Chapter 60 Do Not Smile Like That
A chill crept down her spine, for she realized she didn’t know Miles at all.
“What? I helped you get your divorce. Is that wrong?” Miles pretended he didn’t notice her interrogatory tone. “You want to escape this home, don’t you?”
“Yes, but not like this. There’s a hundred ways to get a divorce, but bankrupting him is not what I want.” She didn’t think ruining Zane’s company was a smart move. She might not have been directly involved in Zane’s ruination, but she was indirectly involved. “I need to take a day off today, President Grant. I need to go to Murdough,” she told Miles.
“I’ll tell the HR about it.”
Stella leaned against the sofa, frowning. We were fine up until morning, so what happened? Miles left her alone, knowing that she was angry about him bankrupting Zane.
Then, Stella went to Murdough. Zane told her that he knew the bankruptcy was going to happen since nobody was managing the company, and that the cash flow was broken. He didn’t tell her the reason he gave her the mansion. All he wanted was for her to keep it safe for him.
She asked why he didn’t give it to Ximena, and he snorted. Oh, right. She faked the pregnancy so she could marry him. Someone like her can’t be trusted. “But why me?” She wanted to ask how he knew she would give him back his mansion and estate.
“By instinct, I suppose. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I realized you weren’t in the wrong. I was at fault in the first place. If you want to get a divorce, then let’s get it. You can take the estate. I cheated first, and I shouldn’t have dwelled on your past before the marriage.” Stella was surprised Zane would say that.
When death approached, kindness shined, as they would say. Zane’s bankruptcy changed him. At this, Stella felt melancholic. She hated him at first, but her attitude started to change as well. Neither of them talked about when Stella would give him back the mansion, but she had decided not to live in it.
Stella was a married woman when she went to Murdough, but she was a divorcee after coming back, and being single felt magical. She didn’t expect Yulia to treat her to a meal the moment she came back to Hollowcrest, and at a famous restaurant too. It was called The Sumptuous Place.
The prices there were exorbitant, of course, but more than that, Stella thought the place was too formal. After all, most people went there to talk about business, and the customers were the rich and powerful of Hollowcrest. Stella had to know what was going on, but Yulia only answered mysteriously, “I’m gonna introduce someone to you.”
“A guy?”
Yulia grunted.
Oh, she’s finally giving up. She knows she can’t go for Miles, so she’s choosing someone else. It’s a good thing though. This is a formal place. I guess they’re almost getting married, then. Since he was Yulia’s boyfriend, Stella couldn’t be too outstanding in case she overshadowed Yulia, but she couldn’t be too casual about it. She was going to meet her future cousin-in-law, after all.
Upon consideration, Stella decided to go with a dark green coat, a pair of harem pants, and a yellow turtleneck shirt. She tied her hair in a ponytail, making her look young and fresh. Well, she was young anyway.
Yulia and the man weren’t holding hands. Aren’t they a couple? Shouldn’t they be holding hands? Maybe she can’t let herself go. The man was handsome and tall, probably around six feet or so, looking young and energetic, about twenty-nine at most. His eyes were gleaming, and Stella thought they looked nice.
This guy is going to be my relative soon. And he’s handsome too. She couldn’t help smiling. Her smile had always been sweet, and it gleamed more dazzlingly under the restaurant’s lights. The pearl earrings she wore reflected the gleam too. She tilted her head at the couple, and she beamed.
Soon, they sat down.
“Stella, this is Xavier Daniels, the CEO of Sino Corporation. He just got transferred here. Xavier has a house and a car, and his family’s nice too.” Yulia looked at Stella, and when she saw the interest in her eyes, Yulia thought the matchmake would be a success.
“Not bad,” Stella answered. Such a good couple. He’s young and successful, while she’s gorgeous and elegant. You can’t find a better couple.
Xavier had a way with words, but that was to be expected, since he was the CEO of Sino Corporation. He could make everything sound magical, and Stella smiled.
They were sitting beside the staircase, or to be exact, they were facing it. When Stella was still beaming, she saw a group of people coming down. She didn’t pay attention to them, until she saw the one in the lead—Miles. The people behind him seemed to be Hollowcrest’s bureaucrats, and her smile froze.
