Chapter 202
When Jordan returned, he carried two enormous bags stuffed with every type of pad and tampon available. Stella stared, stunned. “Why so many?”
“You’ll need them eventually,” he said,
could try different ones.”
5 whem
down. “I didn’t know what kind you’d prefer, and since it’s been so long, I figured
Stella felt a lump form in her throat. Jordan had thought of everything,
more thoroughly than she had herself.
Mary chuckled warmly. “Go get changed, de
. I’ll take care of washing clothes.”
“No, Mary,” Stella insisted quickly. “I’ve to
Mary simply smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
You
before, I can wash my personal items myself.”
It took Stella about ten minutes to get properly situated. Never in her life had she imagined feeling joyful about getting her period. “You
should all go back to sleep,” she said apologetically. “I woke everyone up with my excitement.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Mary reassured her. “This is wonderful news. We’ll all sleep better knowing you’re healthier..
Stella locked eyes with Jordan across the room. Without words, she could feel his genuine happiness for her.
The next morning, the doctor arrived early. Jordan, who had been up since dawn, met him outside to explain Stella’s recent development. When Stella saw the physician, he was already preparing to check her pulse.
An intense silence filled the room as the three waited, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally withdrew his hand, his face breaking into a smile. “Congratulations, Ms. Hayes. Your body
has shown remarkable improvement.
“Your organ functions are strengthening significantly. Youth truly is resilient. I had concerns you might never fully recover, but at this rate, with continued care, you should make a complete recovery.”
Stella’s eyes welled with tears. “Doctor, are you serious?”
“Absolutely. Your rapid progress shows both excellent care from those around you and your own discipline in following medical advice. Maintain this, and within a year or so, you should return to full health.”
Overwhelmed with joy, Stella hesitated before asking the question burning in her heart. “Does this mean… I could have children?”
Jordan stiffened almost imperceptibly beside her.
your health further. If possible, I’d even recommend multiple children.”
“Of course,” the doctor beamed. “A pregnancy would actually benefit yo
Stella’s cheeks flushed crimson. “Thank you, doctor.”
As the doctor began his routine therapeutic massage, Jordan quietly pulled Mary aside outside the room. “She wants children?” he whispered.
“Doesn’t every woman?” Mary replied softly, watching Stella through the doorway. “There’s no greater miracle than creating life.” She tumed to study Jordan’s face. “Unless… you don’t want children?”
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“I do,” Jordan said quickly, then lowered his voice. “But I had made peace with the possibility we might not have any. Her health alway- came first.”
Mary sighed. “Ms. Hayes feels the same way about you. She worries that without a family of your own, you’d feel… unanchored.
After the acupuncture session, Jordan and Stella shared a meal in the dining room, with Mary having stepped away to tend to other duties.
Jordan hesitated before speaking. He’d rehearsed this moment in his head a dozen times. “If the doctors say it’s safe, are you really going to bear multiple children?”
Stella nodded without hesitation. “If my body allows it, yes. Don’t you want them?”
“More than anything,” he said, reaching for her hand. “But not at the cost of your well–being.”
She shrugged, tracing the rim of her water glass. “As long as the doctors say it’s safe, I want to try. I need this, Jordan. To be a mother,”
He reached across the table, his thumb brushing her wrist. “We’ve got time. You’re only twenty–two. We could wait a few years.”
Heat rushed to Stella’s cheeks. She hadn’t expected this conversation to veer here s
soon.
Children meant that step, and her doctor had been clear: though her menstrual cycle had normalized, intimacy was off–limits for another month or two. Had Jordan been present for that part? The unspoken thought made her pulse skip.
Noticing her blush, Jordan’s ears turned pink. He cleared his throat. “What I meant was… any children we have could carry your name too. Not just mine.”
Stella’s fork clinked against her plate. “You’d… agree to that?”
“Of course.” His thumb traced circles over her knuckles. “With both our families nearly gone, someone ought to carry on the lines, even if that sounds like something out of a Victorian novel.”
A weight lifted from her chest. She’d secretly wished for this but feared sounding presumptuous. Now, his offer settled like a vow. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Jordan squeezed her hand. “Always.”
He left abruptly for a work emergency. As Stella gathered her things for the office, her phone buzzed with an unknown number: [Do you really believe Jordan will make you happy?]
ސ
Her jaw tightened. The sender clearly wanted her to ask who they were, but two could play at this
game.
‘Let them sweat,‘ she thought.
The supermarket had been thriving for days, its success growing steadily. There had been a few troublemakers, but with Kevin, Jordan, and Nola around, every issue was swiftly handled.
Meanwhile, the hospital called with an update. Max had been working hard in rehab, pushing himself to recover as quickly as possible. Stella knew exactly what he was thinking, but she ignored it.
On his end, Max had heard about Lionel’s downfall. The Quinn family’s properties had been seized, and Lionel himself had gone into hiding. Ninety million dollars. There was no way he could repay that now.
Max couldn’t believe how far he and his best friend had fallen. ‘Is this our punishment for how we’d treated Stella?”
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Chapter 202
Many had called Stella a curse, but the truth was the opposite.
He thought, ‘She wasn’t the one who brought misfortune; it was those who wronged her who suffered. If you treated her well, things were well for you. If you didn’t… well, look at him now.‘
It had taken him too long to realize this, but better late than never.
After finishing his rehab session, a nurse took him outside for some fresh air. Max, now able to maneuver his wheelchair on his own, rolled toward the hospital entrance, only to see security shooing away a disheveled woman in tattered clothes.
He wouldn’t have paid her any attention… if not for the voice.
His wheelchair stopped dead. ‘That beggar… is my mother?‘
AD
