Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Stella had never intended to cause trouble for Noreen and the others. Since deciding to divorce Ernest, all she wanted was to stay away from them. But since they insisted on interfering, she’d have to teach them a lesson.
She wasn’t about to let everyone think she was still the old Stella who let people walk all over her.
“Stella, thank you,” Jessica said with a convincing tone, looking pleased with herself, then walked off.
Stella sat for a moment longer, then asked a staff member for a pen. She grabbed a random scrap of paper and, with a few quick strokes, sketched a design inspired by a crown.
It wasn’t the design that was hard, it was the actual making of it.
The designs she’d done for Noreen over the years weren’t exactly masterpieces. They were simple, lacking the cleverness and hidden details that would have made them stand out.
“Eh, it’s okay,” Stella said, glancing at the finished sketch.
Maybe it was because she was starting to feel like her old self again, but this design was definitely better than the ones she’d done for Noreen. Still, it couldn’t compare to what she could create when she was truly inspired.
Just as Stella was about to put away the scrap of paper and head out, a little girl, tearful and frantic, grabbed her arm and cried, “Have you seen Lily? I’ve looked everywhere, and she’s just disappeared.”
“Lily?” Stella blinked, thinking the child was talking about a flower. “You mean the flower?”
“No, I said Lily,” the little girl replied anxiously.
Stella crouched beside her, gently wiping away her tears as she reassured her, “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll help you, but first, can
you
tell me where your mom and dad are?”
Her priority was to make sure the girl found her family before anything else.
But when the girl heard this, her pupils dilated in shock. She shook and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Ahhh!”
The scream came so suddenly that Stella’s ears rang, and she winced in discomfort.
She quickly tried to calm the child. “Hey, it’s okay, don’t be scared. I’m here. Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll help you.”
Stella always had a lot of patience for children. She spent a good ten minutes comforting the girl, and by the time the little one stopped crying, Stella’s legs were starting to numb from squatting for so long.
Finally, the little girl settled down, hiccupping through her tears. “I want Lily.”
“Okay, sweetie, let’s go find Lily together,” Stella said gently, figuring she’d better help the kid calm down first-she could always call the police later to help her find her parents.
So, still thinking Lily was a flower, she picked up the little girl and carried her off toward the nearest flower shop.
Just as Stella left, the door to the coffee shop swung open, and a man, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, hurried over to the barista. “Have you seen a kid about this tall, looks like this?”
He frantically waved his arms, then pulled out his phone, showing the staff a photo.
“Sorry, haven’t seen her,” the barista replied, shaking his head.
By sheer coincidence, both baristas had ducked into the storeroom to restock supplies, so they missed the whole scene with
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Chapter 65
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the little girl coming in and screaming her head off.
“Please, if you spot her, let me know right away-I’ll make sure there’s a generous reward,” the man pleaded desperately. He quickly jotted down his contact information and rushed out the door in a panic.
The barista picked up the business card, his curiosity piqued. “Wood Group…”
“Simon Wood?” Stella said.
On the way to the flower shop, Stella had already explained everything to Jeremy and taken time off from work. Now, she was searching the little girl’s pockets for anything that might help identify her.
After a moment, she found a business card with gilded edges. “Simon Wood,” the name gleamed in gold. Stella paused in confusion. “Daisy, who’s Simon Wood to you?” she asked.
But apart from telling Stella her name, Daisy was completely focused on worrying about Lily. She just kept mumbling “Lily” nonstop, paying zero attention to Stella’s question.
“I want Lily,” Daisy whimpered, her voice shaky and desperate.
“Alright, sweetheart, we’re going to find Lily together,” Stella reassured her gently, forcing herself to stay patient. She had to calm Daisy down before she could call Simon Wood.
He answered right away, his voice rattling with panic. “Hello? Did you find the kid? Where are you? I’ll come right now- name your price, anything-”
“It’s me,” Stella said coolly. “Daisy’s with me. We’re just about to head to—”
She glanced at the nearby buildings, rattled off an address, then added, “Come pick her
up
here.”
“Thank you.” After a brief, tense silence, Simon managed to squeeze out the words.
Stella didn’t bother responding. She hung up the phone and carried Daisy straight into the flower shop next door. “Daisy, which flower do you want?” she asked, keeping her voice gentle.
Daisy shook her head, tears falling faster. “No, not these Lilies! I want my real Lily!” she sobbed, her voice trembling with frustration.
She was so young, probably around five or six, and with her emotional distress, the little girl couldn’t clearly express what she was trying to say. It seemed like she was about to burst into tears.
The flower shop owner, watching the situation unfold, finally spoke up. “I’ve got kids too. You know, sometimes kids imagine things. Maybe Lily is just a toy.”
“Lily’s not some silly toy,” Daisy piped up, stamping her little foot in protest.
The owner didn’t mind at all and just kept guessing. “So if it’s not a flower or a toy, then Lily must be a person, right?”
That finally made Daisy giggle, her tears drying up. “Yep! Lily’s just like me. She talks with me and keeps me safe when I go to sleep at night.”
As Daisy spoke, Stella started to piece together the idea of a protector, like a guardian angel.
But still, if Lily cared so much about Daisy, she wouldn’t have left her alone in the coffee shop.
Stella was still a little suspicious, but she didn’t want to pry. The way Daisy had freaked out in the coffee shop-like she was having a total meltdown-still left Stella a bit shaken.
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“Could you pick out a bouquet for us?” Stella asked the shop owner, unsure where to find Lily. She decided to wait for Simon to arrive before doing anything else.
The owner waved it off with a warm smile. “No need to buy anything. If you’re just here waiting, feel free to sit and make yourselves comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Stella said, smiling back. She decided to buy the flowers later when everything was settled.
A few minutes later, the bell above the door rang again. A man rushed in, drenched in sweat, looking desperate. “Daisy!” he cried out as soon as he saw the little girl.
When he saw her, Simon let out a relieved sigh, nearly collapsing from the tension, “You scared me to death,” he said, his voice thick with relief.
On the way to the hospital, he had stopped the car to buy a bottle of water for Daisy, and in that brief moment, Daisy had disappeared. He was really scared,
“Lily!” Daisy yelled, her eyes blurry with tears. “Uncle Simon, Lily’s missing.”
“Hey, good girl, listen to me,” Simon said softly, crouching down to meet her eyes. “Lily isn’t really lost. Didn’t you say you made a princess room inside your head? Lily’s just in there right now, taking a little break.”