Ch. 751..760

Chapter 751: Whose Child Is This?

In Riverside City, after Stella put the little one to sleep, she went to sit down next to Clarence. "What will we go back?" They had stayed here for half a month and things had almost been solved. So it was time for them to return to City N. He looked up from his computer screen and said, "Soon."

Just in a few days? she asked.

He nodded slightly.

She said, "I will go pack our luggage. Noah has a lot of things and it takes time."

When she got up, he pulled her back. "Wait. I have something to tell you."

Hearing this, her smile faded gradually as she sat down again. "Is there something wrong? The little one couldn't go back with us together?"

He put down the computer and hugged her shoulders. "Yes, he can. It's just that we have to wait for a while."

What do you mean? she asked.

The medical team here can't go to City N with us all. The boy still need to receive some treatment. And when it's done, Archer will take him back.

How long will it take?

Three months at most.

She remained silent with her head down.

He scratched her chin with his hand and asked in a low voice, "Are you unhappy?"

No. I just thought that he could go with us.

She sighed. Well, never mind. Since she had waited for so long, she could wait for another three months.

He added, "Don't you want another child? If he is with us, it wouldn't be convenient."

She got speechless for a moment and then said snappily, "Is that all you can think about?"

Seeing that she was in a better mood, he raised his eyebrows slightly. "What? That's a big deal. Didn't you say you wanted to have another baby? How can we do it with him around?" "You are truly..."

He tightened his grip on her waist and brought her closer, their lips almost touching each other. Then he whispered, "What about me? Hmm?"

When you are old and lying in a hospital bed, it is very likely that your oxygen tubes will be removed by someone else, she said.

He replied with a smile, "As long as you are lying next to me at that time, it's not a big deal."

Here he went like this again.

She pushed him. "Okay. Okay. Let's not talk about nonsense. Sleep now!"

He held her on his lap with his chin on her shoulder. "Since you have been with him all day, you should stay with me for a while."

When did I... She suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about mom? Will she go back to City N with the little one in three months?"

She will not go back.

This is her home, he replied.

She remembered what Dolores had said at the James family ancestral hall. Dolores returned to the James family house to mourn and accompany the deceased Bancroft. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What about Elaine? Will she go back to City N?"

After pausing for a second, he added, "She's asking to see you lately. So before we go back to City N, you can go see her."

She nodded, "I got it."

Two days later, after consulting Archer's opinion, Stella took the little one out.

Maybe because the boy had lived in that place for too long, when he came out, he felt curious about everything. Waving his little hands and babbling, he looked quite happy. Clarence sent her to the entrance of the shopping mall where she and Elaine would meet, took the stroller down and put the little boy inside. Then he said to her, "I will pick you up tonight." "Okay."

At this time, she heard someone calling her from behind.

Elaine had just got out of her car, jumping and waving at her from a distance, "Stella, hi!"

Stella smiled and turned back to Clarence, saying, "You can go now. I will go over to her."

As she was about to push the stroller towards Elaine, he suddenly came up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek with a slight smile. "Don't miss me too much."

There were many people in front of the mall, and when they saw this, they stopped walking and looked towards the two with envious glances.

She blushed. "Just off you go!"

The little boy sat in the stroller and smiled even more happily.

After Clarence left, Stella and Elaine met each other.

Elaine was immediately attracted by the little boy in the stroller and bent down to tease him, "Whose child is this? He is so cute!"

Stella replied, "Mine."

Elaine got a bit shocked, but then she remembered the baby items she saw at Stella's house in City N and Clarence once said he had a son.

So she muttered with embarrassment, "Sorry, Stella. I forgot it..."

Stella smiled, "It's okay. Don't you want to buy something? Let's go."

After the funeral, Elaine was grounded at home by Franklin and wasn't allowed to go out.

Elaine did reflect on herself at first, but after being locked up for a long time, she finally started to ask for freedom.

Maybe because she was so sincere about her wish, her father finally agreed to let her out.

Whether in City N or at home, Elaine had been so bored. So when she got into the mall, she began to shop frantically.

After a while, all the bodyguards followed her with hands full.

She not only bought things for herself, but also bought a lot of things for Stella and Sherry. She directly asked the salesperson to deliver those things to their addresses. Stella could not stop her at all.

When they got to the floor of baby products, Elaine rushed inside with enthusiasm. Stella hurriedly pulled her and said, "Elaine, it's enough. Stop buying things. There are no more hands to hold them." Elaine turned her head and looked at the bodyguards behind and found Stella was right. "But I haven't bought anything for the little one. I will let the salesperson deliver the things directly to your house." "No need. He already has a lot of toys at home."

When Stella was pregnant back then, she loved to buy things for the little one. But she was not as crazy as Clarence and Elaine were. They always liked to "empty the shelves" while shopping. Maybe because they were just too rich, huh?

Being pulled tightly by Stella, Elaine could not help pouting her mouth. "But I haven't got him a gift yet."

Stella looked around and finally landed her eyes on a row of doll machines. "That will do."

Elaine got stunned. "That?"

Stella nodded and said, "What is more meaningful than the gift you clamp out with your own hands?"

Elaine thought so too.

She got inspired by Stella's words and walked over to buy a hundred coins. Then she began to operate the machine with a serious look.

Chapter 752: Human Cubs Are Just So Cute

After half an hour, Stella looked at the pile of dolls in front of her and got into silence.

She originally tried to use this method to abate Elaine's shopping desire.

But she did not expect that Elaine would be so good at this...

At this time, she heard Elaine's voice again, "I got another one out!"

Uh-oh.

When Elaine was about to continue, Stella said, "Okay, Elaine, that's enough."

I will clamp a few more!

Stella licked her lips. "I am a little thirsty. So let's go buy some drinks."

Hearing this, Elaine had to give up. "Okay, then let's drink something first and then come back later."

Stella hurriedly pulled her away.

The dolls were stuffed into various shopping bags and taken back to the car by those bodyguards.

Sitting in the store and teasing the little one for a while, Elaine suddenly felt exhausted and slumped on the table.

Stella asked, "What's wrong? Weren't you so energetic just now?"

Nothing. I just felt that everything seems to have changed...

Seeing her serious look, Stella said, "Since your great-grandfather is still alive, you should be happy."

Elaine replied with her chin on her arms, "Yes. My great-grandpa is still alive, but..."

She didn't finish her words but Stella understood what she meant.

Stella said, "Since his body has not been found yet, he may be still living."

Elaine simply sighed. "Maybe his corpse no longer exists."

After saying that, she looked at Stella and said, "Stella, I know my Uncle Caesar did a lot of bad things, and also caused Sherry to lose her child, but I still can't hate him. Is there something wrong with me?" Stella smiled and said, "No. Just like what I said before, he has hurt a lot of people, but he will always be your uncle. Only you can feel how he is to you. Whether you hate him or not depends on how he treats you."

