Chapter 194
After a good sleep, Stella felt much better. She didn’t even notice Kevin standing by the window–her eyes were only for Jordan.
“Why did you come back?” she asked, her voice still a bit weak.
Jordan’s eyes were filled with pain. “I’m sorry, Stella. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
Stella quickly shook her head. “No, you didn’t do anything. Why would you think it’s your fault?”
“No, even though I left, I hired bodyguards to protect you. I never expected them to just vanish. It was only recently that I found out they were already…”
Stella had no idea there were bodyguards at all, but from the way Jordan spoke, it sounded like something was seriously wrong with them.
“What happened to the bodyguards?” she asked.
“They’re dead,” Jordan said. “I underestimated how dangerous the enemy was. I’ve looked into the Hayes family. They shouldn’t have had this kind of power.
“I’m not sure if Monroe was involved, but after analyzing it, I don’t think so. Think carefully. Has Anna been in contact with anyone else?”
Stella suddenly realized what was going on. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ve always thought Anna was a bit too powerful. How could she always handle things so easily? There must be someone helping her from behind the scenes.”
She thought hard for a moment, and then shook her head. “I really don’t know who Anna’s been in contact with.”
“Looks like I’ll have to dig deeper and find out who’s backing her. Otherwise, more people will get dragged into this,” Jordan said.
Stella nodded. “Once I’m better, I’ll look into it myself.”
Jordan took her hand and asked, “Does it still hurt a lot?”
Stella shifted a little, and the look on her face gave her away. She hadn’t planned on hiding it from him, anyway. She said sadly, “Yeah, it really hurts, Jordan. It hurts so much.”
Jordan blew gently on her hand. He knew it wouldn’t really help, but seeing Stella drop her guard and trust him completely warmed his
heart.
Watching how careful and gentle he was, Stella felt a warm glow in her heart. She asked, “Hey, weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip? How did you end up back here?”
“How could I not come back?” Jordan said. “I was swamped with work and never imagined something like this would happen to you. I thought I had everything covered. I hadn’t even given your assistant my contact info before, but I did this time.
“Now, if anything ever happens and you go missing, she’ll reach out to me right away. It was my fault. I didn’t get Mary’s call, so I was late
getting to you.”
Stella put her other hand over his. “Don’t beat yourself up. It was just bad luck and timing. As soon as you found out I was missing, you rushed back, didn’t you? And look, you saved me.
*Jordan, do you know what kept me going? It was the thought that you’d come for me. I just knew you would.”
Jordan couldn’t hold back anymore. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. One kiss wasn’t enough–he kept kissing her gently, unable to stop himself.
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Chapter 194
Kevin knew he shouldn’t be watching. Out there, he was just extra. But he still wanted to say a few words to Stella. The whole time, he kept hoping she would notice him, even if she just looked his way for a moment.
Stella melted into the kiss, losing all sense of time until Jordan finally pulled away. His gaze never left her. He said softly, “Stella, I’m sorry for all the pain and injustice you’ve had to endure.”
In that moment, Stella finally broke down. She cried her heart out, sobbing harder than she ever had before.
Her cries were so heartbreaking that even people outside–strangers who had nothing to do with her–could feel their hearts ache for her.
Every time something like this had happened before, Stella had forced herself to be strong, to hold back her tears. But now, she finally let herself break down and cry her heart out. For the first time, she felt truly at ease.
Jordan stayed right there with her the whole time. He held her hand tightly, using his other hand to wipe away her tears over and over again.
Half an hour passed before Stella finally stopped crying, though her eyes were red and swollen.
Jordan smiled gently at her and asked, “How are you feeling? Do you feel better now?”
Stella gave a slight nod and said, “Thanks, Jordan. If it weren’t for you, I never would have been able to let go. You’re a gift from heaven to me, and I swear I’ll treasure you always.”
Jordan smiled gently. “Silly, you’re the real gift heaven sent me. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
They shared a smile. They cared about no one else at that moment.
Suddenly, Jordan remembered something and quickly pulled out his phone. “Stella, I have some good news for you.”
