Since it was a birthday banquet, Stella was in elegant and modest attire that matched Weston's. She wore a pale gold flowing dress, the same color as Weston's tie.When they stood together, it was obvious that they were a couple.โMy plants are still in the car,โ Stella told him. โThey will get stuffy.โWeston glanced at her. โItโll be just for a few days. Why did you have to bring them? Are they so valuable?โโI raised them with care. Whatโs wrong with that?โ she argued.โAs long as it makes you happy.โWeston reserved his comments whenever it came to small matters such as these, though he felt that she had become a bit too obsessed with those potted plants. They were just some flowers Zeta gave to them. They were not worth much either, and he failed to understand why she treasured them so much.ใโI will get the chauffeur to send them to your room. You can tend to them during the interval.โSeeing that Stella seemed relieved, he teased her. โThey are just a few pots of flowe
And just like that, the tension in the air was smoothened out, and they got out of being in the spotlight.Weston asked, โHow are you feeling?โStella nodded. โFine.โโIf you donโt feel well, you can go upstairs and rest first.โShe responded and glanced at her toes.It had been a while since she wore high heels, so it was a little uncomfortable.He told her to lean on him to save some energy.When she was in the Stardust Mansion, she practically ran around the house in her slippers, not having to care about her behavior.Weston was watching her demeanor.Xavier and Daisy came from the other side. โHow rare it is that you are actually willing to bring out such a precious woman to meet people.โHe spoke with a smile, but his words smelled of gunpowder.Anyone could hear the sarcasm in his words.Weston frowned and stood in front of Stella in silence. He looked at Xavier. โWhy donโt you care about your company since you have time to care about my woman?โAlthough most of the
He knew she liked him since she was a child.She had followed him for as long as he could remember, saying that she would be his bride in the future.He did not expect that she would actually release him without so much as a pester after he broke off the engagement.After so many years of being engaged, he thought that she would at least want an explanation, but little did he expect that they would separate so decently.On the other hand, Zeta did not want to come at first.However, it was Warrenโs eightieth birthday, and it would be inappropriate that she didnโt attend when her parents did.Besides, it had been so long since that incident. She believed it was time to move on, and there was no need to keep avoiding Xavier.She just did not expect to run into himโฆShe wanted to get some air on the balcony. When she turned around, she saw the man she had not seen in a long time walking toward her.She gathered her composure, pretended not to see him, and walked past him.Her ar
Weston received a phone call. After hanging up, he walked to Stella. โIf you donโt feel well, you can stay here and rest. I am going out to settle some matters.โStella stood up and looked at him. โDonโt you need me to be with you?โHe pinched her nose gently. โDonโt worry. Iโve already shown up with you earlier, so I wonโt be bringing another female companion."She chuckled and walked up to him.Catching him off-guard, she hugged his neck, stood on tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his cheek. โCome back early.โHe grabbed her waist instantly and pulled her hard against his body. โDonโt flirt if you donโt want to get hurt.โShe obviously had no feelings for him, but still, she made all those flirtatious moves.Did she not know the consequences of arousing him? Last night, even when she cried until her voice became hoarse, he would not stop.She shook her head and asked, โIsnโt there theโฆ gel?โAt least, she wasnโt in pain after using the gel. It would not feel so dry that it wo
The Cohens also attended Warrenโs eightieth birthday banquet.Because of the wedding, the two families were bound in an unpleasant relationship.However, the friendship between the older generation wasnโt so easily dissipated. Moreover, for the sake of shared interests, they would naturally reconcile when there was a chance.At first, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen did not want Guinevere to attend to avoid any criticism she might receive.However, her emotions seemed to have stabilized lately, and she was not as hysterical as before. She even said that she had gotten over Weston.After much consideration, they went along with her on everything, not wanting to provoke her again after the slight improvement.โItโs Warrenโs eightieth birthday, and all the guests are famous people in the industry. Guinevere, be mindful of your mental state, and donโt make yourself a jokeโฆโโI know, Father, Mother. Donโt worry.โShe smiled gracefully as if she had completely gotten over it. โAfter all, I am Zac
โIโll hold him.โWendy came out and walked to Guinevere. She said faintly, โIf heโs not happy, heโll probably cry again later. Thereโll be so many guests, and it wonโt look good on us.โGuinevere had always been impatient. She would only try to get along with Zachary when she was in front of everyone.Naturally, Wendyโs words made her happy. Guinevere gladly accepted her help. โWell, Iโll be troubling Momโฆ Aunt.โShe changed how she referred to Wendy at the spur of the moment, as if by accident.โMaybe theyโll be together in the futureโฆโ people whispered when they overheard what she said.โAfter all, theyโre the childโs parents. Although theyโre separated now, no one knows whatโll happen in the future.โโTheyโre a good match. That girl Stella is just some Cinderella. He may be interested in her for now, but I still have faith in Guinevere.โโDonโt say that. Itโll piss someone offโฆโโWhatโs wrong with that? Itโs fine so long she canโt hear us.โZeta was drinking at a corner. W
Stellaโs sudden change caused the atmosphere to turn a little awkward.Guinevere shot her a look of disgust and resentment, but she quickly suppressed her emotions.โI donโt want to trouble Ms. Sealey. I havenโt seen Zack for a while, so I hope to spend some quality time with him in the next two days...โโMom just said she wanted me to spend more time with him, didnโt she?โStella refuted Guinevere with a smile. โYouโve had so much time with him before; I think you must be very close to him. Please, give me a chance to get along with him.โGuinevere pursed her lips, looking dissatisfied and unhappy. Although true that she had a lot of time to spend with Zachary, she never thought about him at that time. She was either hovering around Weston or trying to get rid of this woman in front of her. Even when she was free, the thought of Zachary never crossed her mind.โI don't think there are mothers who would mind spending a lot of time with their biological child, right?โGuinevere
Guinevere almost broke her teeth as she gnashed them harder than she ever did. Her eyes were bloodshot.Stella was rather contented to see her like this. However, after the brief stint of pleasure, there was nothing but slight confusion and emptiness.No matter how angry she was, Guinevereโs child was still standing, alive and lively. No matter how much she vented her anger, her own child was alreadyโฆIf Stella had a choice, she would bring her baby back to life at all costs. But, unfortunately, this temporary victory was just another form of defeat.Warren watched the two women arguing, taking no sides. He was naturally on Guinevereโs side, but Wendy had a point.Therefore, he looked at Weston and threw the question at him. โWhat do you think? Itโs your wife and son, after all.โWarrenโs words were ambiguous when he said โWestonโs wife and son.โ He was actually referring to Stella and Zachary, but it also sounded a lot like Guinevere and Zachary.Weston turned down to look at S
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