Elaine stared at the cup on the table and said, "That day at the graveyard, if Darnell hadn't appear, would my uncle really kill my father and everyone in the James family?"

Elaine sighed again, not knowing what to say.

Stella also knew that her current feelings towards Caesar were complicated. But someone like Caesar, although he was evil, he seemed to have a chance of turning back just because he still had a slight trace of conscience.

But only people that were terribly hurt by him felt how vicious he was.

After a while, Elaine said, "Before my uncle left, he said something to me."

Stella retrieved her thoughts and asked, "What is it?"

He said... Elaine spoke slowly.

Elaine recalled what happened at the bank that day. Caesar said those words in a low voice, and he sounded like he was warning her.

Don't trust Darnell. After he cleans up the James families, he will lay hands on your great-grandfather and your father.

After Elaine repeated his words, Stella thought about it and asked, "Did you believe what he said?"

Elaine looked ahead in a daze. "I don't know... But that day, Darnell admitted that the death of those clan elders had something to do with him." "Really?" Stella asked.

Elaine nodded, "Although it was Uncle Caesar who did it, according to him, Darnell knew all these things in advance, and he simply did not stop it. And he even..."

Elaine did not know the details of Darnell's involvement in this thing.

She murmured again, "During this period of time, I thought that Darnell was not the kind of person described by the rumors. I thought I misunderstood him. But I didn't expect him to be so cruel. Those elders are stubborn and old-fashioned, but they sort of raised us up when we were kids. He shouldn't..."

Elaine, Stella interrupted her, "you do have prejudice against Darnell."

Elaine got stunned and tilted her head, not understanding what she meant.

Stella said slowly, "Let's just say Darnell knew that Caesar would kill those elders and he did not do anything to stop it. He was wrong about this matter. But you were wrong about one thing"

What is it? Elaine asked.

Those people were killed by Caesar, not Darnell, Stella replied.

She added, "I don't mean to excuse Darnell. But if Caesar hadn't planned all these, Darnell wouldn't allow things to go like this. You can blame Darnell for not saving those elders, but you must be clear about one thing. The man who committed the murder was Caesar."

Elaine was a bit confused and said, "I see..."

Stella did not speak to her about the complicated forces of the James family. Since those elders had passed away, it was useless to talk about these things any more.

She never felt that Darnell was a good person in the true sense of the word.

There were not so many good people in this world. Clarence and herself weren't, for sure.

This was the way it was in this world. Everybody would plan carefully for what they truly wanted.

Though something might look terrible from outsiders' perspective, it was normal for them to fight for what they wanted.

But on this matter, Stella thought Elaine should not dwell on such a strange point.

She drank some water and calm down. Maybe she was just talking some nonsense.

When she looked up and saw Elaine's serious look, she stopped talking.

Well, let things just stop here.

After a while, the little one probably got a little uncomfortable sitting in the stroller and wanted to get out.

Stella took him in her arms and said to Elaine, "Let's go have lunch. After that, I will take him to the children's playground downstairs for a while."

Elaine got up and said, "Okay. There is a particularly delicious restaurant upstairs. I will take you there."

When going upstairs, the little one did not want to sit down anymore. After getting down from Stella's embrace, he ran forward happily.

For fear that he might fall when toddling forward, Stella held his little hand.

Elaine pushed the stroller and followed behind them. When seeing this scene, she felt her heart was about to melt.

Human cubs were just too cute.

When eating lunch, Elaine asked, "Stella, are you going back to City N soon?"

Stella nodded, "I also wanted to ask you this. Will you go back to City N?"

Elaine let out a long breath. "Not in a short time. My father is angry with me, so I have to behave well. When he agrees, I will go there. If I hide from him again, he's truly gonna drive me out one day."

Stella smiled, "Then you should wait a little longer. When these unwritten rules of the James family are abolished, you can come to City N to enjoy yourself whenever you want.”☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 753: At Least He Won’t Exterminate Us

After separating from Stella, Elaine returned home with a listless face.

Franklin, who was reading a book, glanced at her and said slowly, "You have almost emptied the mall, so why are you so unhappy?"

She sat down next to him on the arm of the sofa, showing a depressed look.

He said, "Well, didn't I let you out today? Someone bullied you?"

After a while, she mumbled in a dull voice, "No."

She behaved quite well in the last half month at home. Obviously, she knew she had done wrong before. Thinking that she suffered enough, he closed the book and said, "From tomorrow, you no longer need to stay at home. You can go wherever you want."

He thought she would jump up happily, but she simply nodded and said nothing more.

He could not help but ask, "What is wrong with you? Did you really get bullied?"

She shook her head and barely sat up, saying, "Dad, do you think Uncle Caesar is really dead?"

Hearing her words, he slightly changed his face and said after a few seconds of silence, "He is no longer a member of the James family and he is not your uncle. So whether he is dead or alive does not have anything to do with us."

She pouted and stopped talking.

Seeing her like this, he sighed silently. "Elaine, about your uncle... About this matter, I never said anything to you. But you also saw what he did that day. He intended to kill the whole James family, and he even blew up your great-grandpa's ashes. In fact, he is no longer the same loving uncle to you when you were a child."

But... She felt it might not be quite appropriate to say so, but she still wanted to correct him, "That's not my great-grandpa's ashes..."

He got stunned and then instantly snapped. "You silly girl!"

She hurriedly moved away from him. "I know what you mean, but what I said is also true."

He was silent for a moment before adding, "Have you forgotten what he did to you in City N?"

No. He did ask someone to take me away, but he didn't hurt me. She then spoke in a quiet voice, "I know what you want to say and I know he's not a good man. But... There was something wrong with your words. He is still the same loving uncle to me when I was a little kid."

He froze and was at a loss for words suddenly.

No matter how many unforgivable things Caesar had done, he truly never hurt Elaine.

They also knew this at the beginning and that was why they planned all those things at the funeral.

He sighed and did not say anything for a while.

She then added, "Sis told me that only I know how Uncle Caesar treats me. He is a bad guy in other people's eyes but he is always and only my uncle in front of me."

Her words did make sense.

He then asked, "Which sister?"

Stella, Clarence's girlfriend, she said.

He froze for two seconds and then scolded her, "She is not your sister! You should call her aunt!"

She spat her tongue, got up and ran upstairs. "I don't care. She is only a few years older than me!"

At this time, Hilbert walked out from the side with his cane. "Is Elaine back?"

Franklin replied, "Yes. But...she was a bit unhappy about Caesar's incident."

Hilbert sat in the sofa and sighed slowly. "No matter what, Caesar is good to her."

Franklin was silent for a while before saying, “Grandpa, there is something I want to discuss with you.”

Are you referring to Elaine and Darnell's marriage? Hilbert asked.

