The woman yelled out curses as the car receded into the distance. Stella looked away. She was about to leave when she heard the woman shouting at her.“Hey! What’s your name?”Stella paused her steps. She turned around and looked at the woman but said nothing.“Why are you all alone in such a place?” the woman continued, not minding that Stella didn’t answer her question. “Hmph! I bet you got dumped by a scumbag just like me, didn’t you?”Stella raised her brows. The woman wasn’t wrong… She shrugged wearily.“Do you want to walk home together?” Stella asked.“No,” the woman shook her head. “It’s your lucky day. I just called someone to pick me up. You can come along with us.”Stella gave it a good thought before she finally agreed.“Thank you,” she said earnestly.“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’re in the same boat, after all! Remember this, my friend. Let’s never get involved with scumbags, ever again!”“Yes,” Stella laughed. “I agree!”Meanwhile, in the car on the road ahead
Back at the Ford mansion, Guinevere had just gotten the report. She turned each page slowly, scrutinizing each and every word.They really were two different people. But how was that possible? It was indeed an outcome that she had hoped for, but it was all too outlandish. But still, everything had been spelled out in black and white, in the report in front of her, so it had to be true.Guinevere sighed in relief. Thank goodness she wasn’t that woman. Thank goodness Ella Steele was just Ella Steele after all. As long as she wasn’t Stella Sealey, she would pose no threat to her. She was just a woman who looked like Stella, that was all. Nothing to be worried about.“What are you doing?” Weston asked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere just as she sighed.Guinevere’s heart skipped a beat but she managed to stay calm and show no emotions.“Nothing,” she replied, getting up and pretending to be tidying up the desk. “I was just reading my scripts.”Weston usually showed no interest i
Guinevere grinned happily and gazed at Weston, then at Zack.“Really?” she asked. “I wouldn’t have noticed it if you didn’t mention it! Do they really look alike?”“Of course they do!” replied the nanny, nodding repeatedly. “They’re father and son, after all!”Guinevere was visibly overjoyed by this.Meanwhile, Wendy stared at her son and studied his face closely.“No,” she suddenly said. “I don’t think he looks that much like Weston. He looks more like his grandfather!”Those words silenced the whole room. The air grew instantly tense. Only Wendy seemed oblivious as she was busy scrutinizing Zack’s eyebrows.“Look at these thick eyebrows,” she continued, “and these dark eyes! He looks just like his grandpa, doesn’t he?”Weston turned dead silent. His Adam’s apple moved, but he said nothing. His eyes were more piercing now than ever, but he wasn’t looking at Zack and much less Guinevere. They were, however, glued to his mother’s face, searching for the smallest trace of anomaly
Weston finally took a few steps forward and heard laughter coming from a distance.“Did you argue with your dad again?”It was Xavier, who had seemingly come out of nowhere. His eyes shone with sly cunning as he patted the dust off his clothes. Being the Ford family's son and pampered from a young age, there was a sense of general presumptuousness in his gestures. It was apparent he had never been afraid of anyone.“You b*stard!” he snapped. “I did you such a big favor, and you dared to hang up on me?!”Weston merely glanced at him and kept walking.He had always been calm and unbothered by anything. Although Xavier was his uncle, he was the complete opposite of him, always smiling, sloppy, and immature.Xavier followed Weston quickly behind him.“I was serious about the question I asked on the phone,” he told Weston. “When did you start to like messing around with women? And what about that woman on the road? Who is she?”Weston stopped abruptly and turned to Xavier.“Let’s m
Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, Stella listened on and thought the conversation between the two men was fascinating and amusing, so she couldn’t help but laugh. There really was nothing more to it.But when the man in front of her caught sight of her joyous chuckles, he lost a little self-control and just stared at her. Even Roger, who was beside him, noticed it.“Professor Hall,” he said with a frown. “Why are you staring at my sister?”The man came back to his senses, then looked at Stella apologetically.“I’m sorry,” he told her.Stella’s smile vanished. She glared at her brother before snapping, “Don’t be rude!”Stella then sat straight and turned to the man in front of her.“Thank you for watching out for us, Professor Hall,” she said. “Please, allow me to settle the bill for this meal.”She had planned to go for a walk with her brother, but they unexpectedly bumped into Roger’s college professor. Roger had taken a few semesters off due to his illness, and it was Justin
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.Stella couldn’t surmise what Roger was feeling from his expressions. She followed him quietly into the living room and sat on the sofa.Roger had been hanging his head low all the while. Then suddenly, he raised up his head and turned to his sister.“Do you like Professor Hall, Sis?” he asked.“What did you just say?!” Stella responded in shock.Roger said nothing. He sat next to his sister and leaned on her shoulder. He was about six feet tall, and when he leaned on his sister like that, he looked like a big bear leaning against a little rabbit for support.“What kind of man do you like, Sis?” he asked again.Stella realized then that Roger had been overthinking.“Don’t worry, Roger,” she assured him. “There’s absolutely nothing going on between your professor and me.”“It didn’t look like Professor Hall thought the same way, though…”“Don’t you remember what he said?” Stella asked with a smile. “He merely thought that I looked pretty,
After getting the client’s contact, Stella immediately made a call. It was answered by a middle-aged man. He sounded very polite as he made an appointment to meet with Stella.“Would you like me to meet with your child before the lesson starts?” Stella asked.Usually, she would have a trial class with her prospective pupil before setting up the proper curriculum for them. It was quite an elaborate process, but parents who could afford to send their kids to classes at a training center like the one she worked at were generally wealthy. This was especially true for those who requested private tutoring, signifying they had their own ballroom at home.“No,” the man replied after a long pause. It sounded as if he was busy. “There’s no need for that. I’ll interview you first. If you pass, we’ll discuss more.”“Okay,” Stella responded politely. “And what time would you like to meet? What kind of information should I prepare…”“My secretary will send you an email,” the man interrupted. “Y
Stella froze the second she heard that familiar voice. Not only that, but a familiar scent filled her nose. It was the same refreshing scent that had once accompanied her every night when she was with Weston.She lowered her head, making sure not to look at the man in front of her. After being pushed away, she quickly leaned onto the wall behind her to steady herself. With her head down, she continued to walk ahead, trying to leave the place.Unfortunately, the secretary did not give her that chance. She clawed at her wrist and dragged her back towards Weston.“Apologize to Mr. Ford!” she demanded. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Ford! She’s new here, so she’s still a bit clueless. Come on! What are you waiting for? Apologize!”Weston did not even look at her. He merely tugged on his collar with annoyance. With his white shirt flowing down his torso and tied casually at the waistline, he emitted a kind of noble aura that was out of place in Lowe Garden. Everyone’s eyes seemed glued onto him eve
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