Stella Grace understood, “Let’s take it one step at a time then. We should be more cautious and wait for the enemy to make a mistake.”
Jasper Milton kissed her on the forehead, “About having another child, let’s just allow nature to take its course, alright? After all, we already have Dante.”
Stella nodded, “I’ll cook first then.”
She turned around and went into the kitchen.
Jasper followed her into the kitchen. “I’ll help you.”
Stella smiled happily. While she was washing the vegetables, she said softly, “I missed the life we had on that deserted island. We got up at sunrise and rested at sunset. Every day was filled with surprises. We threw our troubles aside when we were there. It was like a paradise.”
“When Dante is old enough, I will pass the company to him. Then, we can live on the island. I have already bought the island, so it’s mine now. I sent some scientists to study the island. Research shows that under normal circumstances, the island would not sink in the next hundred years. Later, I will have someone set up a protective belt.”
“What do you mean by ‘protective belt’?”
“The belt will divide the island into two parts. The wild beasts will grow naturally and freely on one part. The beasts will not be allowed to enter the other part, so we can live there safely.”
“But snakes, mice, and ants would still be able to dig holes in the soil, right?” Stella asked with a smile.
“I will take care of that too. However, there is no need to rush. I estimate that the whole process will take at least two years. Once it’s done, we can go there for a short vacation. If you’re still worried, we can stay on your boat for the time being. I have installed a satellite tracker. We will be able to contact the outside world without fear of loss of communication.” Jasper said thoughtfully.
“Sounds good. I remember a famous poem ‘Far From The Madding City’. The poem was about arriving at a paradise after passing through a narrow cave. The people there grew their own crops and lived a peaceful life.”
“How could you still remember these things?” Jasper was curious. He remembered that he had read this when he was a child, but he had almost forgotten all of it.
“I like these romantic poems, especially the ones by Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning,” Stella chatted casually.
“Elizabeth Barrett Browning? ‘The Soul’s Expression’?”
“That’s a good one, but my favorite is ‘How Do I Love Thee’. It goes like this: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height. My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of being and ideal grace.” Stella recited a few lines of the poem.
“I have never heard of that.” Jasper put the washed tomatoes onto the plate.
“It’s about a woman who stayed faithful to her husband even after he had passed away. I find it romantic.” Stella took the tomatoes and cut them into smaller pieces.
“I see.” Jasper responded and washed the potatoes for her.
Stella took the potatoes from Jasper’s hand, “Well, you must have a lot of work to do since you’ve been accompanying me for the past few days. Since you have to do it anyway, you should go ahead. I can cook by myself.”
“Alright.” Jasper kissed her face and walked out of the kitchen.
The dog came in and circled her feet, barking twice.
“I don’t know where the dog food is. I’ll buy you something delicious when I go out this afternoon,” Stella said softly and patted the dog’s head.
The dog stretched its neck comfortably and whined.
Stella’s smile widened. She washed her hands and began to cook. Half an hour later, the fragrance of the dishes wafted out from the kitchen. She took some time in between to cut some apples and sent them to Jasper. When she was at the door of the study, she heard him speaking on the phone.
“I don’t want anyone to know about it. Just do as I say.” Jasper said in a low voice.
Stella felt it was rather impolite to eavesdrop at the door. After thinking for a while, she knocked on the door, pushed the door open, and went in.
“That is all for now.” Jasper hung up the phone.
“Did I disturb you?” Stella said apologetically.
“No, I have a social engagement in the evening. You should come with me.” Jasper said as he put his mobile phone on the table.
“Well, have some fruit first. The apples are very sweet.” Stella put the apples on the desk.
Jasper took a piece, but his eyes were still fixed on the computer screen.
Stella saw that she had nothing to do in the room so she turned around and was about to leave.
“Stella,” Jasper shouted.
Stella looked at him, “Yes?”
Jasper wanted to say something but he stopped on second thought. There was a flash in his eyes. “I wanted to ask if the food is ready.”
“It will be in about half an hour.” Stella stared at Jasper.
She could tell this was not what Jasper had wanted to ask her. However, since he didn’t want to say it, he would not say it just because she had probed further.
She just kept quiet.
Stella then turned around again.
Jasper did not stop her. She walked out of the door and headed for the kitchen.
Everyone had their own secrets that they couldn’t speak of. Even couples need their own private space.
All she could do was not make Jasper feel guilty. There must be a reason if he didn’t want to tell her about it.
Half an hour later, she finished cooking.
The food was delicious. The dog had been running around her. She guessed that it was hungry, so she went upstairs again. Before she could knock, Jasper had already opened the door.
“I just wanted to tell you that the food is ready.” Stella said with a smile.
“I heard Steper barking, so I guessed that the food is ready.” Jasper came out of the study.
“By the way, where’s the dog food? I think he’s starving.” Stella followed him.
Jasper was a little touched. He put his arms around her waist and said softly, “It’s in the kitchen cabinet.”
“Well, I’ll feed him later. Did you usually feed him with human food?” Stella asked suspiciously.
“Of course, he eats whatever I eat.”
No wonder the dog kept circling her. It turned out that it had gotten used to human food. “I’ll feed it later. The dog food will be his snacks.”
Stella walked down the stairs.
Jasper saw that she had made a few dishes, including fish and chips, some mashed potatoes, and grilled tomatoes.
Both of them had a good appetite and finished the food heartily.
After she was done washing the dishes and feeding the dog in the evening, Jasper took her to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
She had been married three times, so she was very familiar with the process. Erring on the side of caution, she used Natalie’s ID card.
After getting the certificate, Jasper took her to take wedding photos. He said that the photos were for his own viewing only. He would only hang them up if she agreed to it.
Stella saw that he had made up his mind, so she didn’t say anything more. They went to the most famous photo studio in A city and made an appointment to take the wedding photos next week.
After that, Jasper did not bring her home. Instead, he brought her to Milton Corp.
On the way, Jasper held Stella’s hand and said solemnly, “I’ve thought about it for a long time. I don’t think that there should be any secrets between us. There’s something you should know.”
Stella looked at Jasper. She guessed that it was what he had wanted to say in the study just now…