Yes. All those things are pretty much settled now. Darnell is probably drawing support from our power. Elaine...ran away secretly to City N because she did not want to marry Darnell in the first place. I've been thinking a lot about it lately. This marriage is truly hard for her to accept. I also asked Darnell and he told me that in his heart Elaine is only a little girl. He does not want to marry her either.

Hilbert touched his cane and said after a while, "Franklin, this marriage was decided between me and Darnell's grandfather when he was still alive. I have two good reasons for this. First, this marriage can help consolidate Darnell's position as the Master of Riverside. Second, I do it for the sake of the James family's development. I have to make such a decision. Do you understand why?" Franklin was confused. "Why?"

Hilbert said, "Darnell is a young and ambitious man. What he wants is never just Riverside City. This is also why he is committed to abolishing those rules of the James family. Bancroft also came to me because he could see what Darnell was thinking."

Franklin said, "So Bancroft meant those unwritten rules have to be abolished but at the same time, he wanted us to restrain Darnell and not let him go too far.”

Hilbert nodded and said, "After all, the James family is still a big family with hundreds of years of history, which can't be lost like this. Franklin, there is another reason for this marriage. Maybe Bancroft knew quite well that we could not stop Darnell. But if Elaine marries him, at least, Darnell would not exterminate us. Do you understand?"

Franklin frowned without saying anything.

It seemed that they could not control the marriage at all. Instead, this marriage lies in the hands of Darnell and it was related to their family and even the future of the entire James family. After a while, Franklin said, "So Bancroft wanted us to restrain each other to balance the different forces of the James family."

Hilbert said, "But you are right. Elaine should not be burdened with this. She is just a little girl. So let's break the engagement. We will talk about future matters in the future. I believe even if Darnell wants to eliminate the James family, he will not go too far."

Franklin said, "I will go settle this matter in two days."

Hilbert got up, "Elaine must be sad about what happened to Caesar. You should comfort her more."

Franklin suddenly asked, "Do you think this is Caesar's doing?"

It doesn't matter now. Caesar is a sinner of the James family. If he hadn't made it that far, I would've been able to save his life. But now... Maybe this is God's will, Hilbert said. When finishing his words, he left slowly with his cane.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 754: Is the Money Not Enough?

The night before returning to City N, Stella sat in her room and slowly packed their things.

The little boy sat on the carpet, playing intently with his toys.

After a while, Dolores came in. "Stella, you're still staying up, huh?"

Stella looked up at her and replied, "Yeah. I want to pack these things first. When we leave tomorrow, it will be easier for you to take them over."

Dolores sat next to her. "Don't worry. I will take care of the little one until he goes back to City N. When you see him next time, he will definitely be the same chubby baby like now."

Stella smile, knowing that Dolores was comforting her.

She put the things aside, leaned on Dolores's shoulder, hugged her arm, and said softly, "Mom, I am fine. I have already gotten used to this kind of separation. And every time we part, we look forward to the next reunion. In this sense, every separation seems meaningful to me."

Dolores patted her hand and said, "You won't wait for too long this time, and soon you will never be separated."

Stella nodded and said, "What about you? When will you return to City N?"

Hearing this, Dolores raised her head and looked ahead without saying anything.

She did not know the answer to this question.

Stella added, "Mom, although I don't know what happened in the past, and I don't know how to comfort you; since things have already happened, all we can do is to try our best to make it up for it. It's useless to hold on to the past because it only makes yourself suffer."

Dolores sighed, "I was too willful in the first place. If I could have listened to him, things wouldn't have come to this point today."

Actually, I can feel that Clarence's grandfather had never blamed you. He only hoped that you could live a better life in a place where he couldn't see you.

Dolores smiled slightly and held Stella's hand without speaking.

Stella looked at the little boy in front of her and said in a hushed voice, "Most parents in this world want their children to be happy and healthy no matter what costs they have to pay."

Dolores suddenly said, "I saw you and Archer whispering to each other a lot recently. Is there any change in the little one's health condition?"

Stella shook her head. "No. He is fine."

Dolores was still not quite at ease. "Stella, don't keep things to yourself. Talk to Clarence more since he is your husband. If you have anything that can't be solved, you can leave it to him." Stella smiled, "I got it. Thank you, mom."

Before Dolores left, she gave Stella a small envelope. "I don't like shopping and I don't know what you like. Take this and buy whatever you want." Stella froze. "This isn't necessary..."

Hey, since you're calling me mom now, this is something you deserve. Dolores added, "This is a tradition and you should not refuse."

Hearing this, Stella smiled slightly. "Thank you, Mom."

Although this was the second time she and Clarence got married, she felt it was a new experience. And everything before this seemed like a dream. Dolores said, "Go to bed early."

Okay, Stella replied.

She walked Dolores to the door before turning back and continuing to pack things.

When Clarence came back, Stella had just finished bathing the child. She said to him, "Give me the bath towel on the bed."

He picked up the bath towel and saw a small envelop next to it. So he picked it up as well and walked to her. Handing her the towel, he asked, "What is this?" She looked back and said, "Mom gave me this."

He slightly raised his eyebrows. "Shall I open it for you?"

She wrapped the child with the towel and stood up, taking the envelope from him and said, "It's not for you."

He took the child from her arms and then wiped the kid's hair while saying, "Don't you want to know how much money is inside?"

Money is not the point. You are just being rude, she said.

Maybe the child was uncomfortable in Clarence's embrace, and he got his head out of the towel and reached out towards her. She took him from Clarence and said, "Don't play with him like that. Go take a bath yourself."

He replied, "Okay. Let him be pleased for one last night."

This man was so childish. Stella rolled her eyes

In her embrace, the child didn't know what was happening, rubbing his little hands and kept calling "mama".

Seeing him like this, she felt a bit uncomfortable in her heart.

When she comforted others or herself, she knew how to do it. But when it came to accepting the truth, she felt it was still hard.

After changing the little one's clothes, she put him on the bed and lay next to him, gently patting his chest.

Soon the kid fell asleep.

She looked at him quietly. When thinking of the three-month-long separation that would begin tomorrow, she could not move her eyes away from him. When she was lost in thought, Clarence lay behind her and embraced her with his hands. "What's wrong?"

She said in a quiet voice, "Nothing."

Is the money in the envelope not enough? I feel it is quite thin, he said.

She gave him a kick who was lying next to her. "You are just so annoying!"

He chuckled, turned her around and pulled her into his arms. "If this is not the reason for your unhappiness, then don't think so much."

She did not say anything with her head down.

He knew what she was thinking and gently rubbed on her waist. "Have you forgotten what I said before?"

She had something else on her mind and casually asked, "What?"

I said three months at most. There is a great chance that it will be sooner than that, he replied.

She looked up at him with a bright light in her eyes, but soon it disappeared.

He wondered what she was thinking.

She said, "I won't be so hopeful about that. If I have higher expectations, I may get greater disappointment. What if three months is still not..."

She suddenly realized something and stopped, patting her mouth.

