She had to go.
“I’ll contact you soon.” Stella’s words expressed her determination.
Jasper Milton frowned. He knew that she had made up her mind to go back. He could not make her stay, so he had to take a step back. “Let me take you there.”
Stella Grace did not refuse. After all, it would be hard for her to call for a taxi here.
“I’m staying at Joyous Hotel near Wesser Road,” Stella said.
Jasper knew that she had approved of him sending her, so he said, “Give me a moment. I’ll change my clothes.”
…
After the two of them changed their clothes, Jasper sent her back to her hotel.
Stella leaned against the chair and looked out of the window. They did not speak a word throughout the whole journey.
Jasper’s car was getting slower and slower to the point where youngsters who were riding their bikes overtook him. They couldn’t help but look back and flip the bird to him.
Apart from Stella who could stir up his maelstrom of emotions, he was quite calm about others’ actions. He did not even spare them a glimpse.
Stella was thinking about something at the moment. When she realized that the cyclists on the road were even faster than them, she looked at Jasper.
Jasper could feel her stare and suddenly he felt guilty. He sped up a little and explained, “There is a red traffic light in front of us.”
“Oh.” Stella answered.
“When are you going to the military camp?” he asked.
Stella’s eyes darkened. She had promised to help him do the test but it had been delayed till now.
If she went to Jasper’s military camp, Frederick Addington would be angry.
“Let me think about this,” Stella said ambiguously.
Jasper looked at her and stopped by the road.
Stella looked at him in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jasper lifted her chin, lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.
She didn’t push him away, nor did she respond to his kiss. She looked at him, almost becoming cross-eyed. She moved backward a little. He didn’t press forward, but he looked at her deeply.
She was afraid that Jasper’s gaze would make her lose her mind and she would be overwhelmed by her emotions.
Hence, she turned her face away and pretended that she was not in a good mood. “Just let me off here. I still have some places that I needed to visit.”
She pushed the door open, but Jasper grabbed hold of her arm.
Stella took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and looked back at him.
“Let’s meet at least once per day.” Jasper said in a low voice.
What he said was a statement, not a question.
“Oh.” Stella chuckled. For some reason, his words made her feel sad. She felt sad and her eyes were cold. She hid her emotions with a smile. “We wouldn’t see each other every day even if we were husband and wife. Don’t you have a job? There will be times when we would not be able to meet, and my job requires me to go on business trips often.”
“Four times a week, and no less,” Jasper said domineeringly. However, his overbearing was so natural this time.
She would have to meet him every day if he used Eli Wayne to threaten her. She would then feel more stressed, pained, and irritable.
But he didn’t do that!
She was grateful to him. At this time, he still respected her, protected her, took care of her emotions, and did not use their agreement against her.
This side of Jasper would only make her even more reluctant to leave this world.
“Three times a week. I’m afraid I can’t do it more than that,” Stella took a step back and said.
There was a flash of fluctuation in Jasper’s eyes. He pressed down on the back of her head, pulled her to her side, and kissed her forehead.
The wet kiss fell on her forehead. It was a kind of trust, favor, reluctance, pity, and… affection.
Stella did not move. She closed her eyes and felt his breath above her head.
She had an impulse to hug him and respond to his feelings.
However, she could not do that.
Jasper looked at her and said softly, “Be careful on the road. I don’t want to give you too much pressure. Contact me if something happens. Don’t think so little of me. At least, I will protect you with all of my heart.”
Stella’s eyes turned red. If she stayed any longer, she would give in. She got out of the car and walked forward quickly, tears rolling down her face uncontrollably.
She didn’t need him to do everything to protect her. All she wanted for him was to find another girl and live a simple and happy life.
She walked for a kilometer and went into the shopping mall. She ran to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on her face. She looked up at herself in the mirror.
Her fingers knocked rhythmically on the faucet. Suddenly, she withdrew her hand, clenched her fists, and smiled bitterly.
Stella didn’t want to forget Jasper, so she didn’t use hypnosis to block her feelings for him. She just tried to forget everything about him instead. Unfortunately, even though she had hidden her affection in the depths of her soul, she still loved him very much. How could she not be moved?
She just wanted to be more rational, sensible, and stronger.
“Then don’t come out and make trouble.” Stella became angry and smashed the vase next to her into the mirror.
The mirror instantly shattered into pieces, reflecting dozens of her images in those pieces.
She looked at herself in the mirror and gradually calmed down.
She was just one facet of Stella’s separated personality. She should carry out the original Stella’s wishes, instead of blaming her.
The janitor of the mall came over and saw the broken mirror and the fragments of the vase on the ground. He asked Stella in surprise, “What’s going on? Did you see who smashed it?”
Stella turned around and looked at the janitor. “I am the one who broke it. Ask your leader, how much money do I need to pay?”
The janitor looked at Stella with a strange look, and Stella returned her gaze indifferently.
“Then don’t run away,” said the janitor.
“No, if you don’t trust me, I’ll go with you,” Stella said in a low voice.
“Alright, then you can come with me.”
Stella followed the janitor to their manager’s room. The manager asked the purchasing department and told Stella, “It cost a total of one thousand dollars.”
“I only have 400 dollars of cash with me. I’m now staying at Joyous Hotel. Please send an employee to get the money from me.”
The manager saw that Stella didn’t mean to go back on her word, and her attitude was good. The most important thing was… she was beautiful.
“I’ll send you there,” the manager said.
He saw Stella off to Joyous Hotel and followed her upstairs.
Stella opened the room and found that Frederick was already there. He was playing with her mobile phone in his hand and looked at Stella unhappily.
Stella walked towards Frederick calmly, took her mobile phone from his hand, and walked to the door. “Is it convenient if I transfer the money to you?”
“Oh, okay.” The manager also saw Frederick and thought that he was Stella’s boyfriend. He smiled at Frederick.
Frederick did not look at the manager. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Stella the whole time.
Stella transferred a thousand dollars to the manager, who then walked away. Having been in the industry for such a long time, he clearly understood what was happening.
Stella turned around, and Frederick suddenly came towards her. He pressed her against the wall next to the door and rendered her immobile. “Were you avoiding me? You even dressed like this and deliberately left your mobile phone in the hotel. Tell me, who did you meet?”