Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Irene skipped merrily past Stella’s car, her face painted colorfully as Snow White. She looked adorable at a glance. But Stella’s expression darkened when she saw her daughter and rushed out of the car immediately.
Irene had very sensitive skin, which was why Stella had always been so careful. Regular face paint could cause a severe allergic reaction to the little girl.
The moment Stella stepped out of the car, she saw Irene run straight into the arms of Sylvia, who had just walked out of the elevator. “Ms. Jansen, what took you so long? If we don’t hurry, we’re going to miss the play.”
Sylvia glanced subtly in Stella’s direction, her voice softening. “Irene, are you sure you don’t want your mom to come with us?” She gently brushed a strand of hair from Irene’s face.
“Absolutely not!” Irene tilted her painted face upward, her voice full of a child’s stubbornness. “I don’t want Mom corning with us. Ms. Jansen, please don’t tell her, okay?”
‘I’ve gone out with Mom before, but she always makes me wear ugly dresses and won’t let me talk at the theater. I never get to have any fun, Irene thought to herself.
With that thought, Irene wrapped her arms around Sylvia’s neck and nuzzled Sylvia’s cheek affectionately. “You buy me sparkly princess dresses and have someone do my makeup. I like you so much, Ms. Jansen.”
“I like you too, sweetheart,” Sylvia replied, her voice warm and tender.
The roar of an engine cut through the air as a black Maybach pulled up beside Sylvia and Irene. Ernest stepped out, a faint smile on his lips. When he saw Sylvia holding Irene, his eyes softened with warmth.
“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the hotel entrance? You’re wearing high heels. You must be tired,” Ernest said as he took Irene from Sylvia’s arms. Sylvia naturally reached over to smooth Irene’s hair.
“It’s alright. The play is about to start, and we can’t disappoint Irene,” Sylvia replied. The tender scene among them looked just like that of a real family.
Once, this was the scene Stella had always dreamed of. But Ernest was always too busy with company affairs and social events. Even when she was hospitalized after saving Irene, he only made a brief call to ask if she was alright.
Yet today, he told Sylvia to wait while he brought the car around, unwilling to let her walk even a step in her uncomfortable heels. ‘So Ernest knows how to be gentle after all. But that’s never meant for me,‘ Stella thought with a pang of bitterness.
Stella’s hands trembled as she took out her phone and dialed a number she had never dared to call before. A familiar ringtone sounded nearby. She watched as Ernest pulled out his phone. The smile vanished from his face the moment he saw the caller. Without a word, he ended the call.
As if sensing something, Ernest suddenly turned to look in her direction. Stella’s heart leaped in panic. She quickly ducked behind a pillar. After a moment’s hesitation, she opened WhatsApp to remind him about Irene’s allergies.
But her message was like a stone sinking into the ocean. Just as she thought about sending another, the sound of an engine starting echoed, growing steadily closer. Official source is ͟.net
Stella snapped back to reality as the black Maybach glided past. Through the half–open window, Ernest turned to look at her. His gaze was cold and distant, devoid of all the warmth that had once made her fall in love. A chill ran through her to the bone.
But his eyes lingered on her for only a second before turning away, as if she were nothing more than a roadside weed. As the car accelerated, the window slid shut, cutting off her view and blurring her vision.
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3:24 pm P p p p
Chapter 10
Here you hers
A dull ache tightened in her chest, deepening with every beat of her heart. She clutched her chest, nails digging deep into her skin. She was trying to use the sharp pain to cover the bitterness within. ‘After seven years of marriage. I mean less to him than a stranger.
With Ernest gone, the bosses who had been trying to win Lloyd Group’s favor were unlikely to stay much longer. Besides, she no longer had to worry about Ernest thinking she was following him.
So Stella took the elevator back up. As expected, she found Jeremy looking fairly drunk. Fortunately, he wasn’t completely wasted. He could still recognize her.
“Stella, you’re here,” Jeremy said, holding up the design they had seen earlier, the one titled Tundra Spark. “We’ve pretty much decided on this designer. She’ll be joining the company next Monday, just like you.”
“Congratulations, Jeremy,” Stella said. She truly thought the designer’s work was outstanding. Though the details still needed polishing, the talent was remarkable for a newcomer.
Jeremy was still lucid, but his low alcohol tolerance left him unsteady on his feet. Stella had to support him as they walked. “Jeremy, did you book a room here?” she asked.
Knowing his own poor tolerance, Jeremy usually reserved a room beforehand whenever there was drinking. That way, he could slip away before embarrassing himself.
“Now that you’re here, why would I need a room? Let’s just go home,” Jeremy said, leaning lightly on her shoulder as they walked.
The two made their way unsteadily toward the exit. Someone who knew Ernest well watched them leave, looking puzzled. “Hey, look at that woman. Isn’t that Stella? The one who was always obsessed with Ernest?”
The man beside him followed his gaze and scoffed. “She does look like her, but it can’t be. You know how obsessed Stella is with Ernest. No way she’s getting a room with another guy.” The others nodded in agreement, convinced they had seen
wrong.
Before, shortly after Ernest took over Lloyd Group, he once drank so heavily that he was hospitalized with a stomach hemorrhage. Stella stayed by his bedside for three days and nights without sleep.
But when Ernest woke up, he didn’t even look at her. Still, Stella made him oatmeal, blowing on each spoonful to cool it before gently feeding him, careful not to let him burn his mouth.
Another time, at a charity event, it was raining heavily. Stella was worried Ernest might be cold, so she went out in the storm to bring him a coat. But he had already left without telling her.
Stella didn’t know, and waited in the rain for over two hours. The next day, she was in the hospital with a high fever. Even that hadn’t earned her a single word of concern from Ernest.
Over the years, there had been countless moments like this. And by now everyone had simply grown used to her devotion being met with silence.
“Actually, Stella’s really good to Ernest. Why doesn’t he ever warm up to her?” one of them muttered, confused.
The other man nearby sneered in reply, “Sure, Stella’s pretty, but she’s as dull as dishwater. You think any man would want someone with that little personality, especially Ernest?”
3:24 pm Pppp.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11