She was not gonna jinx it!

Seeing her like this, he could not help but laugh lightly. "I didn't know that you are superstitious."

She paused and realized she seemed a bit silly. So she coughed and tried to speak in a serious manner, "This is not superstition. I just revere the nature...”

As she spoke, she saw his smiling eyes and suddenly felt that she was truly a dummy.

So she turned around and buried her head into the quilt. "Just sleep."

He pulled her back and whispered to her ears slowly, "Go on. It sounds quite interesting."☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 755: A Good News & A Bad News

When sitting on the plane back to City N, Stella kept looking out of the window. Though this land was unfamiliar, she had countless ties with it.

When she and Clarence were leaving, the child seemed to have sensed something. He stretched his hands towards her with wide eyes and a down spirit, calling her, "Mama...”

At that moment, she felt like crying and wanted so much to hug him. But Clarence held her hand and said, "Don't turn around. The more you look at him, the harder he cries."

Tears welling up in her eyes, she was led forward by Clarence. Soon they heard the sound of the child crying from behind.

Until now, she could still hear this voice in her head.

She just could not erase it.

She closed her eyes slowly, tears about to fall down.

Clarence sat next to her and held her in his arms. "Go to sleep. When you wake up, you will be home."

After a while, she said, "Three months is not very long indeed."

He nodded and said, "It will be soon."

When the winter comes, he will be able to come back to me, she said.

He did not say anything, but patted her back and then looked out of the window.

At this time, the plane was flying smoothly in the air. The clouds in the sky were converging.

A few hours later, they arrived in City N.

It was only 4:30 p.m., so Stella went to the studio.

Clarence sent her to the door. "I'm going to Steward Group, and I'll pick you up later."

She nodded her head. "You don't need to pick me up. I can go back with Sherry."

Whether it was Complex Corporation or Southwest, he had to handle the business himself.

He did not know when things would be over.

He said, "I will call you later."

After watching the black car slowly drive away, she then withdrew her eyes and walked towards the studio.

There were a lot customers at this time. Looking around, she did not see Sherry, so she went to the shooting studio. Sherry was really here.

However, she was not taking photos but sitting crosse-legged on the floor, holding a camera and wiping it, lost in thought. Stella walked over and sat next to her. "Sherry."

Sherry suddenly returned to her senses, put down the camera in her hand and said happily, "Stella, you are back."

Stella smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Since there was nothing to do, I decided to clean all these up. While speaking, Sherry looked around, "Where is my godson? Didn't you say he would come back with you? Did he go straight home?" Stella hugged her legs with her chin on knees, and sighed, "No. He has to wait for a while longer to come back here."

Oh... Sherry wanted to ask what happened, but when seeing Stella's face, she patted her shoulder, saying, "There's no hurry. Let's just wait a little longer."

Stella managed a weak smile with her head down.

Seeing her like this, Sherry instantly changed the topic. "I've been thinking about the thing you said to me before. Since we don't have to prepare for fashion week, and our studio has been open for so long. Now with the online channel, we can put all our energy into promoting the brand."

She added, "Here are my thoughts. We can first find a celebrity for endorsement to enhance brand awareness. Didn't some influencers contact us before and say they wanted to do promotion? We can do it on all major platforms at the same time..."

She spoke in an exciting way, having a grand scenario in her head

Finally, she concluded, "I also thought about a problem carefully that day. Our studio can't just confine ourselves to such a small place. The brand 'Starry Sky' will go international sooner or later. So we must pay attention to all aspects, including the ones that we ignored before."

While saying this, she looked at Stella. "Don't worry. Just leave these things to me. You will still be in charge of the design. I will..."

Sherry, Stella suddenly spoke, "I am sorry. I may not have that much energy and time within these few months."

Sherry remembered that Stella had told her about having another baby and that was why she decided to give up the fashion week. She patted her forehead and said, "I forgot..."

Then she added, "Okay. Then we take it slow. Well, let's decide the spokesperson first. The rest will be handled step by step."

The two looked at each other, and when their eyes met, they spoke at the same time, "Winnie?"

So an hour later, Winnie sat in the lounge.

She looked at Stella and then Sherry, picking up a glass of water. "What is the matter? Just say it frankly. Don't look at me like that. I am scared." Sherry said, "There is a good news and a bad one. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Winnie said, "The bad one."

Sherry said seriously, "Then I will say the good one first."

Winnie got speechless.

I fear that you may hit me after hearing the bad news, Sherry said.

Winnie put down the glass and said, "Spit it out."

Sherry scratched her head and said, "Here is the thing. I discussed it with Stella and we decided to find a brand ambassador to promote our brand."

When Stella and Sherry first set up the studio, Winnie wore some necklaces designed by Stella when she attended events. It was like indirect advertisement that had helped attracted lots of clients to the studio.

Hearing this, Winnie said, "This is a good thing."

Sherry said sheepishly, "Is it? I think so too..."

Winnie gradually understood something. "Do you want me to be the spokesperson?"

Winnie frowned for a moment before saying, "I am okay with it. But you also know that there are some problems with my work after I terminated my contract with Conrad Group. I am afraid that my situation may not help with your studio."

Anyone who intended to do a brand promotion wanted to make the brand more popular.

But Winnie thought her situation might make things worse for them.

Stella said, "We are friends. As long as you can give us an endorsement, it's the best for us."

Winnie thought about it and nodded gently. "What about the bad news?"

Sherry coughed to hide her embarrassment and said hesitantly, "I inquired about your endorsement fee. We can't even afford to pay a tenth of it."

Winnie got speechless at first and then laughed out. "Are you actually worrying about this?"

Stella touched her neck and spoke in a tentative way, "Or maybe we can pay in installments, huh?"

Sherry quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes. Please think about it."☐☐☐☐

Chapter 756: Why Did He Invite You to Dinner?

Winnie said, "If I haven't terminated my contract with the company, this matter is really difficult to deal with because the endorsement fee has to go through the company, but now the company is gone, whatever I say goes, so what else is wrong?"

Sherry asked, "Does this mean we can pay in installments?"

She then leaned back on the couch and said slowly, "Anyway, I don't have much work lately, and I'm bored staying at home, so I'll consider it as re-employment. I don't need any endorsement fee." Stella and Sherry exchanged glances.

Stella pursed her lips, "No, we still have to follow the rules. Let's sign a contract, and we'll pay you monthly."

Sherry also nodded, "Yes, no matter what, we can't let you bear this loss. We can't afford to pay the fee now, but in the future..."

I didn't suffer any loss, alright? Seeing their resolute attitude, Winnie thought for a while before saying, "How about this? I've been working for so many years, and I still have some savings in my hand. Would you guys...consider making me your shareholder?"

Shareholder?

The voices of both Stella and Sherry rang out at the same time, with a hint of doubt.

