Chapter
“Stupid platform! Fix the livestream right now! I won’t be able to sleep tonight If I don’t see Rowan slapping that slank”
The world seemed to fade away for stella at that moment. She saw only Rowan. She bit her lip and, unable to control her tears, mumbled in a hoarse voice, “I miss you. I’m only crying because I miss you…”
Her arms were still wrapped around his waist, and she tightened her bald as it afraid he might disappear.
She stared at him with misty eyes. “I miss you so much, Rowan. I mean it ”
Rowan fell speechless. She called him by his first name, but he couldn’t help wondering if she meant to say “Randy” instead. Had she made a mistake?
He paused for a moment and suddenly looked around. Everyone who had been staring in their direction, waiting for the next kemel of gossip, immediately looked away and suddenly grew very interested in their surroundings.
Clutching Stella’s slender arms, Rowan tried to pry them off his waist so he could take her to the car, where they could talk. However, Stella panicked at this and quickly tightened her arms around him even more, soliding, “Please don’t go, Rowan. Please don’t leave me. I’ll be good and listen to you, I promise…” Rowan’s hands froze on her arms. Exasperation colored his handsome face. “I’m not leaving you, but can we get into the car first?
Stella did not believe him. She eyed him tearfully. “I’m scared that you’ll disappear it 1 let go.”
All of this was like a dream–one so wonderful that she couldn’t bear to let go.
Rowan’s gaze softened. “What do have to do for you to let go of me?”
stella’s tearful eyes lit up. “Kiss me,” she said softly and carefully. “Kiss me so that I know you’re real, Rowan. Please?”
She hadn’t kissed him long enough to know that he was real before he shoved her away. She wanted to kiss him and feel the warmth of his lips. She didn’t want to recall how cold his lips had been when he pressed them to her ear and begged her to love him.
Rowan’s lips pressed tato a thin line as his dark gaze trailed from her eyes to her red lips. She had only ever run that pretty mouth of hers to get under his skin, her words often cold and heartless
What had come over her today and made her say such sweet things to him? Had she decided to employ the honey trap? Was she seducing him in front of the audience to collect evidence of his being bewitched by her beauty and mock him for it later?
Rowan narrowed his eyes slowly as his lips curled. Unfortunately for Stella, he had never been afraid of a honey trap, not even as a child!
With that in mind, he remained composed and chuckded. 111s slender fingers cupped her cheek as he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers.
All he could think about at that moment was how soft and sweet Stella’s lips were. As such, she was the our on the losing end for choosing to use the honey trap on him!
The livestream was back on just as Rowan lowered his head to kiss Stella. The camera was pointed at the handsome man in the silver–gray sult kissing the beautiful young lady in his arms.
Stella’s pink tulle ball gown fluttered gently in the breeze, grazing Rowan’s silver–gray trousers. The crystals on her gown shimmered like starlight. It was a picture -perfect moment straight out of a fairytale–a prince kissing his princess
The anxious netizens who didn’t take a good look at the scene began to flood the livestream with comments. “Has be slapped her yet?
Those who got a good look at the kiss could only sigh in despair. “Yeah, he slapped her with a kiss on the mouth.”
iples were bombarded with stella and Rowan’s stupt on the red carpet.
Everynur opped caring about who would win the Best Actress or Best Actor Awards at the ceremony. Instead, Stella dominated half the trending topics simply by being
All the major news platfoams were flooded with posts almet Stella and Rowan Having witnessed Rowan, the proud heir of the Mansfield family, Teach Stella lesson” bykissing her on the mouth, the netizens were buzzing with commentary on the gossip forums.
Some pengide thought that Mella had souter kind of leverage over Rowan and had black nailed him into kissing her. Others believed she’d seduced him with her Joods. There was evenaghuquot prople who suspected that Stella might have used some sort of witchcraft or wondno to manipulate Rowan
In my case, imo nue believed Bowan grosinely wanted to kiss Stella
To the netizens, Howan and Mella were like two parallel lines that should never cross, their statuses worlds
time personeæen commented harshly, “just wait, per Howan comes to his senses, Skanky Stella will die a painful death! It she doesn’t, I’ll do a backdlip and ear
While the intemel was in chaos, stella leaned against lowan in the spacious backseat of his silver Rolls–Royer and stared at him longingly.
Hewan lazily stretched out his long legs, booking relaxed as he leaned back in his seat. Its slender fingers gripped his phone as he dismissed yet another call from someone concerned for him. Anoyed, lue switched off his phone.
He they turned to look at the young Lady beside him, his volor casual but cold as he asked, “All right, talk. Did you lose your memory, or did you get confused and inistake me for Momentir else?”
“I didn’t make a mistake.” Stella quickly shook her head, her slender fingers instinctively curling around his arm as she made to clutch him. kuwain raised abouw, “No hupping Stay in your seat.
I hadbeen hard enough getting her to der po earlier, and now that they were in the cat, she was back at it again. There was no one els darkened as he told her in stop. Only then did Stella obediently release her grip.
s no one else around, and Rowan’s face
He wondered what had gotten into her. Why was she so eager to throw herself at him? Was she like this with Randy, too? Rowan’s gaze landened as he thought about it.
stellafroze, and here fingers curled slightly upon grazing foowan’s sleeve. Her lips were lightly bitten, and her eyes were misty as she gazed at him piteously. Howan frowned, his eyes narrowing. He held herclear, steady gaze. There was lurt in her sparkling eyes, and she looked so fortom that one might think Rowan had
Something was off, le realized, Something was wrong with the troublemaking young lady before him! His eyes narrowed into slits, his dark gaze unreadable as asked, “You said you didn’t make a mistake, but do you even know who I am?”