He opened up his gallery app and started flipping through the photos, showing them to Stella one by one.
He said, “I know you wanted to deal with Anna yourself, but seeing you like this, I just couldn’t stand by and watch anymore. So I took matters into my own hands and made her pay for what she did to you.
“I had someone find out exactly what you went through in prison, and then I made sure Anna experienced every single thing you suffered. What do you think? Does this make you feel better?”
Stella looked at the photos, and she didn’t feel even a shred of pity. It was nothing like when she was a kid.
Back then, every time Anna got hurt, she’d rush over without hesitation, even if she herself was the one suffering the most. She’d still take.
care of Anna first.
But now, all she felt was that it still wasn’t enough. Of course it wasn’t enough. After everything Anna had done, this was nothing.
“Is she still in your hands?” Stella asked.
“Yeah. I also had someone bring Andrew over. Anna could never have pulled this off in prison by herself. Andrew had to be the one helping
her. I told them to make sure Andrew gets to experience everything you went through, three times over.”
Stella said, “Exactly, let them feel it. They never treated me like family, so why should I treat them like family?”
Jordan said, “And as for Monroe, you don’t have to worry. Kevin and I already went to the Johnson family and told Arthur everything, Monroe is definitely going to be punished.”
“Kevin? He came, too?” Stella asked in surprise. Only then did she finally take the chance to look outside. With just one glance, she spotted Kevin.
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ter 194
After a good sleep, Stella felt much better. She didn’t even notice Kevin standing by the window–her eyes were only for Jordan.
“Why did you come back?” she asked, her voice still a bit weak.
Jordan’s eyes were filled with pain. “I’m sorry, Stella. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
Stella quickly shook her head. “No, you didn’t do anything. Why would you think it’s your fault?”
“No, even though I left, I hired bodyguards to protect you. I never expected them to just vanish. It was only recently that I found out they were already…”
Stella had no idea there were bodyguards at all, but from the way Jordan spoke, it sounded like something was seriously wrong with them.
“What happened to the bodyguards?” she asked.
“They’re dead,” Jordan said. “I underestimated how dangerous the enemy was. I’ve looked into the Hayes family. They shouldn’t have had this kind of power.
“I’m not sure if Monroe was involved, but after analyzing it, I don’t think so. Think carefully. Has Anna been in contact with anyone else?”
Stella suddenly realized what was going on. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ve always thought Anna was a bit too powerful. How could she always handle things so easily? There must be someone helping her from behind the scenes.”
She thought hard for a moment, and then shook her head. “I really don’t know who Anna’s been in contact with.”
“Looks like I’ll have to dig deeper and find out who’s backing her. Otherwise, more people will get dragged into this,” Jordan said.
Stella nodded. “Once I’m better, I’ll look into it myself.”
Jordan took her hand and asked, “Does it still hurt a lot?”
Stella shifted a little, and the look on her face gave her away. She hadn’t planned on hiding it from him, anyway. She said sadly, “Yeah, it really hurts, Jordan. It hurts so much.”
Jordan blew gently on her hand. He knew it wouldn’t really help, but seeing Stella drop her guard and trust him completely warmed his
heart.
Watching how careful and gentle he was, Stella felt a warm glow in her heart. She asked, “Hey, weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip? How did you end up back here?”
“How could I not come back?” Jordan said. “I was swamped with work and never imagined something like this would happen to you. I thought I had everything covered. I hadn’t even given your assistant my contact info before, but I did this time.
“Now, if anything ever happens and you go missing, she’ll reach out to me right away. It was my fault. I didn’t get Mary’s call, so I was late
getting to you.”
Stella put her other hand over his. “Don’t beat yourself up. It was just bad luck and timing. As soon as you found out I was missing, you rushed back, didn’t you? And look, you saved me.
*Jordan, do you know what kept me going? It was the thought that you’d come for me. I just knew you would.”
Jordan couldn’t hold back anymore. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. One kiss wasn’t enough–he kept kissing her gently, unable to stop himself.