Winnie replied, "Yes, it just so happens that I recently had the idea of making investment. And here comes an opportunity! As a shareholder, endorsement is naturally part of my responsibility, no matter how much you earn, you just need to give me the dividends."

Stella still felt that they were taking advantage of Winnie and was a little hesitant, "But..."

Or do you guys have no confidence and think that the future earnings of the studio won't be as much as my endorsement fee?

Sherry immediately slapped her thigh and said, "That's it, deal!"

Speaking of which, Sherry looked at Stella, "Stella, I think she has a point, we have plans to expand our scale. Relying on our own strength is not sufficient, and now that Winnie wants to be our shareholder, isn't this a perfect timing?"

After a moment, Stella looked at Winnie and smiled. "Thank you for your trust in me, you won't lose anything by partnering with us, I promise you."

Winnie smiled back, "Then I'll wait for the dividends."

Sherry added, "Since our collaboration was decided, I still need to contact..."

Winnie said, "Leave the endorsement affairs to me. Although my work team didn't follow me out of the company, I still have some connections, so there's no problem with any publicity and promotion." Sherry said, "All right, I'll look for a shooting spot, we can't shoot in this small studio anymore."

After talking about the business, Stella asked Winnie, "Did Chassell come to harass you recently?"

Winnie shook her head, "I heard Cha...I heard that he's guilty as a cat in a fish bowl, but he has run away, and I'm not sure if he has been found."

When Sherry heard these words, she frowned and couldn't help but roasted, "This bastard doesn't stop stirring up troubles even when his number is up. You must be careful, lest he play any tricks on you again."

Winnie said, "Don't worry, he can't get into our neighborhood, the security guards recognize him."

Sherry was confused, "Why?"

When the words reached the tip of her tongue, Winnie felt a little embarrassed to spit them out, then she laughed dryly and took two sips of water.

Stella and Sherry got the message and both of them didn't ask any further questions.

Winnie stayed until almost seven o'clock before she left, and after seeing her off, Sherry stretched herself lazily. "This problem is finally resolved. That's a weight off my mind."

Stella replied, "Let's go back, I've nothing to do today, I'll cook for you."

At these words, Sherry hesitated for a moment and seemed to be stumped.

Before Stella had a chance to ask why, a male voice came from behind her, "Sherry, Ms. Radomil."

It was Brandon Chang.

Stella turned her head and greeted him, "Mr. Chang."

Brandon said, "Since Ms. Radomil is Sherry's friend, there is no need to be so polite, just call me Brandon."

Stella replied with a smile, "Then Mr. Chang, you can call me by my name as well."

Looking at Stella and Brandon exchanging pleasantries, Sherry said to Brandon, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you that Stella is back, maybe you should go back tonight...?" Brandon said gracefully, "How about this? Miss... Stella, if you don't mind, I'd like to treat you to a meal to thank you for taking care of Sherry all this time."

Stella glanced at Sherry, who quietly spat her tongue at her.

Stella then looked toward Brandon and said with a smile, "It's nothing. Actually it's Sherry who takes care of me most of the time..."

Halfway through the sentence, she paused and continued, "Excuse me, I'd like to make a phone call."

Brandon made a gentlemanly gesture to Stella, signaling her to go ahead.

Stella turned around and walked towards the office.

Sherry said to Brandon, "Find yourself a place to sit for a while, I'll be right out."

Brandon smiled gently. "Okay, there's no rush."

Sherry followed Stella into the office, and saw she was reaching for her phone, so she closed the door and whispered, "Stella, I forgot to tell you that recently, he came to pick me up every day, and I would have dinner with him in the night."

Stella asked, "How do you feel?"

Sherry thought for a while and replied, "It's hard to say, but all in all, it's much better than the very beginning. I'm not so repulsed by him anymore. He's really quite nice."

Stella said to her, "Wait, I'll call Clarence."

Well, take your time, I'll go pack up my stuff first.

When the call was answered, Stella said, "Are you coming back for dinner tonight?"

Clarence said, "It's been a busy day. You go back first, no need to wait for me."

Stella said, "Sherry's...blind date came to pick her up and wanted to invite me to have dinner with them. If you don't come back, then I'll join them."

Clarence flipped through the documents in front of him, only concerned about someone inviting her to dinner, so he asked offhandedly, "A man or a woman?" You tell me.

She said without good humor, "Sherry's blind date! You do the math."

Clarence pressed his tongue against his teeth, chuckled soundlessly, closed the file and pinched his brow. "Why did he invite you to dinner?"

Maybe he just wants to get to know the friends around Sherry, so he can get closer to her or whatever. Sherry keeps saying he's nice, and I feel like figuring it out. "Got it, you have to go home right after dinner."

Stella agreed as she wasn't going to be the third wheel either.

Before hanging up, she asked again, "Will you be home late?"

Clarence said, "There's another video conference, and I'll go back after it's over."

Stella tsked, "All right, I'll leave you to it".

She had expected that Clarence could take a well-deserved break after leaving the Conrad Group.

But after just a month or two, he was caught up in the hectic pace of work again.

After hanging up, Stella put away her phone, grabbed her bag and left the office.00000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 757: Who Else But An Ex-girlfriend

Since Stella was back, Sherry proposed to go to the sushi house she had been craving for a long time.

Brandon naturally had no objection.

When they arrived at the sushi house, the waiter came to them with the menu, and Brandon just handed it to Sherry. After Sherry ordered a few dishes that she and Stella liked to eat, she then asked him, "What do you want to eat?" Brandon replied, "I'm fine with anything, you can order whatever you want."

Sherry read through the menu and added two more dishes.

Having dined with Brandon for some time, she also had a rough idea of what he liked to eat and what to avoid.

Sherry handed the menu back to the waiter, "That's all for now, thanks."

The waiter nodded slightly and asked, "What kind of drinks would you like?"

Sherry said, "Two glasses of juice..."

Speaking of which, she looked at Brandon again, "What about you?"

Brandon smiled, "I'd like some juice too."

The waiter left after taking the order.

Stella asked, "Don't you drink?"

Brandon answered, "I'm not much of a drinker. I can't hold my liquor very well."

Stella smiled faintly, "That's fine."

In this way, Stella had a casual conversation with Brandon, and Brandon's answers were adequate, thoughtful and significative. He came across really well. Within a short space of time, the dishes were served one after another.

Sherry cleared her throat with a cough, "Well, let's eat first and talk afterwards."

At this moment, Brandon's phone rang, he glanced at the caller ID and his expression changed slightly.

Seeing this, Sherry asked tentatively, "Is there something wrong?"

Brandon hung up the phone, muted it, and put the screen upside down on the table. "It's nothing."

But the caller on the other end had no intention of giving up as the phone continued to buzz and vibrate on the table.

Stella said, "There should be something important, you can answer it first."

Brandon picked up his phone again, frowned for a moment, then got up and said to Sherry, "Enjoy your food, I'll be back soon." Sherry nodded, "Go ahead."

