“I won’t be disturbing you with your work now,” said Justin.“Okay,” Tina replied simply, having no intention of sending him off. “Close the door behind you.”Justin suddenly paused his steps. Hearing that reply from her made him head out of the studio without even looking back.Meanwhile, outside, Stella was already inside the car. As Ben drove, he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.“Who was that man, Mrs. Ford?” “Professor Justin Hall,” Stella rested her chin on her hand and stared outside the window. “He used to teach Roger.”Ben was struck with guilt momentarily when he heard Roger’s name and thus avoided Stella’s eye contact, “Oh, so that was Professor Hall, huh? No wonder he looked a little familiar…”“Just a little?” Stella shot him a cold look. “I thought you should know him very well.”Ben touched his nose and turned the steering wheel, saying, “You must be kidding, Mrs. Ford.”Stella did not question him any further, but judging by how possessive Weston w
Stella glanced at Guinevere and ignored her right away. She had no intention to put up a false pretense of courtesy, nor did she pay any attention to the apparent venom in her words.Seeing this, Ben sighed in relief and nodded at Guinevere. He soon went to the insurance company representatives who had just arrived to speak to them.Guinevere’s eyes were icy. She suddenly went up behind Stella and told her, “I’m sure you don’t know about it yet, but Weston has agreed to marry me.”Stella abruptly paused her steps and turned around to look at her without saying a word.“You look like you don’t believe me,” Guinevere observed. She sniggered and shook her head before getting nearer to her and said, “Why don’t we have a little chat? Ben’s right there, so I can’t do anything to you anyway.”“If I’m not mistaken,” Stella stared coldly at her, “I’m pretty sure that bigamy is illegal in this country.”“Naturally, he’ll divorce you first,” Guinevere casually explained. “And then he’ll mar
“By the looks of it…” Guinevere added, giving Stella a cold derisive look as she spoke. “You’ve obviously been kept in the dark by everyone around you.”“Ben, do you have the guts to tell her what Weston has promised me, huh?” she scoffed. “Or what about all those women Weston’s been fooling around with the last few days? Why don’t you ask her if she can accept Weston doing all that?”“I’m the only one who can accept him no matter what he does,” she added. “And I’m the only one who will always be by his side!”She was so agitated that she did not notice Stella’s clouded countenance. Stella walked up to Guinevere and once again vehemently slapped her hard across the face—Slap!The noise rang crisply in the air.Guinevere could hardly believe what just happened. Her eyes widened as she stared at the woman in front of her.“You—”She took a deep breath and intended to fight back, but just as soon as she raised her hand, she was once again blocked by Ben.“Miss Cohen…” Ben utte
It was the first time Nicole had ever experienced anything like it. She had just escaped from Guinevere Cohen and wasn’t as familiar with the situation as Belle was.She truly would never have believed that in a society ruled by law, Guinevere would dare to act so rampantly… so rampantly that she wanted to chop her hands off!Guinevere cursed and yelled at her, saying she never wanted her to play the piano ever again!Nicole didn’t want to be like Belle. She didn’t want to kneel in front of Weston, crying and begging him in the hopes that he would pity her and help her.But being in a really desperate situation and having no other choice, she could only come here and ask for his help.“I seriously don’t understand what I’d done wrong,” Nicole said. “Why would that Guinevere Cohen woman do such a horrible thing to us…”She turned to Weston and, in a choked voice, continued, “Mr. Ford, this is a matter between you and her. Why should I suffer for it?”“What do I have to do with he
Belle had spoken very well.But Weston merely glanced indifferently at her and asked, “You’re willing to do anything?”“Yes!” Belle nodded repeatedly. “Anything! But I really don’t want my feet chopped off, Mr. Ford…”Weston lit up another cigarette, his fingers rubbing against each other lightly as he looked over to Nicole. “What about you?”Nicole suddenly collapsed to the floor as if her soul had just escaped her body. Only then did she realize that it had all been a trap.She had assumed Weston had been kind to her and even paid off all her debts because he had taken a fancy to her, or that at least he harbored some feelings for her.Never did it occur to her that he had done all that just to provoke Guinevere, subsequently causing her to attack them, which in turn, forced them to work with Weston in exchange for their own safety.In their current position, they had no other choice but to do what Weston wanted. How else would they escape Guinevere’s clutches otherwise?This
Belle was shaken to her core, but after a moment, she suddenly thought of something and quickly crawled up to Weston. Tugging at his trousers, she asked, “But why must I be the murderer? Why can’t I be the witness…?”She then tearfully begged, “Can you please let Nicole be the murderer and make me the witness instead?”Belle was not an idiot. Of course, she knew that playing different roles meant shouldering different consequences. She also knew that there was no way she could persuade Weston to change his plans, but she still had no desire to go to prison, even if only for a few years.“It’s not my decision,” Weston frowned. “Everything has been decided based on the motive and evidence. Don’t make things awkward for me.”He shoved her hands away as he spoke and got up to his feet. He pulled out a wet wipe nearby and wiped his trousers before hurling it into the bin.“There will be lawyers coming here later to inform you about what to do next,” he said. “Once everything is over, y
Undoubtedly, he was worried that Guinevere would make a big deal out of the two slaps she received.But the man’s eyes unexpectedly revealed a kind of smile.He put his finger on his brow ridge and chuckled. “She actually hits people?”“Miss Cohen must have said something unpleasant to Mrs. Ford.”Ben said, “Mrs. Ford seemed to be very angry.”However, even if it was Guinevere who provoked her first, assaulting someone wasn’t right.What did this rather relieved tone of Mr. Ford mean?Weston knew what Guinevere had said to her. It was nothing more than to irritate Stella with the deal between them. All he had to do was go back and coax her a bit.“Is there anything else?”“Mrs. Ford…”Ben hesitated but still told him the truth in the end. “Mrs. Ford met Justin today. It seems he’s gone to Tina’s office to help her out.”The man opened his eyes and cast a cold glance at him.Ben touched his nose nervously, wondering if he had said the wrong thing.“But Mrs. Ford should have
Stella was in the kitchen when she heard footsteps and subconsciously looked back.Seeing Weston walk in, she asked, “Why are you back so early today?”“What, you don't want to see me?”The man pushed the man directly against the glazed table the next second.Her back hit the hard surface of the table, and she hissed out of pain. “Be gentle… Let go of me…”Weston’s eyes darkened. Hearing her refusal and thinking of her meeting with Justin today, he thought she was rejecting him because she had met someone else.This only prompted him to clutch her waist harder. “I can’t even touch you now, huh?”“What are you talking about?”She struggled a little, and her face showed impatience.However, it was this look of impatience that irritated Weston.A cloud of gloom flashed across his eyes. He untied her apron, threw it on the floor, and carried her directly up to the countertop as he reached out to probe upwards.Stella shuddered at the touch of his calloused fingers on her skin an
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