“Hey. Why are you getting distracted? Your exams are coming soon. Don’t divide your attention elsewhere.”“I know...”Bryce took the pen and doodled on the paper. He suddenly looked up at Justin and asked, “Dad, will you and Mom remarry?”Justin froze for a moment, dumbfounded, seemingly taken aback by the question.After a short moment, Justin asked Bryce, “Why the sudden question?”Bryce shook his head. “I just miss the old days. We were always a family of three…”Justin stopped talking and looked at him steadily. “I thought you’d gotten used to it after all these years.”Bryce bristled, “Are there any kids that’ll get used to their parents’ divorce?”Justin laughed. “You’re right.”He patted his head and asked, “Are you unhap
The door behind him opened with a creak, and Bryce’s tiny head popped out. He looked at him and asked, “Did you just argue with Mommy again, Daddy?”Justin sighed helplessly and pushed his son’s head back out.“This is an adult problem,” he scolded his son. “You’re just a kid. Stay out of it.”…The family ended up deciding not to go to the movies after all.Under Bryce’s begrudging gaze, Justin told him to go back to his room and do his homework.Tina was still angry at Justin, so as soon as she finished her dinner, she quickly went back to work without saying a word to him.“Wait!” he suddenly stopped her. “Have you ever thought about us getting back together?”“What?!” Tina froze. She could hardly believe her own ears.Justin sighed and took a step towards her. He looked straight into her eyes and earnestly asked her, “Have you ever thought about us getting back together?”“You’re…” Tina was still in shock. “You’re joking, right?”“I would never joke about this,” he repli
He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and with a gruff voice, asked, “Does it still hurt?”It had been nothing short of a wild night. Weston even lost control and inadvertently hurt her.Stella’s cheeks blushed softly. Although they had been giving each other the silent treatment lately, she was surprised at how prepared he was last night with all the tools and toys.Between the smooches, Stella asked while panting heavily, “Why do you sometimes use those things and sometimes not…?”“Do you prefer that I use them or not?” Weston responded to her question with another question.Seeing that her blush only deepened, he chuckled softly and enfolded her in his embrace.“I might have to go out tonight,” he told her.“Why?” Stella frowned, looking at him with displeasure. “Why can’t you just stay here with me and not bother yourself with all the problems out there?”“You know I want that too, Stella, but things aren’t as simple as you think.”“I know,” she suddenly let go of him. “Y
“Okay, then.”Guinevere wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and sniggered before continuing, “I want you to divorce her and be with me instead. Can you do that?”… The black Maybach drove away from the Old Cohen Mansion. When Mrs. Cohen noticed that Weston had left, she went into her daughter’s bedroom to find her.Guinevere was obviously in an excellent mood. She was even humming a tune to herself as she pulled out all the dresses in her closet and laid them out, looking over each of them one by one.“Gwen… What are you doing, honey?”“Mom!” Guinevere turned around as soon as she heard her mother’s voice. She smiled and continued, “Come over and help me choose the best dress!”The way Guinevere was acting made Mrs. Cohen feel a little anxious.“Is something wrong, dear? Did Weston refuse to do what you asked…?”“No,” Guinevere replied with a big grin. “He agreed. He’s finally agreed to marry me!”She picked up a dress and pressed it against her body to see how it l
Stella had truly started living the life of a bird in a golden cage.After Zachary Ford’s death, there was even more reason for her to be locked up inside all the time, for as soon as she stepped outside, she would be instantly hit by a barrage of assaults. Not only would she be hounded by packs of reporters, but there were also numerous others aiming to attack her. Warren Ford and the Cohens were also eager to snatch her up at the first opportunity and throw her into the gallows.Perhaps their wedding was a bad omen after all. Ever since the day the press dubbed it “The Caged Wedding,” Stella had befittingly become the woman in the gilded cage. Stella saw Joan hanging up the phone in chagrin, so she asked, “He’s not coming home again today, is he?”Stella didn’t seem half as disappointed as Joan was. In fact, she even spoke exceptionally calmly. Joan couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she could sense that the girl was just pretending to be strong. “Mr. Ford has been sw
