Joan had been trying to get Stella to eat from the morning, but she failed despite her best efforts.The pastries were still at the door, in the same position as when they had been brought.Joan gave it a little thought and called Weston.โMr. Ford, Mrs. Ford refuses to eatโฆ She says she has no appetite. She hasnโt eaten anything since morning.โThere was a short silence from the other end of the call.Then, Westonโs low and mellow voice came. He sounded tired. โI see.โ He did not comment anything.โMr. Ford? Are you coming home today?โ Joan asked speculatively.Weston did not answer her, but glanced in the direction not far away and muttered, โWeโll see.โ Then, he hung up the phone.โMr. Ford? Mr. Ford?!โJoan shouted a few times and sighed as she looked at the disconnected phone call. When she turned around, she saw Stella standing behind her. She did not know how long she had been standing there.Stella was still wearing the same white nightgown that Weston had put on her
Weston responded and withdrew his gaze. He looked at Warren and greeted him. โGrandpa...โYou finally came!โWarren gave him an expressionless look and tried to suppress his anger. โI heard that you took Stella away?โWeston did not answer his question. Instead, he walked to Zachary and looked at him through the glass enclosure.Warren hunched over. โZack is here. I donโt want to say anything harsh, but Iโm not going to forgive Stella.โWeston still did not say anything.He went over to the casket and put his hand on it. โHave you made arrangements for the funeral?โNo one answered him. Everyone thought that he was too cold-blooded for Zachary.Only Wendy gave him a look and answered softly, โDad said he didnโt want to make a big funeral. He wanted Zack to leave quietlyโฆโThere wasnโt a greater sorrow than death. At this point, Warren barely had any energy to organize a big funeral. Zacharyโs death seemed to have sucked his spirit away.Warren said in an old voice, โThe Coh
While the two spoke, the man inside came out.Xavier stood up straight and looked at Weston. โIs everything taken care of? What are you going to do next?โWeston did not look at him. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked out, his eyes looking straight ahead.After that, he said faintly, โFollow the procedure.โXavier followed him and looked at the rest who remained in the room. Warren was still sitting in the middle of the room. He looked grim, exuding the majesty of an elder.Guinevere silently wiped her tears. Her eyes were red and swollen. She looked blank as if her soul was out of the body.Chris and Wendy were leaning together to warm each other, but there was a sense of distance.These people were not in the right state to handle the companyโs affairs. Weston had to take charge of Zacharyโs funeral arrangements in addition to taking the blame from the companyโs board of directors.This time, the scandal from the Ford family was too much. One scandal emerged a
โOf course. Youโve agreed to compromise on the shares. How can I not agree?โXavier held up his hands. โJust tell me. What do you need from me?โWestonโs eyes deepened. He wanted to light a cigarette, but he stopped when he thought of something. After a long time, he said, โAnyone who might influence the final verdict must be dealt with.โXavier stood up sharply. He thought he had misheard him. After a long moment, he raised his voice at the absurdity. โAre you crazy?!โWas Weston going to make an enemy of everyone?โฆAfter that, inside the car.Daisy saw Xavierโs silence. She wanted to speak to him and ask him a few questions, but she eventually gave up.The car drove on for half an hour. Xavier looked outside. โWeโre almost at your house. I wonโt go in today.โDaisy nodded. When the car stopped, she unbuckled her seat belt and was ready to go out when she paused and asked, โWhat did youโฆ What did you say to Mr. Ford today?โXavier did not answer her right away. He put his h
Guinevere lost her only child. A childโs death would probably be the saddest thing its mother would experience. At this point, all of Guinevereโs past incompetence and mistakes could be erased and forgiven.No one would remember that she accidentally fed Zachary with nuts, giving him an allergy. No one would remember how she neglected him.Guinevere did not know Zacharyโs preference and rarely spent time with him, but she remained his biological mother. No one would doubt her love.She was now a mother who had lost her only child, which added to her tragedy.It was as if Zacharyโs death had made Guinevere appear full of motherly love. Sympathy for the child quickly transferred to Guinevere. Guinevere was just a mother who lost her only child. What could be more painful than that?Chris wanted to calm her down and comfort her, but as soon as he stepped forward, he saw Guinevere walking toward Weston. She hugged him from behind and looked very dependent on him.Chris could only s
Mr. Cohen said, โWith her situation now, can she still get a good match?โGuinevere was so hopelessly obsessed with Weston that if they allowed her to be with him again, Weston might feel guilty about her and fulfill her dream.โThat makes sense, but wouldnโt it be unfair to Gwen?โMr. Cohen glanced at Guinevere. โUnfair for her? Look at her now! Ask her if sheโll feel aggrieved!โโSo are we going to leave her be?โMr. Cohenโs eyes changed. โThis time, weโll have to help her as parentsโฆโGuinevereโs obsession was too strong. She would not stop until she got Weston. They did not want more trouble, and neither did they want to see their only daughter go crazy because of her obsessions.One by one, the guests left the room and said goodbye to Zachary. At last, Guinevere and Weston were the only ones left.After a long silence, Weston said, โItโs timeโฆโโWeston, do you feel sad?โ Guinevere cut him off. โZack is dead. Arenโt you sad?โWeston did not answer her question. He lowered
