Stella came to the balcony. It was rare for her to take the initiative to hug him from behind. “When did you come over? Why didn’t you go in?”Weston stiffened for a moment. He flicked the dust off the cigarette and watched the light of the burning cigarette between his fingers.The white smoke rose and made his features look more distinct.Stella looked down at the cigarette and asked, “Why are you smoking again?”She rubbed her face against his broad back and ran her hand along the firm line on his muscular arm. She touched the cigarette between his fingers and asked, “I thought you’d quit smoking.”Some time ago, she had found out that Weston had stopped smoking. She wondered why he had started smoking again.Weston straightened up and pulled his arm back. He wanted to put out the cigarette, but Stella stopped him.“Don’t...” Stella saw his intention and said, “Don’t put it out yet. I want to try it too.”Weston’s action paused. He glanced down at her and raised his eyebrows
Stella heard a little teasing in his tone.She shook her head and looked at him with displeasure. “Didn’t you say you were going to teach me? You just left me to try on my own. You didn’t teach me at all…”Weston smiled and looked at her with an incredibly gentle look.“You’re even laughing at me!”Stella thought he was laughing at her and reached out to cover his eyes. She tiptoed, but she was still not tall enough to reach him.All she could do was stare at him with a slight annoyance. “Weston!” she complained.“Do you really want to smoke?” Weston looked down at her and stroked her hair to soothe her.Stella nodded and frowned slightly. “Anyway, I didn’t feel anything just now. I only tasted the bitter smoke. There’s nothing nice about it at all…”She looked puzzled and asked, “Why do you all like to smoke something that tastes so bad?”Weston did not say anything. Instead, he took a cigarette and put it in her mouth. “When I light it later, you take a drag.”Stella nodd
Sensing the tightening grip around her waist, Stella added, “But it’s fine. We just won’t invite him then.”“Don’t invite him?” Weston suddenly let go of her. “Mm-hmm,” Stella nodded. Looking into his eyes, she said, “If he’s adamant in disapproving of our marriage, then we’ll just not invite him to the wedding. He might cause some trouble if he attends, so I think it’s best we send him back abroad, where he’ll focus on his studies.”“...are you sure?” Weston’s brows furrowed gently.He knew better than anyone else how devoted the two siblings were to each other. Sure, they might not be blood-related, but he acutely sensed Roger’s passionate feelings… feelings that might indicate more than brotherly love. Nevertheless, based on what he knew about Stella, Roger was still the most important person in her life.“We will get married come what may,” Stella assured him with a smile. “What’s important right now is that he’s safe and sound. I’m not worried about the rest. I don’t want ou
Their wedding day was drawing near, but Warren Ford still showed no sign of taking any action.Even Roger had been discharged from the hospital.Stella stood at the window wall of the bedroom and leaned against its frame, staring vacantly out.Suddenly she was enfolded by a warm embrace from behind. She felt a soft pair of lips brushing against her ear and nibbling at it.“What’s on your mind?” Weston asked, his voice still hoarse, having just gotten out of bed. As it was the weekend, he had a rare and cherished chance to sleep in today.“I was just wondering… Will it rain on our wedding day?”It was dark and overcast outside. Thick dark clouds covered the sky, and the humidity in the air was palpable.“No,” he whispered in her ear, his hands already under her thin nightgown. “Our wedding day will be bright and beautiful.”The rough, big palms of his hands sent waves of electric shocks as they slid across her skin. Stella tried to wriggle her way out, but he only clasped her wa
“Your grandfather’s impression of me isn’t good as it is,” Stella explained patiently. “He might have agreed for us to get married, but I still want to leave a better impression on him… The fact that he asked me to meet him must mean he’s giving me a chance. If I hesitate and bring you along with me, then I’ll never get another chance to get his approval.”“If he gives you any trouble,” Weston replied while stroking her face, “just tell me, and I’ll handle it.”“Okay,” she nodded.“You should probably cover up your neck a little…” Weston said as he adjusted Stella’s collar to hide the bright red hickeys he’d left.“And whose fault is this?!” she scolded him. “I told you to stop this morning, but you wouldn’t listen!”“Alright,” Weston chuckled and massaged the red marks on her skin. “I’ll pick you up this evening.”… The manor Warren Ford lived in was a reasonable distance away from the city. When Stella arrived, it was already late afternoon. Warren had just woken up from hi
“It looks like you really don’t want to marry him…” Warren sighed. “But that’s probably a good thing. You won’t be too upset when you hear where he was two days ago.”Stella was speechless for a few seconds before she asked, “...What are you talking about?”“A few days ago,” Warren slowly explained while studying her expressions, “Weston went to see Guinevere. Nothing surprising about that, of course, considering they’ve known each other since childhood and were sweethearts for many years. In fact, it was only expected that Weston would visit her after what she had been through.”Warren examined Stella’s expressions. When he noticed that she seemed unperturbed, he smiled and added, “But you don’t have any desire to be with him anyway, am I right? In that case, I’m sure the news didn’t upset you at all.”“There’s nothing to be upset about,” said Stella. Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were devoid of joy. “Everything’s just as I expected.”Sitting across Warren, she picke
Despite what she said, Stella had a hunch that Weston would never agree to such an outrageous request. Besides, their troubled past had been the talk of the town—everybody knew of the horrible things Guinevere had done to Stella in the past. What would they think if they found out that Guinevere was invited to the wedding?They would all mock Stella, for sure.She knew that whatever feeling Weston had for her was not true love and that it was just a short-lived infatuation, at most. But even so, she was sure that he wouldn’t agree to something that would cause her so much embarrassment…Warren smiled. There was an inexplicable trace of sympathy in that smile.“Then how about I call him right now,” he suggested, looking straight at Stella. “And ask him if he would let Guinevere come to the wedding?”Stella merely nodded. What else could she do?“If he agrees, then I have no further objection.”Warren then got his phone and called Weston, who quickly answered it. Stella stayed s
Ben was already waiting for Weston in the office with a stack of documents in hand, ready to accompany him to the meeting, when he was signalled to wait outside as Weston continued his phone call.“I don’t think this is up for discussion, Grandpa. If the Cohen family still insists, let them come straight to me.”“Weston,” Warren sighed. “I completely understand you. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t agree to it myself… but regardless of everything that’s happened, Guinevere is still Zack’s mother. No matter how much resentment you harbor for each other, we must never do anything that could sever our ties with the Cohens, do you understand? Besides…”Warren paused and turned to look at Stella before adding, “All the gossip and news of your scandals have turned our family into a laughing stock. We’ll have to maintain our reputation this time. We’ll just let Guinevere attend the wedding, that’s all. We’ll make sure that she stays in a secret corner that no reporters would ever find.”
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