The night was dark.Downstairs, below the apartment, a tall dark figure was standing there all alone, casting a long and lonely shadow.Under the streetlamp, moths were circling around the light in a frenzy. That was the way it had been since time immemorial—moths had always flown straight into the flame, sacrificing themselves for a short but brilliant life.Stella stared at him for some time before retracting her gaze and closing the curtain.Too bad for him, but she was resolved never again to be attracted to the flames like those moths.… From that day onwards, Weston never showed up before Stella. Then again, now that he had found out it was Guinevere Cohen who had caused all the trouble in the past, it would be incredibly shameless even for a man like Weston to keep getting in her hair like he used to.To Stella’s surprise, though, when she entered the restaurant where she was supposed to meet a music producer, she caught sight of the very man at a table across the room
Stella frowned. She put down the coffee cup and picked up her handbag before announcing, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now.”“No problem, Miss Cicily. I hear you’ve got two young children, and I wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time. Oh, should I drive you home?”“No,” she shook her head. “I drove myself.”She then got up and left without even looking at Weston once.Just as she walked down the steps below the coffee shop, Weston suddenly grabbed her wrist and held her in place.“Stella.”She seemed completely unsurprised by the turn of events. In fact, she had expected that something like this would happen.“What is it now?” she asked, looking at him with raised brows.That cold, unsurprised look of hers stung Weston’s eyes.“I have something to tell you. Do you have some time to spare?”“You surprise me, Mr. Ford. I didn’t think that a man like you would need to ask if someone had time to spare. Why didn’t you just scoop them and take them away if you w
Stella was still mired in confusion when she got home later that day. She was still holding the documents Weston gave her in her hands when she opened the door to her house.Elias and Emma flew into her arms, laughing in glee as they hugged her tight…“Mommy, you’re home!”Stella tried her best to put on a smile for them. Then she noticed some colorful marks on Emma’s face and asked her, “What are these?”“I was playing with Miguel and Elias!” Emma replied.The girl spoke a lot more fluently and clearly when she was around people she was familiar with.“Miguel was teaching us to play cards,” Elias added, expanding upon Emma’s points as he always did, “and the loser has to have a line drawn on their face!”Stella paused. She reached out her hand to wipe the marks on Emma’s face.“You can play as much as you like,” she told them. “But you have to be careful not to get the marks on your eyes, okay?”Miguel languidly got up from the couch, still holding a deck of cards in his hand
Stella’s lips twitched. With a forced smile, she told Miguel, “It’s nothing. If you have nothing else you want to say, then you should go home. I need to rest.”She then turned and headed towards her bedroom, but Miguel blocked her path by standing in front of her, preventing her from leaving.“Something must’ve happened,” he said. “Why are you so cold to me all of a sudden? It’s Weston, isn’t it?”Miguel frowned and added, “He must’ve said something bad about me! Or maybe… Maybe you’ve decided to get back together with him!”Not again. Not this again.Stella looked at him. Right now, he was acting almost exactly as Roger did in the past, especially his clear hostility towards Weston.He was also always terrified of the prospects of Stella reconciling with Weston.Stella was sure that Weston did not lie to her about Miguel. She was convinced that all the documents he gave her were genuine, but she was still reluctant to believe that Miguel would lie to her.She suddenly thought
As the matter gradually spread around, it caused quite a stir within their social circle, though no one had so far caused Stella any trouble.She herself had no desire to enmesh herself with all the messy problems, so she was a little surprised when she saw Guinevere’s parents looking for her at Jason’s mansion.“Why do you want to see me?” she asked them.“We heard that you’re back, and we know you want revenge on Gwen, but considering she’s suffered enough, why don’t you show her some mercy and spare her life…?”“What on earth are you talking about?” asked Stella, utterly befuddled.The elderly Cohens looked at each other. Only three years had passed, but they seemed to have aged decades. The Cohen family had gradually declined in their influence within the circle. Three years ago, Weston exposed all the shady things they did, and they came very close to having everything they owned seized by the authorities.The Cohens had plummeted nearly to the point of destitution. They l
Stella was still in some shock. Even wild beasts like tigers would never eat their own children, what more Guinevere, who was willing to go that far just to frame her.She frowned and looked at the old couple.“Since you’re so adamant that she’s innocent,” she told them, “then you should help her by finding the evidence to prove she is. If you find no evidence, then it must really mean that she committed the murder. I don’t understand why you’re wasting your time trying to distort the truth.”“No!” Mrs. Cohen insisted as she stepped forward, tearfully looking at Stella. “It can’t be true! You’re a mother too. Surely you’d understand that no mother would be so crazy as to kill her own child! I’m convinced there must be some misunderstanding!”She almost blurted out that it was all because Weston Ford was taking revenge on Guinevere.Mr. Cohen, himself looking decades older after only three years, hunched over, and his eyes were red and bloodshot, but unlike Mrs. Cohen, he managed t
Stella remained flustered and was silent for a long time, even after the Cohens were gone. Seeing this, Jason sighed, patted her shoulder, and assured her, “Don’t worry. I know Warren well. He won’t be kind to them.”… Having been in decline in the past few years, the Cohens had perhaps gotten a lot more naive now. They assumed that Warren would value the close ties between the two families enough to help them when they came to him.But the truth was that ever since he learned of the affair between Guinevere and Chris Ford, Warren was so enraged that whatever respect he had for the Cohens completely dissipated. From then onwards, apart from attending their funerals, he never once wanted a part in anything that involved the Cohens.But the Cohens were desperate and had nowhere else to go, so they had no choice but to beg for Warren’s help.Unsurprisingly, they were blocked at the mansion gate and were not even allowed to step foot inside. Warren Ford had no desire to see them.
“You’ve seen it yourself, haven’t you? I couldn’t stop him three years ago, and I won’t be able to stop him now! Not to mention now that that woman has returned…”In fact, not only could he not stop Weston now, but he actually had no desire to do so either. After that, he sent the Cohens out of his mansion and thought nothing about them ever again. No matter how hard they begged and cried, he remained completely unmoved.After a while, it started to rain.The butler told Warren that the Cohens had finally left.Warren pushed his wheelchair to the window and stared at the pouring rain outside. He suddenly sighed and said, “I’m glad you’re still alive.”… Stella had set up her own office now. She had come back to expand her career here, so after signing some contracts, she publicly announced her return and set up her own personal office in the city.Today was their first day of working here, so as the big boss of the place, she naturally had to be there with everyone.Not long
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