Weston looked at her teary-eyed face. He lifted his hand and handed her a tissue. โIโve already given up on her once. Have you forgotten?โGuinevereโs eyes shook. She asked in a hoarse voice, โShe still hates us, right? We were kidnapped together, but you chose me over her. Stella has always hated us, hasnโt she?โGuinevereโs eyes were red. She suddenly understood something. โIs she getting back at us? Weston, tell me. Does she hate us so much that she kills Zack?โThe look of pain on her face was not fake at all. She looked heartbroken.โWhy would she do that? If she wants revenge, just come at me! Sheโs gotten everything she wants! She got you. She took you away from me. She has punished me hard. Why did she have to take it out on my child? WhyโฆโGuinevereโs cries gradually faded. She was finally left alone.Guinevere watched as Weston left. Weston was unmoved. Then, the tears on her face slowly dried.As the pain from Zacharyโs death eased, Guinevere felt glad at her decision
โOf course,โ Mrs. Cohen agreed.Dr. Quirk glanced at Weston before turning on his heels and heading into the funeral hall.He reappeared not long afterward, announcing with some relief, โMiss Cohen is in a stable mental state. Thereโs no cause for concern at the moment, so, you can rest easy.โHearing this, both Mr. and Mrs. Cohen sighed in relief. But they then quickly looked at each other with quizzical eyes. The fact that Zacharyโs death did not cause Guinevere much psychological turmoil felt peculiarโฆBut still, they wished for nothing more than for her mental health to improve as soon as possible, so they just thanked the doctor and left. They had wanted to take Guinevere with them too, but she had expressed her wish to stay by Zacharyโs side a little longer. As they didnโt have the heart to say no to that, they relented.There were then only Weston and Dr. Quirk left in the main hall.Dr. Quirk was the first to break the silence, saying, โIโve heard about Ms. Sealey. So, wh
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.โAre you okay?โ 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, โWho am I, Stella?โBut Stellaโs mind was occupied with her primal urges. She ignored his question and grabbed his shirt collar, saying, โLetโs do itโฆโ The sight of her filled Weston with a desire to just give
Weston paused, then simply replied, โOkay.โWhen he saw her changing into a pair of high heels, he followed her around and asked, โWhere are you going?โโOh, to a private concert.โThen she added, โIf youโre going to spend the night here tonight, then please take care of Elias and Emma. But if you have to leave, Iโll ask Roger to come over instead.โโDonโt worry,โ he said. โJust go out and enjoy yourself. Iโll be at home and take good care of the kids.โStella 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
Stellaโs 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. โI have no intention to stand in your way,โ he told Stella. โI was only worried about Elias and Emma. Since theyโre also here, I think you need to take their feelings into consideration.โThe 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, โIโm only here to see the kids, so both of you can go ahead with your date.โStella said nothing and just took Haydenโs hand and left.When they got downstairs, Hayden glanced at her and asked, โAre you sure you want to just leave him like that?โโI donโt know,โ Stella massaged the point between her brows. โIโm not sure wh
Hayden Quirk arrived half an hour earlier than Stella did on their first date.โYouโre much earlier than I expected,โ 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.โThe traffic is terrible today,โ she said.โDonโt worry about it,โ Hayden said, handing her the menu. โMr. Ford expected me to wait for you for at least an hour.โโI seriously donโt know what you guys are up to,โ she grumbled, exasperated, โbut I hope it will at least be over soon. Just donโt drag it out and cause me any trouble.โShe 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.โDid you think this is all just a joke?โ he asked.โWhat else could it be?โโI am serious about this,โ he told her, his voice suddenly turning grave. โSince even Mr. Ford agreed that we s
Weston raised his eyebrows at Benโs words. โBut heโs divorced. He has an ex-wife.โโWhatโs wrong with having an ex-wife?โBen found Westonโs comment strange. โThis 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. Itโs normal that a man like him has been married beforeโฆ Besides, hasnโt Ms. Sealey been married before herself? She even has two children.โWestonโs expression turned cold at once. โAre you discriminating against her?โโIโm not.โWeston said, โOr do you think she can only find a divorced man for her second marriage?โBen panicked. โI wouldnโt dare!โWith Westonโs ridiculous amount of nitpicking, they could find no one that would match Stella.Hayden sat beside and quietly reviewed Westonโs latest psychological health report. As he turned the page, he suddenly said, โIโm actually a little interested in Ms. Sealey.โHayden 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, โDonโt be angry. That man is unreliable.โStella propped her chin in her palm. โAnd what does that have to do with you?โWeston pursed his lips, setting his jaw in a tight line. He said, โIโve promised to stop pestering you. Itโll be a promise. Iโm fine with seeing you with another man, but at least find someone who makes me feel at ease.โโWhy do I need your approval when Iโm just looking for a date?โ Stella found his words funny. โYouโre just my ex-husband. Donโt you think you care too much?โWeston rubbed his brow, and his voice suddenly went cold. โIf you donโt want me to keep pestering you like I just did, maybe you should listen to me.โStella questioned, โAre you threatening me?โโNo. Iโm suggesting.โStella 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 Westonโs sudden appearance. He took a step back and quickly steadied himself before greeting Weston, โMr. Ford.โHe still had the same calm and gentle look. โIโm sending Miss Cicily back.โโI know. Donโt ever show up in front of her again,โ Weston told him. โYou donโt have to send her back. Stay away from her.โIt would be a little inappropriate for the man to act a fool at Westonโs straightforwardness, so he tugged at his collar and asked Weston with a polite smile, โMr. Ford, you should give me a reason, shouldnโt you? Iโm having a good time with Miss Cicily.โโYouโre the one who thinks sheโs 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, โIโm sure Roger has already told you about my situation.โโI know.โThe man looked at her gently and set the coffee in front of her. He said to her, โIโm very interested in you. I think weโre 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