Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Stella froze. She didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes were huge. Jordan felt like he’d just been hit with a lightning bolt. He couldn’t take his eyes
off her.
Her lips didn’t look dry or cracked anymore. Now they were soft and glossy, almost like candy, the kind that made a guy want to kiss her.
Just as Jordan leaned in a little more, Stella jerked back. Her face lit up bright red. That was her first real kiss. Jordan wasn’t done, though. His lips twitched a bit, like he was craving more.
“Why… why were you standing so close?” Stella mumbled, eyes down, totally embarrassed. Seeing her like that, Jordan had to swallow hard.
“I just wanted to check out your research,” he said. “Didn’t think you’d suddenly turn your head.”
Truth was, he had leaned in on purpose. But he didn’t expect her to turn just then and kiss him like that. And yeah, it felt pretty amazing.
Stella didn’t know what to say.
To break the awkwardness, Jordan picked up her research and started pointing things out like nothing had happened. As soon as they started talking about work again, things felt way less weird.
But the second they stopped, the tension came right back. Jordan spoke first. “Alright, I’m heading back to my office. If you need anything,
call me.”
“Okay.” Stella thought about walking him out, but changed her mind. The vibe between them was just too awkward. As Jordan walked out, he touched his mouth with his hand. A smirk crept up on his face. He walked off fast.
Stella did the same. She kept touching her lips without realizing it. Back in high school, some kids were already secretly dating. Sometimes she and Emily would catch couples hiding in corners, making out.
They never dared to watch, but they were curious. One time, Emily asked her, “Stella, have you ever wondered what your first kiss would feel like? I heard it’s sweet, like a movie moment.”
At the time, Stella was totally into Lionel. Blushing, she said, “Yeah, I’ve heard that too. But I haven’t had mine yet.”
“Lionel never tried to kiss you?”
“Pretty sure he just saw me as a little sister.”
“I don’t buy that,” Emily said. “He treats you way better than your actual brother. I think he likes you–just waiting for you to grow up.
“We’re almost eighteen. If he doesn’t make a move, you should. You’ve got someone right in front of you. Why not go for it?”
That idea kind of stuck with Stella. On her eighteenth birthday, she had planned to kiss Lionel. But too many classmates showed up, and she
lost her chance.
After that, everything fell apart. Now here she was, stuck in this version of her life. Honestly, she’d stopped thinking about love or marriage. But that kiss still made her heart skip a beat.
Of course, she knew better. There was no way someone like her could ever be good enough for someone like Jordan.
It was already more than she could hope for that Jordan was willing to marry her. She should’ve kept her heart guarded and not let herself feel anything deeper for him.
That night, when they got home, Stella acted like nothing had happened. She treated Jordan just like she always did. But Eleanor noticed something was off,
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Chapter 128
She pulled Stella aside with a smile and asked, “Stella, what’s going on with you and Jordan? You two seemed kinda different.”
“Nothing’s wrong, Grandma. You must be imagining things,” Stella answered quickly.
“No, I’m not. You weren’t fighting. It felt more like something was heating up between you two. Did something more personal happen?*
Eleanor gave her a knowing look.
Stella was surprised at how sharp Grandma was. But then again, with her age and experience, it made sense. “Well… today… Grandma, I
don’t know how to explain it,” Stella said, clearly embarrassed.
Eleanor laughed softly. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. I understand some things are just between you two.”
Stella blushed even more. Eleanor was genuinely happy. Even though their marriage hadn’t started really, seeing them get closer made her
smile.
“Take good care of Jordan. Don’t listen to what others say about him. I can tell he’s a good guy. Maybe all that stuff people say is just his way of protecting himself.
“Maybe it’s because of what he’s been through. But one thing’s for sure–he’s genuine when it comes to you,” she said.
Stella looked at Eleanor, confused. Eleanor didn’t say more. She just patted Stella’s hand and said she was going to bed.
As Stella left, her mind kept replaying Eleanor’s words. ‘What did Grandma mean by ‘he’s genuine when it comes to me? Could she think
Jordan likes me?‘
Stella didn’t believe it. To her, Jordan probably just saw her as a friend. Meanwhile, in the study, Jordan was reading the files his assistant had gathered.
Everything was laid out in front of him. The documents showed that the Hayes family’s relatives looked down on Stella, so both her maternal and paternal grandparents treated her terribly.
Every time the family went to her maternal grandfather’s house, her maternal grandmother never let her sit at the table. All the other kids got to eat, except her.
While the other kids ate well at their maternal grandmother’s, Stella went home hungry every time. The kids, led by Max, bullied her constantly. If she ever fought back, she got beaten badly.
And those were just the minor things. The worst thing was brutal. If Stella sneaked into the kitchen for a bite, her maternal grandmother would criticize her harshly.
They didn’t treat her like a family. Anyone in the house could hit her, and Andrew and Fiona never cared. Then there was Silas, the worst of all. He knew Stella was his niece, but he still did terrible things to her.
When Jordan read that, his calmness vanished. His hands clenched into fists. He slammed one hard on the desk. And there was more.
At her paternal grandmother’s, things were even worse. They made Stella do housework. If she accidentally broke a dish, she got scolded.
Once, kids pushed her into the water. She nearly drowned. If a passerby hadn’t saved her, she wouldn’t be here today. These kinds of things happened all the time.
The assistant’s report was dozens of pages long. Every page was packed with tiny text, showing just how awful Stella’s childhood had been. And yet, despite all that, she still stayed warm, hopeful, and full of life until that kidnapping happened, which broke her completely.
Now, the Hayes family had forced her to become tough and ruthless. Jordan felt heartbroken. But even more than that, he wondered why he hadn’t met her sooner.
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The files said that before Stella met Kevin and Emily, the only light in her life had been Lionel. But Lionel did something temble. He deverHA
a terrible end.