When Brandon left, Stella looked at his back and asked, "Has he ever been like this before?"

Sherry didn't care about it much, "There have been two or three times."

Stella withdrew her gaze. "Ex-girlfriend?"

I think so, who else but an ex-girlfriend can make a man look like that.

Didn't you ask him?

Sherry tsked and put a piece of sushi into Stella's bowl. "Why would I ask him about it? He didn't ask me about my past either. He made a good point that everyone has had emotional experiences, and the pas is the past."

Stella said, "Are you a pig? Their relationship obviously hasn't been resolved. Since he's dating you, he should make a clean break with his ex-girlfriend."

From the conversation she just had with Brandon, she had a good impression of him, but she didn't expect him to give her such a turn.

Sherry took a sip of juice, stared at the food, and said abruptly, "Even if he deleted all her contact information, if he still can't forget her, it's still not considered a clean break."

Stella opened her mouth, but didn't know what she should say.

The reason why Sherry didn't ask too much about Brandon's ex-girlfriend was not because she was credulous on this matter.

Instead, it was because she simply didn't care about it.

Or it should be said that there was also someone in her heart that she couldn't forget.

So, she could empathize with Brandon's situation.

Ten minutes later, Brandon came back with an apologetic face, "I'm sorry."

Sherry smiled, "It's okay, the dishes are ready, let's eat."

Brandon nodded, and neither of them dwelled on the matter of who made the call.

Sherry knew that this was something unmentionable for Brandon.

While Brandon also knew that Sherry was not interested in his affairs.

Both of them went along with their parents' wishes because they couldn't be with the person they liked.

As long as the requirements were met in every respect, it didn't seem to matter who would be their partner.

After dinner, Brandon dropped them off at the downstairs of their neighborhood.

After waving goodbye to him, Sherry took Stella's hand and started a leisurely stroll in the neighborhood because she was stuffed. Sherry asked, "Stella, for what Winnie said today, did you get the message of it?"

Stella, on the other hand, was thinking about her and Brandon, so she couldn't give an immediate response for a while. "Hmm?"

I'm talking about Chan. I've been watching him all this time, and with Chassell having escaped, of course he won't went to that scum again, but he should have come to Winnie. Sherry said emotionally, "tell me what these two are thinking, one is holding back and the other knows but doesn't ask. It makes me anxious for them to watch them like this."

Stella said, "About Chan, it's because of... Jeffrey Radomil. As for Winnie, I had casually mentioned this to her a long time ago, and she probably thinks Chan is six years younger than her. so she should only regard Chan as her younger brother."

Mentioning Jeffrey, Sherry couldn't help but give a tsk, "That old..."

But then she seemed to think that he was still Channing's real father after all, and it wasn't quite appropriate to say so, so she swallowed the rest of her words back.

At this thought, Sherry added, "Stella, I really think that someone like Jeffrey can't give birth to Chan. Chan is so talented, handsome, has good grades, is polite and has a high IQ, none of these traits are similar to Jeffrey."

Stella said, "Clarence has investigated this matter before, including William, but they got the same results."

When Sherry heard these words, she frowned tightly and added, "I really don't understand, is it because God also feels that Jeffrey has done too many misdeeds, so God gave such a perfect son to him?" Stella let out a breath and looked up at the sky.

Sherry then asked, "By the way, how about Elaine? Will she still come to City N?"

Stella replied, "I'm not sure, it will take some time for us to find out."

That little girl is kinda adorable. She's at the age where she likes to run around. If I were her, I'd have a hard time with the rule that I'm only allowed to stay in Riverside City since childhood and forbidden to leave.

It isn't peaceful if she stays with the James family, so at least she can be safer staying with her dad.

That's right, too.

Stella suddenly stopped in her tracks, "Sherry, there's something I forgot to tell you."

Sherry asked, "What is it?"

Caesar he...was probably dead.

Sherry was stunned for a while, "Probably dead?"

Stella nodded and briefed her on what happened that day at the James family. She added, "When Caesar left by boat, the boat exploded and the hull was severely damaged. According to that situation, it is impossible for a person to survive, but up to now, they haven't found his body."

After a while, Sherry put on a faint smile and said, "Then let's consider him a dead man."

It would also make her feel better.00000000☐☐☐

Chapter 758: You Are a Little Unusual Today

As soon as she went back home, Sherry went to take a shower.

After that, she nestled on the sofa and picked up her phone.

Brandon messaged her ten minutes ago.

"Sherry, after getting along with you in the past few weeks, I gather you've known me a bit more. I wonder how you think about me. You are a nice girl. I know what we've learned about each other so far is not enough for us to get married. However, dating is a procedure to get to know each other. Would you like to progress our relationship to the next stage?

Sherry, would you be my girlfriend?"""

Sherry stared at the message in silence.

She quit the chatbox with Brandon. Then she scrolled to find Daniel's ID and tapped into it.

She started to scroll and browse their chat log.

After a long while, Sherry took a deep breath and deleted them all.

She tapped open the chatbox with Brandon again and typed "Okay".

After sending the message, Sherry put down the phone and lay prone on the sofa.

This was gonna be a fresh start, right?

Meanwhile, next door.

Stella was sorting clothes. When she took out the clothes from the suitcase, a small toy dropped on the floor.

She put the clothes away, squatted down, and picked up the toy.

Last night, when she was packing, the baby was playing next to her. He must have put it in her suitcase at that time. Holding the toy, Stella was in a daze. She sat on the floor for a long time before standing up and going to the bathroom.

After taking a shower, she opened a small bag and pulled out a box.

There was more than a dozen packs of herbal soup in there as well as medicine and syringes for injection.

Archer gave them to Stella in secret before she left.

They were enough for a week.

She needed to take the herbal soup twice and get an injection a day.

Archer had patiently taught her how to take the soup and the injection.

Stella exhaled. She put everything into the innermost corner of the fridge behind several lunch boxes.

Clarence knew he wasn't a good cook, so he would at most help with washing dishes or making congee, although he had never succeeded in cooking. He almost wouldn't open the fridge at all. Besides, she had hidden them behind the lunch boxes, so Clarence wouldn't find them.

Stella heated up a bag of herbal soup. Shortly after she drank it, she felt sleepy.

It seemed the herbal soup could also help her to sleep better.

As soon as she lay on the bed, she fell asleep quickly.

She slept so soundly that she didn't notice when Clarence had come home.

When she opened her eyes, it was already bright outside. The sun had risen.

She stretched and turned around, as usual, only to find Clarence's eyes were still closed. She wondered if he had been awake.

Stella knew he must have come home quite late. Hence, she didn't wake him up. Instead, she approached him and pecked on his nose. When she was about to sit up, her waist was wrapped. He said in a husky and sleepy tone, "Did you kiss me secretly again?"