Besides playing the piano, all she ever did was wait for Weston to come home. Now that he wasn’t coming home, she was clueless as to how she should spend her time.As Stella ate, Joan looked at the lonely figure sitting there all by herself and was reminded of that photo she saw on Moments and couldn’t help but sigh, feeling incredibly sorry for Stella.Stella had been waiting for Weston to come home, yet he was somewhere else enjoying his dinner with another woman. Joan had no idea if Weston was planning something secretly, but even so, could he not inform Stella about it first?Why would he leave her here all alone with all those thoughts and questions in her head?… Meanwhile, at Golden Eve Apartments, Guinevere had just taken the photo and posted it to her circle of friends when she noticed Weston getting up and leaving.She quickly put her phone away and rushed towards him.“Are you leaving already, Weston?”The man was wearing his usual white shirt and black trousers t
Stella had rarely ever woken up before him.He had always been terrifyingly strong, but their lovemaking last night must have consumed a lot of his energy, leaving him so tired that he was still sound asleep.She stared at him and suddenly felt like doing something naughty. She pinched his nose and held her fingers there, trying to suffocate him. Unsurprisingly, he soon knitted his handsome brows and quickly woke up.He was surprised to see her mesmerizing eyes as soon as he woke up, which made him pause. He then took her hand into his and kissed it again and again.“Are you okay?” he asked with concern, remembering how wildly he ravaged her last night.She had only been willing to be intimate with him because she was under the influence of a drug, yet he had taken advantage of her and had his way with her over and over again last night.Stella did not speak. Seeing her like that made his expressions turn a little colder. He fell silent for a long time before he got up and sl
The moment Stella saw him, she flew into his arms and clambered onto his body. She kissed him again and again, trying to search for his breath so she could explore his body even deeper. All she wanted was to let him extinguish the fire burning inside her.Half an hour had passed, and the effect of the drug on her body was its strongest now.Weston swallowed his saliva. Without any hesitation, he pinned her against the bathroom mirror and kissed her vehemently on her face, her shoulders, then her neck.Stella could not stop herself from letting out loud moans. The sounds she produced only drove Weston wilder. Even the corners of his eyes began to turn red now.Luckily, there was still a thread of reason in his mind. He pushed her away and, while panting heavily, asked her, “Who am I, Stella?”But Stella’s mind was occupied with her primal urges. She ignored his question and grabbed his shirt collar, saying, “Let’s do it…” The sight of her filled Weston with a desire to just give
Weston paused, then simply replied, “Okay.”When he saw her changing into a pair of high heels, he followed her around and asked, “Where are you going?”“Oh, to a private concert.”Then she added, “If you’re going to spend the night here tonight, then please take care of Elias and Emma. But if you have to leave, I’ll ask Roger to come over instead.”“Don’t worry,” he said. “Just go out and enjoy yourself. I’ll be at home and take good care of the kids.”Stella paused suddenly, feeling inexplicably weird about what Weston had just said. It sounded like she was forcing him to stay at home and take care of the kids while she went out to have fun without a care in the world. She turned around to look at Weston, feeling like he was acting like a poor neglected housewife.She shook her head and tried to shake this terrifying thought out of her mind.When they arrived at the concert, Hayden offered his arm to her like a gentleman. They then walked into the private concert together, w
Stella’s words rendered Weston speechless. She was right. He had been the one to agree to let Stella date other people, so he must seem like a fool saying all those things to her.He withdrew his hands and forced himself to calm down a little. “I have no intention to stand in your way,” he told Stella. “I was only worried about Elias and Emma. Since they’re also here, I think you need to take their feelings into consideration.”The children could sense the strained atmosphere between the adults, so they just waited patiently on the couch with Roger, occasionally poking their heads out to look at their parents.Seeing his kids like that, Weston slowly added, “I’m only here to see the kids, so both of you can go ahead with your date.”Stella said nothing and just took Hayden’s hand and left.When they got downstairs, Hayden glanced at her and asked, “Are you sure you want to just leave him like that?”“I don’t know,” Stella massaged the point between her brows. “I’m not sure wh
