“Are you free tonight? I want to treat you to dinner,” Bettany Hadley said softly.
“Sorry, I’m not free tonight. I’m treating someone else to dinner,” Stella Grace refused.
“Then could we meet tomorrow at noon? I have something very important to tell you.”
“You could just say it now. We don’t have to meet each other.” Stella tried to avoid meeting up with Bettany. There was no particular reason for it, she just didn’t want to.
“I have something to give you. I’ll wait for you in Room 302 at the Purple Garden Restaurant tomorrow. See you then.” Bettany said and hung up the phone before Stella could answer her.
Stella put her mobile phone into her bag.
“Who is it?” Frederick Addington asked curiously.
“It was Bettany,” she replied.
“She’s bad news. I don’t think you should go. Nothing good will come out of it. By the way, I heard that Jasper didn’t marry her. Instead, he gave her the house and the rest of his savings,” Frederick said with an uncertain look.
“Let me think about it.” Stella did not make a decision at the moment.
Frederick frowned. “Don’t get too close to her. She’s not as simple as she looks.”
“Adults are never simple. Frederick, are you a simple man?” Stella retorted.
Frederick put his arm around her shoulder and glanced at her. “What’s wrong? Are you angry? Come on, tell me why you’re angry. I’ll listen carefully.”
“I don’t think you respect me. You just want to control me. It should be up to me whether I see her or not,” Stella said.
Frederick touched her nose. “I don’t want to control you. I care about you. Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s go for dinner. I’m hungry.”
Frederick pushed her to continue walking, as if he was trying to end the conversation.
Indeed, he just wanted to control her.
Stella turned her head back in frustration and saw a sneaky figure hiding. Only a small part of his cap was exposed.
Someone was following them again. Was that person following her or Frederick?
“Frederick,” Stella shouted.
“Someone is following us again. Let’s talk when we get in the car,” he said in a low tone.
Did that mean that the stalker was not one of Frederick’s men?
She didn’t like being followed, so she didn’t say anything and followed Frederick into the car.
“Don’t look back.” Frederick reminded her. He fastened the seat belt and started the car.
Stella looked at the rear view mirror. A thin and tall man with a cap emerged from his hiding place and got into his car.
“Whose men is he?” Stella asked.
“I don’t know. Sit tight,” he said quietly. Frederick’s eyes flashed and he began driving.
The car was speeding on the road.
It was rush hour after work.
Frederick was driving like a madman.
Stella grabbed the handle of the car door and remembered that Frederick did the same thing three years ago. He was speeding through traffic too.
Jasper Milton had saved her in the past, but now, she was all by herself.
“You should slow down, you might hit someone,” Stella reminded him.
“Are you doubting my driving skills?” As soon as Frederick’s voice fell, he frowned, his eyes filled with suspicion. “Do you know who is following us?”
“Who?” Stella followed Frederick’s gaze and looked ahead.
There were obstructions in front of them, and the traffic police looked like he had been expecting them.
He wanted to make a U-turn, but there was also a barrier behind him.
Stella seemed to realize who was following them.
“It’s Jasper,” Frederick said with certainty.
Stella frowned. Was Jasper trying to protect her?
Frederick got off the car and walked towards the traffic police. He smiled and said, “I didn’t break the law, did I?”
“You sped through traffic at rush hour and ran past more than six red lights in a row. Why don’t you tell me if you broke the law or not?” The traffic police officer said seriously.
“Officer, someone was following me just now. I just wanted to shake them off.” Frederick explained.
“That’s your business. I’m only in charge of the traffic. I will detain you first, follow the law and lock you up temporarily,” the traffic police officer said matter-of-factly.
Since someone had planned this deliberately, Frederick knew that the police officer would not let him off easily. “Could I make a phone call?”
The traffic police thought for a moment and nodded. “Okay.”
Frederick made a call and said in a low voice, “I at Kennedy Road now. I’ve been detained by the traffic police for speeding and violating the red lights. They’re going to lock me up. Please deal with this.”
He put away the phone, walked towards Stella, and opened the door of the passenger seat. “This car has been detained. I’m going to the detention house for a few hours. Wait for me at the hotel. When I come out, we can have a midnight snack together.”
Stella looked at him calmly and nodded. “Then I’ll go back to the hotel first. I’ll wait for you until 10 o’clock. I’m going to bed after that.”
Frederick rubbed Stella’s head and said, “Don’t forget to have dinner. I’ll contact you when I come out.”
Stella pushed his hand away and said, “I’m not a pet. Don’t rub my head. My hair is in a mess.”
“What a heartless woman. I’m going to the detention house, yet you’re not being gentle at all.” Frederick sighed.
“If you want somebody to be gentle with you, there are plenty of women who could do that kind of thing. Let’s not talk anymore, just come back as soon as you can,” she said determinedly.
She was really blunt and straightforward.
Perhaps, he liked her sincerity the most.
Frederick left with the traffic police, and she called a taxi to return to Joyous Hotel. Her phone rang at this moment. She looked at the screen and found that it was an unfamiliar number. She didn’t want to answer it, so she declined the call.
The same unfamiliar number called again.
She picked up the phone with a frown and asked in displeasure, “Who is this? Can I help you?”
“It’s Jasper. I’m using a hidden number to call you now. Remember to delete the caller ID after the call ends. This number can’t be found on the directory. I’ll lock Frederick up for a few days, so call me if you need anything and remember to memorize my number,” Jasper said in a low voice.
“Why did you do that? You also said that Frederick will be locked up for a few days. It’s useless to do that, since you’re not getting to the root of the problem at all. It would only deepen your misunderstandings instead. Also, your protection is harming me!” she said angrily.
She still needed Frederick to do something for her. It would only delay her plan further if he was locked up. She only had one month. She didn’t know if she could get away unscathed when her time was up. Speed and efficiency were of the essence now.
Jasper felt her anger and fell silent.
She knew that he was worried about her. Realizing that she shouldn’t have vented her anger on him, Stella took a deep breath and calmed herself down. “Don’t do this again.”
“Stella, why are you still with Frederick? Is there something that he can do but I can’t?” Jasper asked.
“It’s none of your business. I have my own plans. Just mind your own business. Alright, I’m hanging up now,” she said, and ended the call.
Jasper narrowed his eyes. He had a nagging feeling that there must be something that Frederick could do, but he could not. What could it be?
He had a hunch that as long as he knew what those things were, Stella would come back to him.