Owen didn’t let Stella’s montary teasing distract him from her emotional state.
Though she put on a carefree front, Owen wasn’t sure if she was truly unbothered deep down.
Stella was now sitting with Owen on the sofa in the lounge, busy replying to ssages on her phone.
Owen didn’t disturb her, just sat quietly and waited.
His gaze fell softly on the "Black Pearl" before him, and his mind couldn’t help but drift back to the first mont he saw her in the banquet hall tonight.
He had been standing alone, with no one approaching, when he faintly heard the CLICK-CLACK of high heels on the floor.
The soft footsteps drew nearer, and a figure in black entered his line of sight when he least expected it.
Stella didn’t pause as she strode past him. His eyes were drawn to her elegant posture, her straight shoulders, her long, slender neck, her strikingly fair skin, and a pair of delicate shoulder blades.
’I really want to hide her away,’ Owen had thought at the ti.
But the thought vanished in an instant.
Stella had been hidden away long enough. She didn’t need another cage.
After replying to Ken’s ssage, Stella turned her head and saw Owen staring at her with a heavy gaze.
She instinctively shrank back. "Why are you looking at like that?"
"It’s nothing. I just wanted to make sure you’re really okay."
"Of course I’m okay." She spread her arms and turned from side to side to show that nothing was wrong.
"You’re not upset?"
Stella thought for a mont, then blinked at Owen.
After two seconds, her lips curved into a smile. "I’m not upset. I thought I would be, but Owen, I actually feel very calm right now."
She didn’t even understand why she was so calm.
It felt like her hysterical, broken self from a few months ago was still fresh in her mind, yet letting go seed to have happened overnight.
Sothing occurred to Stella, and her brow furrowed slightly.
She looked up and called his na. "Owen."
"What is it?"
"Do you think I’m a terrible person?"
Owen was taken aback for a mont, then gave a resigned chuckle. "No. I’m happy you’re able to move on."
"But didn’t I get over it a little too quickly?"
Owen placed his hand on the crown of her head. "The one who does wrong in a relationship is the terrible one. You did nothing wrong, so you’re not terrible. And the ti it takes to recover doesn’t asure how serious soone was about a relationship. You have to let go of the past to look forward, right?"
Owen’s gentle voice always struck Stella as inexplicably familiar.
They clearly hadn’t known each other before Lumina, so she had no idea where this feeling of familiarity ca from.
Stella was slightly lost in thought when she heard Owen say, "Besides, Miss Stella, don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate to discuss whether you’re over your ex-boyfriend with your husband?"
Stella snapped back to reality, her face scrunching up in embarrassnt. "Sorry, I didn’t an I was reminiscing about the past."
Owen nodded. "Mm, then let’s look forward."
’Yes, look forward. He’s waiting there.’
Just then, Ariana Grant knocked and ca in, only to see the "cozy" scene of the two sitting across from each other, with Owen gently stroking Stella’s head.
She let out a little "Whoops!", spun 180 degrees on the foot she’d just brought into the room, and shouted, "My bad!" as she closed the door and left.
When Stella realized what had happened, her face flushed bright red.
Owen saw her cast her eyes down, her eyelashes trembling furiously. Unable to resist, he teased, "My fault. I’ll rember to lock the door next ti."
’Huh?’
’Lock the door for what?’
’What would we need to lock the door for?’
Owen saw that even the tips of her ears had turned red.
Staring at her crimson ear tips, Owen leaned in closer. "Stella."
Owen’s voice was deep and magnetic; Stella felt it made her ears tingle.
’And... he called her Stella.’
A familiar scent of pine and bamboo filled her senses, and for so reason, her heart suddenly started beating very fast.
Stella squeezed a single syllable from her tight throat. "Hm?"
"Your ears are very red."
"..."
Stella clapped her hands over her ears. "You’re seeing things."
And fled in a panic.
Stella had never felt like this before. She didn’t know why her cheeks were burning, why she wanted to run away, and yet... why she felt a little thrilled.
She pulled open the lounge door, intending to escape, but as it opened, a dark figure was standing on the other side.
"Ah!" Stella jumped in fright again. Once she saw who it was, her heart rate returned to normal. "What are you doing here?"
It was Joel Joyce.
For the first ti that night, Joel Joyce lifted his downcast eyes.
He glanced into the lounge, his gaze eting Owen’s sharp stare.
"Second Miss, President Sterling instructed to take you ho tonight."
Owen stood up, crossed to Stella in a few strides, and pulled her behind him.
"You failed to take her from my side once. And that won’t be the only ti."
Joel Joyce t Owen’s eyes for two seconds, then shifted his gaze to Stella, who was behind Owen.
He lowered his head, a barely perceptible plea in his voice. "Second Miss, please don’t make things difficult for ."
’That line again.’
Stella was so angry she wanted to laugh.
Kiana’s provocations in the banquet hall earlier hadn’t made her angry, but Joel’s few simple words sent her blood boiling.
Owen spoke before she could. "She has never made things difficult for you. You’re the one who’s been making things difficult for her. Move!"
Stella froze at his words, staring blankly at Owen’s broad shoulders and his sharp profile as he faced Joel.
’Why did this feel so surprising?’
’Oh, right.’
’Because Ethan Rhodes had once been in this exact sa situation.’
’What did Ethan say back then?’
’Oh, he said, "Just drop it, Stella. Joel is just an assistant your brother hired. He’s caught in the middle, and it’s hard for him. We’ve been at a stalemate for so long, so just let it go. Don’t make things difficult for him."’
And then, she had fallen silent.
Because no one would ever take her side. No one would speak up for her.
She had even started to believe that she really had made things difficult for Joel at so point.
’Turns out, I never did.’
’See? Owen said I didn’t.’
...
The official proceedings of the engagent party had long been over. After that whole fiasco, Owen had also left early, and the party broke up not long after.
The guests dispersed quickly, and soon only a few people were left scattered around the banquet hall.
Ethan Rhodes scanned the room and found a short-haired girl in the corner, holding a tablet.
"Faye Rhodes, your mom is looking for you. The party’s over, let’s go."
The girl didn’t even lift her head, acting as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
Ethan walked over curiously. "What are you looking at so intently? I’m talking to you, did you hear ?"
Faye Rhodes finally looked up at him. "My favorite artist won an award. Their work is going to be exhibited at the Voss Art Gallery in a few days. I’m booking a flight to Westerfall."
Even though Kiana Sterling was an accomplished painter, Ethan didn’t know the first thing about art.
He glanced at the painting on Faye’s tablet. The winning piece: Umi’s *Tidal Reverse Flow*.
"This is it?"
Faye shot him a glare. "There’s no explaining it to an art idiot like you."
Ethan was indignant. "Hey, is that any way to talk to your older brother? But you know, now that you ntion it, this painting actually looks really familiar."
Faye closed her tablet and stood up to leave. "Yeah, right. You wouldn’t understand sothing like this painting. You’d be lucky if you could even understand Kiana Sterling. Look, she’s coming for you."
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