Joyce was slightly taken aback by Stella’s presence. Her face was flushed, and her eyes darted everywhere. It was unclear as to what she was just doing. Stella looked at her strangely. “You don’t have any classes scheduled today, have you?” She glanced at the class schedule, clearly recalling that Joyce didn’t have classes arranged for today. When it came to the teachers, Joyce wasn’t the most professional one of the bunch. She taught traditional folk dance, but constantly cut corners during her classes. Sometimes, she would end classes when it wasn’t time, and her students learned at a very slow pace. As such, class coordinators seldom prioritized her classes and frequently made her do more of the planning work. Joyce’s face changed as she defended, “Can’t I come over to take a look even without any classes scheduled? With so many outstanding colleagues at work, can’t I come over and learn from you guys?” Stella knew it’d be impossible to talk reason with someone like Joyc
A glint flashed past Stella’s eyes. “Doesn’t that make you two childhood sweethearts? It’s been so many years and you two still share such a great relationship. I’m so envious.” “There’s nothing to admire. Just look at my dark eye circles!” Yvonne chucked. Stella had good reason to think that Yvonne was showing off, and she shook her head. Yvonne, on the other hand, had her interest piqued. She followed behind Stella and asked, “Ella, have you ever been in a relationship before?” She was interested in Stella’s love life. No matter what it was, she would never spend her whole life with Weston. A man like Weston Ford would be sick and tired of one woman after a while. She was rather worried that Stella’s involvement with Weston might traumatize her in the area of love and cause her to lose all hope in romance. Previously, whenever she wanted to introduce a man to Stella, it would always be rejected. Wouldn’t she be even more distrustful of men after this? “Me?” Not th
Stella had just recovered from her cough when, upon Yvonne’s offer, began choking on her breath again. Yvonne’s thoughts moved at an extremely quick pace, and she was unable to keep up. She saw the reaction on Stella’s face and knew that she was unable to accept it. She smiled and said, “Alright, alright. I was just joking!” Stella’s face flushed bright red. She instinctively wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. She simply stood where she was, looking lost. Yvonne found her posture adorable and couldn’t help but reach out to pinch her cheeks. “Why are you so easy to bully?” She sighed. “It’s precisely because you’re easy to bully that that man Weston can have his way with you…” All along, she had been trying to find ways to help Stella, but her ideas had always been trampled by her family members when she shared her thoughts with them. Weston was simply too powerful, and there was hardly any way she could interfere. Lucas and the rest had many ongoing coll
Stella shook her head. “I’m alright. It’s just that the music is too loud in here.” Yvonne smiled. “It’s precisely because you can’t hear what everyone else is saying that makes it so much fun.” Seeing how Stella appeared so uncomfortable, Yvonne did not bring her to the dance floor. Instead, she pulled her through a corridor into another hall. It was much quieter inside. Gentle piano music sounded from the stage right at the front, which immediately drew Stella’s attention. She asked, “What is this place?” “It’s also part of The Doghouse.” Stella furrowed her brows. “Why is it named like that?” “One’s own doghouse is always more comfortable than any other house. That’s the meaning behind this name!” Yvonne explained. “Actually, I don’t really know what the owner of this nightclub was thinking by giving this place such a terrible-sounding name. However, The Doghouse is one of the country’s most famous entertainment venues. How could you have never heard of it?” Stella s
Dr. Quirk was a man who preferred quiet places, and seldom came to entertainment venues like this one. He’d always reject Yvonne each time she asked him to join her here. If it weren’t because of Weston, he would’ve never agreed to come here. Having known Weston for so many years, he seldom saw him in such a mood, silent and pensive, as he sat emotionless.“Did you fight with Guinevere?” That was the only possibility he could think of, based on what he knew. His question earned him a slight furrow of Weston’s brows, as if repulsed by the mention of the subject. Lucas usually loathed interfering in the business of others, but this was Weston he was talking about. Having remembered seeing him with Stella the other day, he asked casually, “What is your relationship with Ella?” Weston did not appear to react badly towards the mention of the name. His brows simply furrowed slightly. Yet, Lucas managed to catch that shift in his expression, and he arrived quickly at a conclu
Each time someone mentioned Guinevere, there would be many others itching to talk about Weston and Henry. Weston used to find it boring, and that hadn’t changed. “What has this got to do with Henry?” “Is he still in that wheelchair, refusing to receive treatment?” Lucas couldn’t figure out what that man was thinking. “Does he really think remaining disabled would ache that female bodyguard’s heart and she’d come running back to him?” Lucas was different from both of them. He had been with Yvonne very early on and never considered getting involved with another woman. As such, he didn’t face as much trouble as these two men did. Everyone thought that Henry was devoted to Guinevere, yet he brought that female bodyguard everywhere he went and allowed no one to harbor any designs on her. His friends initially thought that he was trying to distract himself with the female bodyguard, having had his hopes of pursuing Guinevere snuffed out. They did not expect him to become increasing
Stella hadn’t felt so relaxed for a long time. Ever since her parents passed away, she seldom had the chance to play the piano. Sometimes, when the urge to play arose, she would spend an hour at a piano shop indulging herself. Dancing, on the other hand, was unlike playing the piano. She could dance anywhere as long as she wanted to, but playing the piano came at a price. Her measly salary barely fed herself and Roger, and the pressure of financial burden wore her down day by day. How could she possibly afford something as luxurious as a piano? Elegant notes of music flowed from her fingers. She was relaxed and happy, and the smile on her face was genuine. The joy of music was infectious—Yvonne was so absorbed in the performance that she couldn’t help but film Stella’s performance. The long-haired young man initially thought that Stella was his type and wanted to chat her up. She even knew the name of the tune he was playing, and inviting her to a piano duet sealed the
As long as he could have a taste of her, it would be fine, even if she were married. He placed an arm around her shoulders and said naturally, “Don’t fool me, it would only make me sad. If you were really married, why even come to…” Before he could complete his sentence, he felt a strong force grip his wrist and the next moment, a searing pain shot through his heart. “Owww!” The man lifted his head and looked into a pair of cool, deep eyes. If looks could kill, he would have been shredded to pieces. His face contorted with pain, the man yelled, “Who are you? Let me go!” His voice trembled with pain. Yvonne snapped back to attention and looked up to see Lucas who had somehow appeared before her. “Hubby, what are you doing here?” she exclaimed in shock. “…hubby?” The man heard how he addressed the other man before him and looked back at her aghast, “You’re really married?” Yvonne rubbed her nose. “Didn’t I show you my wedding ring just now?” she repeated guiltily. S
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