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Chapter 194
Kevin knew he shouldn’t be watching. Out there, he was just extra. But he still wanted to say a few words to Stella. The whole time, he kept hoping she would notice him, even if she just looked his way for a moment.
Stella melted into the kiss, losing all sense of time until Jordan finally pulled away. His gaze never left her. He said softly, “Stella, I’m sorry for all the pain and injustice you’ve had to endure.”
In that moment, Stella finally broke down. She cried her heart out, sobbing harder than she ever had before.
Her cries were so heartbreaking that even people outside–strangers who had nothing to do with her–could feel their hearts ache for her.
Every time something like this had happened before, Stella had forced herself to be strong, to hold back her tears. But now, she finally let herself break down and cry her heart out. For the first time, she felt truly at ease.
Jordan stayed right there with her the whole time. He held her hand tightly, using his other hand to wipe away her tears over and over again.
Half an hour passed before Stella finally stopped crying, though her eyes were red and swollen.
Jordan smiled gently at her and asked, “How are you feeling? Do you feel better now?”
Stella gave a slight nod and said, “Thanks, Jordan. If it weren’t for you, I never would have been able to let go. You’re a gift from heaven to me, and I swear I’ll treasure you always.”
Jordan smiled gently. “Silly, you’re the real gift heaven sent me. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
They shared a smile. They cared about no one else at that moment.
Suddenly, Jordan remembered something and quickly pulled out his phone. “Stella, I have some good news for you.”
He opened up his gallery app and started flipping through the photos, showing them to Stella one by one.
He said, “I know you wanted to deal with Anna yourself, but seeing you like this, I just couldn’t stand by and watch anymore. So I took matters into my own hands and made her pay for what she did to you.
“I had someone find out exactly what you went through in prison, and then I made sure Anna experienced every single thing you suffered. What do you think? Does this make you feel better?”
Stella looked at the photos, and she didn’t feel even a shred of pity. It was nothing like when she was a kid.
Back then, every time Anna got hurt, she’d rush over without hesitation, even if she herself was the one suffering the most. She’d still take.
care of Anna first.
But now, all she felt was that it still wasn’t enough. Of course it wasn’t enough. After everything Anna had done, this was nothing.
“Is she still in your hands?” Stella asked.
“Yeah. I also had someone bring Andrew over. Anna could never have pulled this off in prison by herself. Andrew had to be the one helping
her. I told them to make sure Andrew gets to experience everything you went through, three times over.”
Stella said, “Exactly, let them feel it. They never treated me like family, so why should I treat them like family?”
Jordan said, “And as for Monroe, you don’t have to worry. Kevin and I already went to the Johnson family and told Arthur everything, Monroe is definitely going to be punished.”
“Kevin? He came, too?” Stella asked in surprise. Only then did she finally take the chance to look outside. With just one glance, she spotted Kevin.
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18:04 Sat, 9 Aug
Chapter 194
He was standing right in plain sight and watching her the whole time, just waiting for the moment she’d finally notice him.
He’d already braced himself for the fact that Stella might never even see him, but she finally did–even if it was only because Jordan brought him up. Kevin felt sad, but he could only pretend that nothing had happened.
Jordan turned his head, a bit surprised to see Kevin was still there. Then he motioned for him to come in.
Kevin walked in and said, “Yeah, by the time I found out you’d been taken to prison, it was already the next morning. Jordan was in another city, but he still managed to rush back right away.
“If I’d gotten there sooner, maybe you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much. It’s all my fault.”
Stella quickly cut in, “Can you two please stop taking all the blame? None of this is your fault. The one who messed up was me. I fell right into Anna’s trap.”
Kevin said, “Anyway, the two people in prison who targeted you were sent by Andrew and Monroe. We made sure they both paid the price for what they did. But honestly, most of this was Jordan’s doing. I barely did anything.”
Jordan turned to Stella and said, “Don’t listen to him. You know, even though I have some influence in Seavale, the Johnson family wouldn’t accept me so easily. If it weren’t for him, I never would’ve been able to get into their place.”
Kevin gave a helpless smile. He thought, ‘Are we really love rivals? It feels more like we’re just bros.‘
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