Stella bid farewell to Marshall and reminded him to escort Kayla home."Sure thing," Marshall replied.Stella waved and quickly stepped into the car. Aldor nodded at Marshall and got in as well.As the car drove away, Marshall stood in place, watching it gradually fade from view.Inside the car, Stella leaned against the window and looked outside. After a while, she began to sigh deeply."What's wrong? Regretting that I interrupted your dinner with Mr. Moore? Feeling disappointed that you had to leave?" Keegan teased.Stella would usually have a comeback. But after noticing Marshall's feelings for her, she could not muster a spirited response."Keegan, can I ask you a question?" Her tone was serious.Keegan looked slightly surprised. He raised his chin, unscrewed his water bottle, and said, "Sure." He then took a sip of water, ready to attend to Stella's inquiry."Am I the type of woman men fall for at first sight?"Keegan choked on his water when he heard that.Stella hande
Keegan's eyelids twitched when he heard Stella say that Marshall had a crush on her. He clenched his hands and tried to keep his composure, "Did he confess his feelings to you?""No... It's just that I feel that he's treating me differently. It feels more than just a regular friend," Stella replied.Keegan probed further, "Did anything happen during dinner to give you that impression?"Stella chose to skip the part about the close call with the car and continued, "Nothing significant. It's just that he seemed unusually concerned about me."Stella let out another sigh, "It's so strange, Keegan. Mr. Moore is such a perfect man. Why would he be interested in me? I know how charming I can be, but I'm already in a relationship."Keegan tried to suppress his anger, but he could not, "Are you trying to make me jealous?"Stella chuckled briefly before saying, "I'm just teasing you. But I'm genuinely puzzled by the situation. Mr. Moore is your childhood friend. Him having feelings for me
Stella chuckled, "Is Trevor really that unreasonable? Lately, he has been including your share whenever he sends me something. So don't go around bad-mouthing him."Keegan laughed at the sound of that, "The chairman election is next week. If I get chosen, I'll probably be busy for the first half of the year. I don't want you to be disappointed with me for being unable to travel with you."Stella lightly caressed his ear, "Why would I be disappointed with you?""I used to neglect family because of my job. I didn't even know when you fell ill."'I didn't divorce you because you were too busy with work,' thought Stella. But upon some consideration, Keegan indeed used to be overly immersed in work. He was not good at understanding people's emotions and did not like explaining himself.At that time, Stella was a full-time housewife, and being alone for too long led to overthinking. This led to various misunderstandings, which snowballed into their separation.Keegan often reflected on
Trevor was astonished by the chaos unfolding at his father's residence, 'It looks like this matter concerning Chris is rather severe.'"By the way, don't let Stella come home for now. Things are a mess, and I'd rather not burden her with this," stated Wenham."Why are you being so protective of Stella? Are you afraid she might have made the wrong decision?" Trevor teased.Wenham snorted, his tone filled with pride, "Stella told me about the situation a few days ago. She asked if it was okay for her to fire Chris. She's much more level-headed than you and knows when to strike."Trevor was stunned. He could not believe Stella had informed their father about the problem without giving him a heads-up. In response to Wenham's smugness, Trevor decided to bring down his spirits a little."Stella won't be coming back tonight. She's not in Rivera right now.""Where did she go?" asked Wenham, taken aback.Trevor's tone was cryptic, "I thought you two were close. Didn't she tell you?"Wen
Wenham pretended not to know about the incident, "I'm not involved in the affairs of the jewelry store. Stella did not tell me anything, so I have no idea what's going on. Please stop crying. I'm sure you don't want your children to witness you like this. I'll inquire about the situation when Stella returns. Trust me. I won't stand by her if she's in the wrong."Chris's wife, usually preoccupied with looking after the children and playing Mah-Jongg, lacked the sharpness of mind to see through Wenham's act. Moreover, Wenham's gentle demeanor and apparent lack of awareness left her uncertain. She cautiously glanced at Darcie.Darcie's expression remained stern as she addressed the situation, "Chris changed our material supplier in secret and padded his own pockets. What more is there to discuss? I've treated him well over the years. I thought he was diligent and reliable. I let him assist Stella, thinking it was a good way for him to earn some extra money. If his salary wasn't enough,
Trevor let out a sigh, "Look, he probably fooled you.""Wh-What do you mean?" Chris's wife thought her lie had been exposed, her voice trembling.Trevor pulled out his phone and scrolled through the photo album before handing it over to her. "When Stella discovered that he embezzled money from the company, she considered he might have his reasons, so she took the trouble to check the flow of funds in his account. Turns out, most of his money went to this woman. He even spent two million dollars to buy her a property that's less than a kilometer away from your place."Chris's wife looked at the photo of the young and attractive lady and instinctively denied the allegation, "This can't be true. You're making things up!"Trevor remained calm, "Almost all of his friends know about this woman. If you don't believe me, you can take her photo and ask around."The woman was still doubtful when her daughter suddenly spoke up, "That's Cassie."Chris's wife was taken aback, "What did you sa
Wenham furrowed his brows. "Freesia wouldn't have fussed with the kids."Darcie's face turned pale, and her heart was shattered.Wenham was about to say something else, but she had already turned around and left without a word.Trevor leaned back on the couch and observed his father's troubled expression. "Shouldn't you go upstairs and comfort her?" he casually remarked.Wenham shot him a glare. "This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you!"Trevor shrugged. "I'm just telling it like it is. Who would've thought that Darcie would be so sensitive?"Wenham was frustrated. He had little experience in comforting women. His late wife was a straightforward person. It was easy to know whether she liked something or not. She would tell him whenever she was angry.Darcie, however, was different. Although she was understanding, her temperament was far less carefree. She would always overthink people's words and come up with many interpretations. She was both perceptive and sensitive.
Stella was momentarily stunned, and she turned to look at Keegan.He kept his gaze lowered, and his voice was soft but clear. "Even though it was you who initiated the idea of getting married on Valentine's Day, I believe that men should still be the ones to propose.""We didn't really know each other well when we first met. Our marriage started hastily, and I wasn't mature or attentive enough at that time. I failed to notice the underlying issues in our marriage back then, leaving you feeling anxious and insecure, which ultimately led to a tragic end.""I used to think that marriage was simply about two people living together. I provided you with respect and everything you wanted. I was faithful to our marriage, thinking we could just grow old together. But, later on, I realized that my feelings for you were more than that. I realized I can't live without you, Stella. I've always hoped that you'd only have your eyes on me and that your heart belongs to me," he added."I-I've been