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
It seemed that Stella couldn’t get away that easily now. She would have to adapt as best as she could.Weston was one of the last to get inside the private lounge. Whether or not he intended to be the latest to arrive, no one there would dare to keep him waiting anyway, so everyone hurried inside before he did.The man who had been so viciously nasty to her completely changed when facing Weston. He was now grinning obsequiously as he held out a cigar and deferentially handed it to Weston.“Would you like one, Mr. Ford?” he asked.Weston glanced at him briefly and took the cigar, holding it between his fingers. He then sat down in the middle of the sofa, resting his long arms on the backrest. His muscular forearms hung in the air, the cigar that was just handed to him swayed slightly as he held it between his fingers.The man smiled when he saw that his offering was accepted. “Allow me to light it,” he said before pulling out a lighter and kneeling in front of Weston.But before
Stella took a deep breath and said nothing. With her head lowered, she pressed on the metal lighter. A flame materialized. Weston slowly moved the cigar towards the flame. His eyes were fixed on Stella as he leaned over.White smoke rose from the cigar's tip as it caught the flame. The tobacco sizzled slightly as it burned. The flame illuminated Weston’s face, rendering his features even more striking.At such a close distance, Stella could clearly discern the stark edges of his strong jawline. She wanted to look away but was firmly held in place by Weston. Weston maintained his intense gaze on Stella’s face. He didn’t look away as he smoked the cigar. He took a deep huff and released a cloud of thick rolling smoke onto her face.Stella coughed immediately. Her eyes reddened, and tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, but it was shoved away by Weston.He tried to look at her. He tried to look at her whole face without missing the sm
Stella sneered, “You think too highly of him.” “I beg you, please! If you leave now, I’ll die a terrible death…” Stella remained unmoved and flung her hand away. “That has nothing to do with me.” This was the woman who had mercilessly tossed her under the bus previously. Why should she respond to her pleas? She was about to leave when a male voice said, distinctively displeased. “Why aren’t you accompanying Mr. Ford? Where are you going!” Stella ignored him and hastened her footsteps. The man’s face changed as he stood up with the intention of chasing after her. However, something suddenly came to mind and he threw a glance at Weston. Weston’s tall figure was shrouded in the darkness. His luxurious dress pants wrapped around his long legs, and the subtle light from a lit cigarette flickered at his fingers. He looked so out of place here, yet at the same time, he appeared to be lord over this place. Everyone was under his reign. Seeing Weston stay silent, the man cha
She spoke very softly, but it drew the attention of everyone in the room. The secretary looked over and saw hope amidst her desperation, “Thank you, thank you…” Stella ignored her. She was still struggling within herself. She didn’t want to poke her nose into the business of others, but a thought came to mind when she stepped foot out of the room. Weston was doing this on purpose. He was deliberately putting up a front before her. A man like him had no need to get his hands dirty or even verbalize his intentions. A simple look was enough and everyone would fight to do his bidding. These people were familiar with the inner workings of the marketplace and knew their way around people. They wouldn’t go to such extremes to make things ugly. Their sudden impudence was surely associated with Weston himself. Even if she didn’t make a move now, there would be more trouble waiting for her down the road. The mere thought of having to deal with more made her tired. The men s