’This guy acted like I was forcing an honest man into depravity. I really thought he was unwilling.’
’But then again, the pay was just too good.’
"Tomorrow at two in the afternoon. Sa place."
The man nodded and pulled a black, business-card-sized card from his pocket, handing it to her. It bore the single, gold-stamped letter "R".
"There’s a bonfire party at The Sundown Shore tonight. You should co if you’re in a bad mood."
He left as soon as he said it, without a mont’s hesitation.
On the other end of the line, Ariana Grant was getting excited.
"Stella Sterling, there’s a man in your house! Did you finally co to your senses?"
As soone who knew the whole story, Ariana Grant couldn’t stand Ethan Rhodes’s scummy behavior.
Even if he’d lost his mory in the car accident and couldn’t rember anything, he could have amicably broken off the engagent with Stella Sterling before chasing after his so-called "true love."
Instead, he dumped the whole difficult ss on Stella, a young woman, and went off to do as he pleased.
While Stella was away, he had been making all sorts of high-profile, attention-grabbing moves back in Jandor, as if afraid the world didn’t know how madly in love he was with Kiana Sterling.
She didn’t dare tell Stella any of this.
Stella explained, "He’s the model who ca by today."
"Ohhh. Still, there’s a bonfire party. You should go, just to take your mind off things."
Just as she was speaking, another call ca in.
’One after another... Did they all plan this today or sothing?’
"I have to go. Chase Sterling is calling now."
The call connected. There were no pleasantries.
"Kiana’s engagent party is in half a month. When are you coming back? I’ll have a driver pick you up from the airport."
Chase Sterling’s tone was calm and emotionless, but the aning between the lines was non-negotiable.
’It was as if she had to go back, no matter what.’
Stella Sterling paused, marker in hand, before drawing an X on today’s date on the calendar.
"Young President Sterling, I’m not your subordinate. Why should I follow your orders? I’m not coming back, so don’t waste your ti."
"Stella Sterling, how long are you going to keep this up? It’s Kiana’s engagent party. What will it look like if her own sister doesn’t show up? There are already so rumors going around about you and Ethan. If you don’t co, people will gossip about Kiana."
Stella Sterling laughed, a bitter sound that seed to dim the evening sky.
"Young President Sterling, why don’t you ask around in Jandor? See how many people even know the Sterling Family has another daughter besides Kiana Sterling."
"Besides, you think people will stop talking just because I show up? Didn’t Kiana Sterling know what she was getting into when she decided to be with Ethan Rhodes? She’s not afraid of the gossip, so why are you?"
There was a long silence from Chase Sterling’s end; sothing must have been happening over there.
Stella was about to hang up when he spoke again. "Have you been to the hospital this month?"
Stella Sterling felt her blood run cold. Her heart and fingertips turned to ice in an instant.
When she ca to her senses, her phone was lying shattered on the floor.
——
...
「Nine in the evening.」
The bonfire on The Sundown Shore radiated a captivating, woody fragrance. Waves of heat washed over and illuminated the reveling crowd.
Silas Jacobs, with a drink in one hand and the other draped over Owen Rhodes’s shoulder, imdiately started taking credit.
"So? What do you think? From the mont you called about throwing a bonfire party to this packed, roaring crowd—all in just two short hours. I even built you the biggest bonfire The Sundown Shore has seen in the last five years. Am I the man or what?"
Owen Rhodes slapped his hand away and offered an objective assessnt, "It’s not entirely useless."
’You can’t get a kind word out of him.’
Silas Jacobs decided not to stoop to his level. There was sothing more important at hand.
"Did you really fill in for my little cousin today and work as a figure model?"
"Yeah."
"I never would’ve guessed, Rhodes. You’re into so kinky stuff, huh?"
"Not kinky," Owen Rhodes corrected him. "It was a very pure transaction."
Silas Jacobs’s eyes narrowed shrewdly.
"My cousin told the painter is drop-dead gorgeous. You... don’t tell you’ve actually fallen for her?"
Silas Jacobs waited a mont. To his shock, he didn’t hear a denial from Owen Rhodes.
"For real?! Is the thirty-year-old iron tree finally about to bloom?! Just how beautiful does a woman have to be to capture Boss Rhodes? When do I get to feast my eyes on her?!"
Owen Rhodes didn’t answer, turning instead to gaze toward the entrance.
He only let out a silent sigh of relief when he saw a figure dressed in pure white.
"Now."
Owen Rhodes stood up to greet her, but soone blocked his path before he could reach Stella Sterling.
A cute young woman in a bikini, with a stunning figure and exquisite makeup, looked up at him with adoration.
"Owen, did you co all the way to Lumina just to see ? I’m so happy! And you even threw this bonfire party for . My dad told I had to thank you properly."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw soone—Stella—standing not far off, an amused look on her face as if she were watching a play.
Owen Rhodes sidestepped the young woman and walked up to Stella Sterling.
"Help out?"
The words were spoken in familiar Mandarin, and Stella Sterling froze for a second.
’I’d seen he had East Asian features, but I’d forgotten to ask which country he was from. I never thought he’d be a fellow countryman.’
’No wonder he told to co if I was in a bad mood before he left. He must have overheard my phone call.’
Stella Sterling smiled. "I’m not short on n."
It was a rejection.
"And I’m not short on money."
It was an intention to persist.
Stella Sterling raised an eyebrow. A few seconds later, she reached out and looped her arm through the man’s muscular forearm, gazing into his deep eyes.
"But you’re in luck. As it happens, I’m in a bad mood today and feel like going a little wild."
She led the man by the arm over to the young woman.
"Honey, I’m sorry, but this party is for today. Don’t get the wrong idea. Also, could you please not... peacock in front of my boyfriend? Okay? Otherwise, I might get angry."
Stella Sterling’s makeup was light, but her features were striking and naturally alluring. Though her clothes were loose, they couldn’t completely hide her excellent figure.
The young woman looked hurt and turned to the man for confirmation.
"Owen, who is she? What she’s saying isn’t true, right?"
’So his na is Owen Rhodes.’
’It sounds a little familiar, like I’ve heard it sowhere before.’
"Honey, I’d advise you to stop. If you keep pestering him, you’ll only humiliate yourself."
Stella Sterling felt she was offering sound advice, but the young woman took it as a provocation.
"I wasn’t asking you! Who asked you to butt in?"
Seeing the stubborn look on the young woman’s face, she knew words were useless. Helpless, she turned to look at the man’s handso profile.
"Owen Rhodes."
At the sound of his na, the man turned his head.
"Want to kiss?"
...?
He didn’t speak, but his gaze kept circling back to her luscious red lips.
Stella Sterling grew impatient. "If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes."
Just like that, her soft, warm lips pressed against his unexpectedly.
Stella Sterling clearly felt the muscles in his forearm tense up instantly.
After a brief kiss, she pulled back and smiled faintly.
"He doesn’t have a mouth, so I’ll speak for him."
The young woman ran off, crying.
A short while later, Stella Sterling also let go of Owen Rhodes and walked away.
Her mission accomplished, she retreated, not a ripple of emotion in her eyes.
Owen Rhodes, however, silently stared after her retreating figure, indistinct shadows flickering in the depths of his dark, profound eyes.
Silas Jacobs leaned over to look at him. His gaze shifted, and a smirk played on his lips.
"Rhodes, you’re pretty innocent for a guy like you. Your ears are red."
Owen Rhodes shot him a cold glance. "You talk too much."
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