Lahat ng Kabanata ng No Longer A Substitute : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

STELLA POV“I’m on my way,” Devon’s voice came through the phone, “I’ll drive you, so just wait for me.”“Oh, you don’t have to bother—” I started, already knowing how this would go.“I’m on my way,” he repeated, slower this time, like he was making sure every word landed. “I insist.”I tightened my grip on the phone. “Alex is already helping me,” I said quickly. “Don’t come.”A pause.“On. My. Way.”The line went dead.I stared at the screen for a moment before exhaling slowly, the tension settling into my shoulders. Of course. He never listened.I turned to Alex.He was sitting on the chair beside the bed, an ice pack pressed against his cheek, his usual composed expression barely masking the bruise forming beneath his skin. Even like that, he still managed to look put together, like the damage didn’t quite reach him.“Alex… you need to go.”He looked up at me, confusion flickering across his face. “Why?” he asked. “I’m about to settle the bills, then we can head home.”A small smil

DEVON POV“Estelle,” I said, keeping my voice even, measured, “from now on, I want you to stay away from my wife. I no longer consider you safe around her.”The statement didn’t waver. It didn’t leave room for negotiation.For a brief second, she simply stared at me, as if deciding whether to laugh or be offended.Then she scoffed.“What nonsense are you talking about?”“I saw what happened,” I replied. My tone remained controlled, but the edge beneath it sharpened. “You crashed into Stella. Why would you do something so reckless? That’s not like you.”“If it’s not like me,” she said coolly, leaning back as though this conversation bored her, “then it wasn’t me.”I watched her closely, studying every shift in her expression. “It was your car. She walked up to you, arguing. Don’t play games with me.”Estelle didn’t flinch.Didn’t hesitate.If anything, she looked entertained.“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice smooth, deliberate. “Tell me clearly—did you ac

STELLA POV“So… you really know how to cook,” I said, watching him carefully from across the table.The plate between us was nearly empty now, the faint warmth of the meal still lingering in the air. It was simple food—nothing extravagant—but it carried something else with it. Effort. Intention.Devon raised a brow, leaning back slightly in his chair. “You thought I was lying?”“No,” I replied, shaking my head slowly. “Not lying.” My fingers traced lightly along the edge of the table as I searched for the right words. “It’s just… hard to believe. All those times I begged you to cook, and you refused.”Memories surfaced too easily—standing in the kitchen alone, calling his name, hoping for help that never came. The quiet disappointment that followed each time he brushed it off.He gave a small shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal. “You should be flattered. That’s how much I loved your cooking.”The words didn’t land the way he probably expected.“I’m not flattered,” I said quietly.He stil

STELLA POV“So… our date is a fancy dinner at a five-star hotel,” I said, glancing around the softly lit restaurant.Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting a warm golden glow across polished marble floors. The clink of cutlery and quiet murmurs of conversation filled the air, refined and distant—like everything here belonged to a different world.Devon leaned back slightly in his chair, one arm resting against it as he watched me.“I wouldn’t have chosen this,” he said. “I had something better planned… back at the ranch.”His gaze lingered, as if trying to pull me into a memory I hadn’t agreed to share.“That was supposed to be our date,” he added. “Remember?”“No,” I replied evenly, picking up my glass but not drinking from it. “Because I never agreed to it. Remember?”A faint breath escaped him, almost a quiet laugh.“You always have a response.”“I’m not the same Stella you knew back then,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I’ve changed.”The words settled between us.“Are you sure it

STELLA POVVanessa crossed her legs with calm precision, the kind of posture that made it clear she was in no rush to be anywhere else. Her gaze rested on her daughter with quiet amusement, like she was observing a game only she understood the rules to.“I ran into your twin recently,” she said casually.Estelle didn’t react immediately. She only stirred her drink once, eyes half-lowered as if the topic itself was beneath her attention.“And what does that have to do with me?” she replied flatly. “I’m busy.”Vanessa’s lips curved slightly, not quite a smile.“You should be careful with that one,” she said. “I promised her secrecy, but… she has something on you. Right now, you’re the one losing.”Estelle finally looked up.Her expression sharpened instantly.“What are you suggesting?”“Nothing,” Vanessa said lightly, leaning back as though she had already said too much and yet not enough. A soft laugh slipped out of her. “Who am I to give advice?”She tilted her head, studying Estelle