Obviously, Miles saw her, as well as the man beside her.
She wondered if she should say hi, but then she realized the bureaucrats were behind him. That’s going to be redundant. I’ll pretend I don’t know him. Thus, she looked back and kept on chatting with a smile.
The dinner went smoothly. Xavier offered to send Stella home after that, but she asked him to send Yulia home instead. Yulia then told him to leave first because she had something to say to Stella. Afterward, Xavier said goodbye politely.
“What do you think, Stella?” Yulia asked.
“He’s good. When’s the wedding?” Stella returned the question. They were standing outside the restaurant.
Yulia looked shocked. “I was gonna introduce him to you. Why are you asking me about my wedding? I thought I said I’d introduce a guy to you.”
Stella was stupefied, but also angered. “I just got a divorce. I can’t just go on a matchmaking session the day after that. Of course I thought he was your boyfriend.” She bit her lip. This is awkward. I was smiling all the way. He must think I like him. Damn, I can’t be having him sending me bouquets of flowers or boxes of Pandora after this.
“So what? There’s no rule stating you can’t date right after that. Stella, your dad hasn’t been nice to you. I don’t know about your marriage with Zane, but I know he was mean to you, too. Now that you’re divorced, you should get someone who knows you to love you. Xavier’s that guy. Can’t you see it?” Yulia shook her shoulders.
Tears welled up in Stella’s eyes. Yulia had always been nice to her, and because of that, she felt even guiltier. Miles…
Stella said, “I already have his contact, so let me tell him.”
She got his contact because she thought he would be Yulia’s husband, but she didn’t expect him to be her blind date. Awkward. Stella’s good mood from the divorce was marred by that botched up matchmaking. She texted Xavier on her way back, ‘Sorry, I thought you were Yulia’s boyfriend, so I was happy for her. I didn’t know she was trying to matchmake us. I just got a divorce, and I don’t want to think about dating for the time being.’
He replied, ‘It’s fine. We can be friends. Tell me if you need any help.’
She was going to block him, but she couldn’t do it after his polite reply, so she kept his number.
When she came back to the mansion and was about to open the door, she saw that man again. He was standing tall in the darkness, bestowing the shadows the grace of his looks, and he was smoking. Stella opened the door in silence. Even though she was divorced, she reflexively felt guilty about him being there.
Miles went in, too.
Stella felt vexed, and she looked at him.
“Divorced?” he asked.
“Yes.” She nodded.
As if the day he waited had finally come, Miles went up to her and pulled her into his embrace. He started kissing her on the forehead, then her cheek. As he kissed, he said, “Don’t beam at any other guys from now on.”
Was I beaming? I thought it was a polite smile. “I wasn’t beaming.”
“Yeah? But I’m jealous.”
He’s jealous? Stella’s heart started racing. She once told him he’d have to wait until she was divorced before they could move on to the next step. Well, the divorce had happened, which meant it was time to move on to the next step.
“Yulia introduced a good boyfriend to you.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Stella wondered what he meant by that. Was that validation? Or mockery? She didn’t know. She didn’t know about his schemes. “And how do you know he’s my blind date? I thought he’s her boyfriend.” She leaned against his chest. Before that, all she felt was struggle when he hugged her, but that night, she felt warmth. She felt like she could let everything go when she was in his arms.
“Only an idiot would think so,” he teased, seemingly in a good mood. That was the first time they were so relaxed.
She protested, “I am not an idiot.”
Miles smiled, and he pinched her cheek. He stayed over at her house that night. And that night, Miles wanted nothing more than to fuse her with himself. They spent hours frolicking on the bed. There was no hate, no guilt, and no worries.
Stella was still sleeping when he left the next day. She wanted to send him off, but he told her to sleep in. She had been thinking about renting a house, but she couldn’t ask for his help for that, since there were some things she had to do herself.
It was ten days later when she found herself a house. It was a one-bedroom unit near the company. The rent wasn’t expensive, and the house was cozy. The renovation was great, and when she looked at the divorce agreement in her hand, Stella felt like a human again. But she never expected Zane’s lenders to come knocking the next day after she moved in.