Stella nestled on his chest with a smile. "I did it aboveboard."

Clarence slowly opened his eyes and pecked on her lips. "Morning."

Stella took over her phone and checked the time. "When did you come back last night? Why don't you sleep in a bit longer? I'll go make breakfast and wake you up later." Clarence answered, "At four."

Stella felt guilt and blamed herself inwardly. "Are things in Steward Group troublesome?"

Clarence held her and closed his eyes again. He answered slowly, "Not really. Southwest is relocating from abroad, so there are a lot of things to deal with." "Relocating back?"

Yep. It'll be more convenient.

Stella quieted down. She left his embrace. "Go on sleeping. I'll wake you up later."

Stella got up, fixed her hair, and went into the bathroom.

When cooking, she pulled out a syringe and gave herself an injection. Then she tossed the syringe into the trash can before heating up the herbal soup.

To let Clarence sleep in longer, Stella didn't wake him up immediately. Instead, after finishing eating, drinking the herbal soup, cleaning up the kitchen, and getting dressed, she woke him up before going to work.

Standing next to him, she whispered, "The food is in the pot. You can eat it after getting up. I'm going to work now."

As she spoke, she was about to leave, but Clarence grabbed her wrist.

He sat up slowly. "Wait for me. I'll give you a ride."

Stella said, "It's alright. Sherry is waiting for me. I'll go with her."

After a pause, she asked, "Will you go to Steward Group today as well?"

Clarence hummed. Looking at her, he said, "You look a bit unusual today." She was taken aback. Her eyes twinkled, and she looked away.

She wondered how sensitive his nose was. Did he smell the herbal soup? Thinking of that, she sniffed on herself.

She already got changed and put on the perfume.

How did he still smell the herb from her?

While she was bewildered and wondering how she had given herself away, Clarence approached her and said, "You look unusually pretty."

For a moment, she wanted to throw two punches at him.

Clarence smiled and let go of her. "All right. I'll let you go. Bye."

Stella took a few steps. Then she looked back and said, "You'd better stop reading those cheesy pickup lines anymore. Do you know how old you are? Those words are for the youngsters to flirt with each other. You're too old for this."

Stella was delighted to see him like that. She walked out while humming a song.

On the way to the studio, Sherry saw the big smile hanging on her face and asked, "Has Mr. Conrad told you any smart way to get rich? Tell me about it."

She returned to her senses and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Before I came to work, I sort of roasted him. When I think of his face back then, it's just funny."

Sherry clicked her tongue. "You love birds. Thank you for the PDA."

As she spoke, she shrugged. "I'm not jealous at all. After all, I also have a boyfriend."

Stella paused. "Brandon Chang and you..."

Sherry nodded and said in a relaxed tone, "We confirmed our relationship last night."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 759: Is He Indeed Reliable?

Sherry...

Sherry knew what she was going to say. With a smile, she interrupted, "No worries. I've thought it through. I'm just dating him, not marrying him. If we don't match, we can break up. I will continue looking for a new boyfriend."

Stella smiled. "I agree. There are billions of men in this world. You can always find a new one if the current one doesn't work."

“Uh-huh. That's right. Probably I will fall in love with Brandon when dating him. Maybe we'll have a wedding earlier than you do." Speaking of that, Sherry added, "By the way, I forgot to ask when you're going to hold the wedding. I saw you confirm the wedding details before."

Stella said as they were strolling forward, "I don't know yet. We've been quite busy recently. Just wait for a while and see."

You'd better hurry up. Aren't you planning to have a second baby? If your belly was big during the wedding, it would be inconvenient, and you would feel exhausted.

Stella agreed with her. However, she had just started to take medicine to nurse her health. It was uncertain when she would get pregnant.

Clarence would get busier and busier. No matter the wedding or the pregnancy, they probably would need a long time.

Stella nodded. "I got it. I'll consider it carefully."

As they were talking, they arrived at the studio.

Stella said, "Sherry, I'm going to work. Call me if you need any help."

Sherry said, "Go ahead. I keep an eye outside."

Entering her office, Stella sat down at the desk, opened her draft book, turned on the computer and Wacom, and scanned those drafts onto the computer one after another. Then she modified the details.

During lunch, Sherry told Stella that Winnie had called earlier. Winnie had found someone to talk to them about the endorsement, publicizing, and the operations in the afternoon.

To avoid distracting Stella's attention from the design, Sherry decided to be in charge of it entirely.

However, the endorsement was a big thing. Also, Winnie was famous with a huge fan base. Sherry didn't know much about this matter, so she found it a bit difficult.

Hence, Stella thought of someone.

In the afternoon, Donald Shawn showed up in their studio.

He looked at Stella and Sherry on alert, crossing his arms in front of his chest in a defensive position. "What do you want? I'm a professional attorney. I'm not an easy man. If you are drooling at my handsome face and have any intention on me, we can sit and discuss..."

...This idiot.

Sherry looked at Stella and whispered, "Is he indeed reliable?"

Stella's lips twitched. "Should be OK. It's better than nobody."

Donald was like a cat being poked.

He said, "What exactly are you unsure about me? You must make it clear. If you hurt my dignity as a man, I'll fall out with you."

Stella took a deep breath and looked at Donald again. "I'd like you to write a contract and an agreement for me."

She briefed on the matter that Winnie had invested in their studio and wanted to be their spokesperson.

Donald breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted his posture. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I thought it was a big deal. I almost have to get myself burned on the stake to prove my innocence. We can talk about it on the phone, but you insisted on calling me over. You must treat me for dinner."

Of course. That was just part of it.

Donald was alert again. "What else?"

Stella smiled at him. "I recalled that Clarence had paid you when you were working in Steward Group. In fact, you didn't stay there for very long, so..."

Donald immediately interrupted her, "I've used all the money up. I won't give it back."

I didn't mean to let you give it back. Recently, we've been quite busy working on some contracts. Could you do us a favor?

Donald's intuition told him it wasn't something good.

He found an excuse and said apologetically, "You should know how busy a lawyer is. I always have lawsuits, and I need to gather the evidence and all sorts. I truly want to help you, but I don't have enough time..."

Stella directly interjected, "I've confirmed with Nathan. You've just finished an important case, and now you are on vacation."

He said reluctantly, "No wonder you are Clarence's wife. I... Nathan is so unlucky to know you guys."

Stella knew that he had agreed. With a smile, she said, "All right. That's a deal. I'll treat you for dinner tonight. What would you like to have?"

Donald told her the name of the most expensive restaurant in City N.

Stella said, "I'm sorry, but our budget is limited. If you don't mind, I can cook for you."

Wow. What an honor.

After a moment, he forced himself to accept it. "I get to decide what I want to eat."

Stella smiled. "Sure. Go ahead."

Donald would be extremely useful for them.

Hence, they had enough manpower.

They started preparing for Winnie's endorsement.