Hayden Quirk arrived half an hour earlier than Stella did on their first date.“You’re much earlier than I expected,” he joked as Stella walked in.Stella was actually on time, but she still felt a little guilty when she saw him already waiting for her when she arrived.“The traffic is terrible today,” she said.“Don’t worry about it,” Hayden said, handing her the menu. “Mr. Ford expected me to wait for you for at least an hour.”“I seriously don’t know what you guys are up to,” she grumbled, exasperated, “but I hope it will at least be over soon. Just don’t drag it out and cause me any trouble.”She ordered a few dishes, then handed the menu back to him. Hayden took it from her, ordered a few more signature dishes that the restaurant was popular for, then looked at Stella with a faint smile.“Did you think this is all just a joke?” he asked.“What else could it be?”“I am serious about this,” he told her, his voice suddenly turning grave. “Since even Mr. Ford agreed that we s
Weston raised his eyebrows at Ben’s words. “But he’s divorced. He has an ex-wife.”“What’s wrong with having an ex-wife?”Ben found Weston’s comment strange. “This man has good qualities. Upon investigation, he has a very good personality too. He was an active member during college. He also has an amazingly beautiful resume. It’s normal that a man like him has been married before… Besides, hasn’t Ms. Sealey been married before herself? She even has two children.”Weston’s expression turned cold at once. “Are you discriminating against her?”“I’m not.”Weston said, “Or do you think she can only find a divorced man for her second marriage?”Ben panicked. “I wouldn’t dare!”With Weston’s ridiculous amount of nitpicking, they could find no one that would match Stella.Hayden sat beside and quietly reviewed Weston’s latest psychological health report. As he turned the page, he suddenly said, “I’m actually a little interested in Ms. Sealey.”Hayden laughed a little and turned to Wes
Stella opened her eyes and shot Weston a cold look. Then, she turned her head the other way.Weston did not touch her again. He knew she was probably angry with him, so he stayed silent.A few moments later, he reminded her, “Don’t be angry. That man is unreliable.”Stella propped her chin in her palm. “And what does that have to do with you?”Weston pursed his lips, setting his jaw in a tight line. He said, “I’ve promised to stop pestering you. It’ll be a promise. I’m fine with seeing you with another man, but at least find someone who makes me feel at ease.”“Why do I need your approval when I’m just looking for a date?” Stella found his words funny. “You’re just my ex-husband. Don’t you think you care too much?”Weston rubbed his brow, and his voice suddenly went cold. “If you don’t want me to keep pestering you like I just did, maybe you should listen to me.”Stella questioned, “Are you threatening me?”“No. I’m suggesting.”Stella was lost for words. Then, she suddenly
Stella froze for a moment when she heard the voice. When she turned around, she saw that Weston had appeared behind her at some point.Weston stared at the man behind Stella with a cold gaze and an icy aura around him. Weston had always emitted a strong aura around him. Anyone who saw him would immediately be terrified because of his intimidating aura.The man froze for a moment at Weston’s sudden appearance. He took a step back and quickly steadied himself before greeting Weston, “Mr. Ford.”He still had the same calm and gentle look. “I’m sending Miss Cicily back.”“I know. Don’t ever show up in front of her again,” Weston told him. “You don’t have to send her back. Stay away from her.”It would be a little inappropriate for the man to act a fool at Weston’s straightforwardness, so he tugged at his collar and asked Weston with a polite smile, “Mr. Ford, you should give me a reason, shouldn’t you? I’m having a good time with Miss Cicily.”“You’re the one who thinks she’s having
Stella smiled. It seemed like he had come prepared.Stella enjoyed chatting with the man. He was sincere and introduced himself properly as soon as they started chatting.The man was also a pianist and came from a scholarly family. Although not super wealthy, he was doing considerably well in the middle class. Stella would not need to worry about the quality of life with him, but that was about it. She certainly could not live a luxurious life.Stella had a good impression of him. She also talked to him a little more about piano music.Stella twirled her hair and smiled. She told him with a nice voice, “I’m sure Roger has already told you about my situation.”“I know.”The man looked at her gently and set the coffee in front of her. He said to her, “I’m very interested in you. I think we’re very suitable for each other. Our living standards nowadays have improved quite a bit. Not many look for a partner purely because of material qualities. People with emotional needs will search