But on second thought, Owen’s heart ached for her.
Stella was so cautious because no one had ever stood by her side before.
She was afraid of being abandoned, afraid of being despised after causing soone trouble.
All her treading on thin ice was a reflection of a past where she was never loved.
Owen gently stroked her soft, long hair. "Mrs. Rhodes, you’re underestimating ."
Stella’s eyes widened. "Of course not!"
’Are you kidding ? He’s Owen Rhodes!’
’How could I ever underestimate him?’
"Then don’t overthink it so much. Just follow your heart, okay?"
Stella nodded, having already made a decision in her heart.
The egg on her cheek stopped working after fifteen minutes. Owen took the plate to the kitchen to clean up, leaving Stella lying alone on the large bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
When Owen returned, Stella was lost in thought. She was lying diagonally in the very center of the bed, her arms and legs splayed out, idly tracing patterns on the comforter like a floundering starfish.
Owen sat down on his side of the bed. "What are you thinking about?"
Stella thought for a mont, then rolled over, sat up, and patted the spot beside her.
Owen understood and moved over. In a blur of motion, Stella settled onto his lap.
"Stella—"
Mustering her courage, Stella kissed him. At first, it was just their lips touching. A few seconds later, she mimicked Owen, parting her lips to capture his and carefully tracing their shape with the tip of her tongue.
Owen’s entire body tensed the mont he felt that soft, wet touch.
He looked down at the girl, timid as a quail, her eyes squeezed shut as she kissed him clumsily and without any technique.
Owen thought that perhaps kissing would soothe her emotions, so he gently guided her.
But the kiss went on for a little too long—so long that he started to feel pain.
He couldn’t help but pull Stella away, but her tightly closed eyes cracked open for a peek before she lunged at him again.
Owen got the ssage then. ’This girl is planning to do *sothing* tonight.’
’But why?’
He couldn’t pull Stella off, so he could only mumble indistinctly between her lips, "Stella... wait... hold on... I need to say..."
Unable to resist her, Owen had no choice but to flip her over and pin her beneath him.
The softness of her body was exceptionally clear under his weight, and pain made his back break out in a sweat.
Still, he tried to figure out what was off about Stella.
"Why so proactive all of a sudden?" he asked, pecking her on the corner of her lips reassuringly.
When Stella opened her eyes, her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes were glistening, sending a tremor through Owen’s heart. He really wanted to just forget everything else.
Stella panted softly and answered truthfully, "Because I don’t know what else you might want."
Owen frowned, the romantic mood dissipating sowhat.
’Why is she trying to figure out what I want?’
’Stella has a simple heart. If she’s thinking like this, it must be because she wants to repay for sothing.’
Owen had a good idea of what was going on and began to guide her gently.
"Why do you want to know? Is it because I just promised I would never abandon you?"
This girl was always so cautious, especially with people, and even more so with people she liked.
Because of this caution, she worried that if she didn’t promptly reciprocate any kindness she received, she would be disliked and criticized.
Stella blinked but didn’t say anything.
So Owen started from her initial proactiveness, gently coaxing her.
"Stella, why did you decorate the house?"
Stella looked at him, her eyes shimring. "Because you said you wanted it to feel like a ho."
"Then why did you buy matching rings?"
"Because you bought a diamond ring, and you’ve helped so much, so..."
’So she didn’t dare to just one-sidedly accept his kindness. She was trying to repay his efforts bit by bit in these ways.’
Owen leaned down and kissed her rosy lips again. "Stella, you don’t need to repay , and you don’t need to deliberately try to please . Everything I do, I do it willingly."
Stella looked at him softly, reaching up to caress his lower lip. "I’m not deliberately trying to please you, either..."
She probably knew that her forwardness tonight seed strange to him, but she couldn’t quite explain why she’d felt such an impulse.
She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting a shadow.
"Owen, a relationship can’t just have one person giving all the ti. Just as you want to accept your efforts with peace of mind, you also have to learn to accept mine."
Stella knew why he had asked those two questions earlier. He probably thought her advances were just to make him happy.
’That was part of it, but, I think, I did like it.’
So she wasn’t opposed to it.
Stella looked up at him, a shy blush coloring her cheeks. "It’s not to deliberately please you, and it’s not just to repay you..." She bit her lip gently. "Owen, the three tis you promised... I’ve already used them up."
Owen froze, his heart shaken. A mont later, an indescribable joy broke through all his reason.
He watched the blush spread across Stella’s face and could no longer resist capturing her cherry-red lips.
The air heated up rapidly. Owen felt that he would never let Stella go in this lifeti, no matter what happened in the future.
The night wind swept up fallen leaves, sending them fluttering aimlessly until they finally settled into a quiet pond, creating a series of captivating ripples.
...
Stella slept exceptionally deeply and was only woken up when Owen ca ho at noon.
She groggily opened her eyes. The mont she saw Owen, she was lucid for a few seconds before burrowing her entire body under the covers.
The mories she’d rather forget ca flooding back.
It just goes to show, people—especially won—should never act on a montary impulse.
She rembered that last night, Owen had been really gentle at first—so gentle it felt like being subrged in a pool of spring water.
But the sudden pain had made her grip Owen’s arm, and also...
She didn’t know what she was thinking at the ti when she blurted out, "Owen, don’t feel bad. I won’t laugh at you. Oh, right, Ariana said she could introduce you to a specia—"
Owen’s expression had turned so dark that she hadn’t even finished her sentence.
And later, experience proved that Owen was, in fact, the best!
Owen dug her fluffy head out from under the covers and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Why don’t you get up and eat sothing? You need to replenish your energy."
Stella’s gaze was a little resentful. Very resentful. Extrely resentful.
Owen chuckled and coaxed her, "Good girl."
Without waiting for a response, he scooped her up and carried her downstairs.
Stella struggled, wanting to get down and walk by herself, but Owen wouldn’t let her. In the end, she resentfully ate her entire lunch while Tate tried to stifle her laughter.
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