Donald wasn't only capable of dealing with different kinds of legal matters but also on everything about the endorsement.

As time went by, he was in charge of all relevant matters.

After all, he had to work hard instead of going back home to inherit his family enterprise.

In the following days, Stella could hear Donald constantly whining about "I'm going to hell, am I not."

With his help, Sherry progressed fast. She found a few suitable places and inspected them. Then, she chose one indoor and one outdoor location and discussed the decoration and shooting schedule with the staff.

When Clarence was away, Stella would take medicine and injection in secret. When she didn't have time in the morning, she would take the herb soup to the studio.

After one week, Archer mailed her new ones.

Despite if this medicine could help Stella get pregnant, she became spirited recently. She wondered if that was the medicine's effect or because she had slept earlier. However, the injection made her feel uncomfortable every time.

It was like coldness and pain were injected into her blood. The chill wrapped around her cells. When she shivered, she also felt numb.

When Archer mailed her the medicine, Stella felt sickened when looking at them.

Clarence came to the bedroom from the living room. Seeing that she was pale, he walked to her and asked, "What happened? Are you sick?"

In a hurry, Stella closed the box. "Nothing. I must have been too busy today. I felt dizzy."

Clarence looked over at the foam box in front of her. "What's inside?" he asked.000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 760: Playing Cute at Me Everyday

Subconsciously, Stella turned around to hide the box. She looked at Clarence and said, "It's nothing special. By the way, Donald said he wanted to have seafood. I bought some online. We've invited him over for dinner a few days later. I can put them into the freezer first."

Upon hearing it, Clarence didn't think otherwise. He just said, "You should've just ignored him. He's supposed to appreciate the chance to have dinner here. This picky man."

Stella smiled, pulling him into the living room. "Well, he's quite hardworking recently. I do have to thank him."

Clarence grabbed hold of her waist, pressed her onto the sofa, and cupped her face. He said huskily, "I'm also hardworking. Why didn't you thank me?"

Stella looked at him with her watery eyes. "I was already asleep when you came home. How did I cook for you? I'll make soup for you tomorrow. When you come back..." Clarence stared at her and said slowly, "You know what I mean..."

It had been a month since they went to Riverside City and came back.

As Clarence finished speaking, the atmosphere changed instantly.

Their intertwined breath heated.

When his kiss landed on her skin, Stella closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and responded to him slowly.

His hand touched her sensitive skin, making her thrill.

When his passionate kiss fell down along her neck, Stella's breath became heavier. She gripped his shirt tightly and bit her bottom lip to avoid letting out moans.

A moment later, Clarence held her in his arms, bit her ear, and whispered, "Shall we go back to the bedroom?"

Stella didn't answer. Looking at him with her glistening eyes, she pressed him down on the sofa and kissed his lips. Her hand unbuttoned his shirt.

Clarence raised his eyebrows in surprise. She rarely took the initiative in sex.

With one hand wrapped around her waist, he moved the other hand down along her back.

Shortly after, Stella lay prone on his chest as if she had no strength at all. Her breath became ragged while she moaned.

Clarence whispered into her ear with a smile, "Do you like it?"

His fingers kept moving.

Stella was overwhelmed. She urged, "Hurry up!"

The next second, Stella almost exclaimed. She wanted to pull his hand off, but she had no strength at all.

Clarence pressed on her and whispered in her ear, "Didn't you ask?"

Stella gritted her teeth. "I didn't mean doing that."

Clarence's eyes were full of tease. "Then what?"

She inwardly cursed the wretched man.

She wouldn't say as he pleased.

Seeing that, Clarence snickered. His eyes darkened. He stopped kidding with her, withdrew his fingers, and pulled the tissues to wipe them.

He couldn't hold back his desire any longer.

Upon hearing the sounds next to her, Stella knew what he was doing without looking.

When Clarence was about to get up and go back to the bedroom to fetch condoms, Stella pulled him to stop. She opened her eyes with a blushed face and asked softly, "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"

Clarence rang the bell.

They planned to have another baby.

He pressed on her, bit her lips, and said slowly, "All right."

When it ended, Stella lay on the bed, too tired to move a bit.

Before falling asleep, she suddenly recalled something. She looked up at Clarence and asked, "Do you smoke recently?"

He looked away with guilt and coughed.

Stella curled her lips. She knew he smoked behind her back.

She said, "I don't mind before, but... can you quit smoking for a while? You'd better not drink as well."

Sure. Clarence asked, "When will you take me to see your doctor?"

Stella didn't answer this time. She nestled in his arms and faked yawning. "In the future. You have been too busy recently. Let's wait..."

As she spoke, her voice lowered. Then she breathed evenly, seemingly she had fallen asleep.

He pecked on her forehead and whispered, "Good night."

Although Stella faked falling asleep, she was indeed sleepy. Soon, she fell asleep for real in his arms.

Probably she had been going to bed and getting up early, her biological clock was basically set. When it was just seven the following morning, she woke up.

As soon as she moved a bit, she felt sore all over. Then she turned around to sleep in.

Clarence was considerate enough after he got satisfied. He whispered, "What would you like to have for breakfast? I'll buy them for you."

Stella pressed her head into the quilt and hummed. She muffled, "Anything. Whatever you get for me."

Seeing that she was genuinely sleepy, Clarence didn't disturb her. After he bought the food, he got a box of milk from the fridge and poured it into the glasses.

He saw the foam box was in the corner.

Soon the fridge was closed.

When Stella was woken up by Clarence again, it had been half-past eight.

She stretched, rubbing her eyes.

Clarence stroked her hair. "Still sleepy?"

Stella pouted as if she was playing cute.

Clarence smiled. "Why don't you keep on sleeping and skip the morning?"

A few seconds later, Stella gave up. She got off the bed.

She had been swamped recently, so there was too much work. Sherry and Donald had almost been in charge of everything. Stella only needed to draft the design.

It would be shameful for her if she was sleeping at home while others were busy.

After sitting for a while, Stella still didn't want to move at all. She reached out to Clarence with her eyes closed. "Carry me to the bathroom."

Clarence's heart softened when he looked at her. He carried her in his arms and walked into the bathroom. He asked, "Have you considered playing soft and cute to me every day?"

She whispered, "Have you considered zipping your mouth? If you can be less sharp-tongued, you are allowed to speak a limited quota of good words every day."

He put her on the sink platform, trapped her between his chest and the sink, and humped. "Does that mean no?"

Stella wrapped around his neck, squinting. With a bright smile, she said, "It depends on my mood."

Clarence squinted, lowered his head, and was about to kiss her. Stella hopped off and dodged him. Pushing him out of the bathroom, she said, "All right. All right. I'm going to tidy myself up. You should go to work."

Clarence turned around. He cupped her cheeks and made her mouth pout.

Lowering his head, he pecked on her lips. "Probably I'll consider about it if this could be my award."0000000