Stella’s Lashes fottered like delicate butterfly wings as she answered softly, “You’re Rowan Mansfield.” In a voice barely above a whisper, she added, “You’re my
Rowan’s beat Careened from beat to heat. His brows furrowed as he suddenly raised his hand, curled his fingers, and lightly pressed the back of his hand to her forelat Hasked pensively, “Are you sick? Are you delirious from a fever?”
The bark of a hand was cool against her skin, and she suddenly flashard back to the cold embrace he’d given her during his last moments. She clenched her fists and said in an evenquieter voice, “No.”
Howa drew his hand back and crossed his ans. He lifted his brow and stared at her questioningly “Then what is it? Did you come up with a new trick to mess with
As he said that, he suddenly thought of soinrthing, and lids expression hardened, “If I remember correctly, the Pairchilds are throwing a party tomorrow. Theard That loser Handy bought a ring and plans to propose to Celina tomorrow. The Morsen and the Fairchilds serin inclined to proceed with the engagement ”
month ago, Mella was thrown out of the family because all the evidence pointed for her staging Celina’s kidnapping, which nearly ended with the latter getting
muted thella’s patents were so disappointed in let that they publicly disowned her. Because of Hils, Stella and Randy’s engagement was called off as well. formar so twded, and their was no wanath in his grease leveled a sharp look at Stella. “Are you planning to use me to spite Handy, Stella?”
seen titella slap telina before he got out of the car earlier. He had panicked at that moment fle’d always known Stella had a foul temper, but he never
i thought
an figured Stella had blown her top because of Handy.
elinda Hodde, Powanluuriedly got me of the
hanking he could step la if anyone gave her hell for slapping Celina that he never thought
stella had planted on his lips. He could still taste the sweetness of them. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. “You don‘
sruddering slanin
ailly posing Lady out of his car when Mella asked him, “Win”
She added: “I don’t know him.”
Tod a couple of in
Grained forward tutapile glaudivider. che ordered Vincent Boden, who was in the driver’s seat “Take insta
Toward Lionheart H
e’d gone mad. She had recovered from the shock of being reborn and was rectain she had hawan believe her. After all, slur couldn’t came less about anyone else but hini
He was the only person in this world she needed to remember and love.
She was still pondering this when Rowan wamedicily, “This is your last chance, Stella Come clean about whatever game you’re playing. Don’t expect to come out nLionheart Hospital once they take you in.”
In the car’s dim lighting, Stella studied Rowan’s Indifferent expression and pursed her lips.
Before she was burned in her previous life, she always thought his gaze was as cold as an iceberg that would never thaw. But later, she realized that beneath Rowan’s by exterior was a heart that bumed so fiercely that it could melt even the hardest ice.
she lowered her gaze and said softly, “I’m not playing games. Fonly want to love you.”
Rowan had kept a cool and collected front until he heard those words. She said she wanted to love him, but how? His lips pressed into a thin line, and he suddenly sneered. “Stella, do you think I’m stupid?”
Stella looked up and saw a way smile curving his lips. “Need I remind you what you said about me when we met at the hotel lobby this moming?
Stella blinked. Memories from that morning seemed so distant that it took her some effort to recall what had transpired.
She did see him that moming at the hotel lobby. He had come out of the elevator just as she was entering. When they brushed past each other, she’d told Erin pointedly, “Take out the perfume and start spritzing. The smell of pretentious fools is stinking up the whole elevator!”
With that, Stella even glared at Rowan and scoffed. “What a bad start to the moming!!
Stella’s gaze flickered as the memory played in her head. Rowan snotted “Judging from the look on your face, I take it that you remember now?
The next second, Stellashook her head in confusion.
“No, I don’t remember.” She tipped her head to the side, her doe eyes so full of puzzlement that it was as if she had truly forgotten. She asked innocently, “How did I speak to you this morning? Did I tell you how handsome you locked, that you smelled wonderful, that I like you a whole lor, and that I love you very, very much?”
Shit! As Rowan cursed inwardly, he prodded the root of his mouth with his tongue. His fingers twitched, and he gave Stella a hard flick on the forehead, “Don’t bother acting dumb, stella! Your tricks won’t work on me!”
Damn, had she worked her charms on Randy just like this, too?
Stella blinked as she pressed her palm to her forehead. She stared at him blankly and asked, “Then what will work on you
Rowan scoffed. “Nothing will work on me”
Rowan
But before he could finish speaking, stella had launched herself at him with another kiss. His eyes widened, and their faces were so close together, Rowan could feel her lashes brushing against his skin. The ticklish sensation made him close his eyes instinctively.
The kiss lasted for three seconds before Stella pulled away and asked in a soft, silly voice, “Does that work on you?”
Rowan swallowed hard and pressed his lips. “No
She leaned forward again and captured him in another kiss, her soft, warm lips brushing against his. Rowan could practically feel the delicate texture of his lips. He suddenly snapped to his senses and gripped her face, shoving her away. He gritted his teeth “Stella-”
“It that still doesn’t work, open your mouth and let me kiss you for real, Rowan,” Stella cut him off and met his gaze, her eyes sparkling. She inched closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she tipped her face up to look at him. Starlight glittered in her eyes as she whispered expectantly, “Please?
