Chapter 38

On Saturday, Stella and Ethan went to the studio together to take wedding photos. The photographer recommended by Natalie was named Tina Black, who was the designated photographer for several fashion magazines. Tina's skills were superb enough, and her popularity in the entertainment circle was extensive. She rarely took on private shoots like this, but this time she did it as a favor to Natalie. As for the wedding dress and formal attire for the shoot, they were all prepared in advance by Ethan. The styles fit perfectly, which surprised Stella a bit. "How did you know my measurements?" Stella asked the man beside her in a low voice during a break in the shoot. Ethan glanced at her and chuckled, "After so many hugs, isn't it hard to miss?" Stella choked up slightly, feeling a flush on her face. Actually, Ethan's so-called hugs weren't really hugs. Whenever they appeared in public together, he would casually put his arm around her, without causing her any burden. But during those moments, did he actually consider such things? While Stella was lost in thought, Tina, who had just finished adjusting the equipment, suddenly looked over at them and smiled, saying, "The next shot, bride and groom, come a bit closer, groom, hold the bride's face, press your foreheads together, more naturally." Stella subconsciously glanced at Ethan, who still had a calm and reserved demeanor, saying nothing. However, the next moment, following the photographer's instructions, he leaned down slowly, gently cupping her chin. The indoor air was cool, and when his firm forehead and handsome nose touched hers, it brought a slight icy tingling sensation that spread through her body. As they locked eyes, his deep, blue orbs exuded a tempting allure, akin to an unfathomable ocean, drawing in anyone daring enough to venture into its depths. With his thumb against her cheek, Stella felt a faint tickling sensation from the calloused skin of his fingertips, causing her body to tremble slightly. It wasn't until the photographer reminded them that she reluctantly relaxed. A few flashes of the camera went off. After the photos were taken, Ethan lifted his head slightly, but didn't let go of her hand. Stella, having recovered from the initial awkwardness, also remained still, continuing to admire his handsome profile. "What, do I look good?" Ethan smirked, his charming eyes filled with a playful smile as he pinched her cheek. Stella nodded, "Yeah, you look good." Her tone was surprisingly earnest, momentarily catching Ethan off guard. He released her hand and cleared his throat, saying, "Aren't you supposed to be shy at a time like this?" "But... you do look good," she replied matter-of-factly. Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly and then averted his gaze, casually remarking, "Well, I guess you have good taste." Noticing his faintly blushing ears, Stella furrowed her brows lightly, wondering if he was... shy? Before she could ponder further, Tina's voice rang out again, "Bride, sit on the sofa, facing the light from the lamp. Groom, embrace the bride's waist and kiss her." Following the direction of his finger, Stella looked towards the pendant light, brightly illuminating the area next to a single low sofa. Remembering the photographer's instructions, she hesitated to look at the man beside her, feeling guilty as if she were taking advantage of him in some way. Sitting on the sofa, a photography assistant came over to adjust the train of Stella's wedding dress, and then gave Ethan some pointers on the pose. He simply acknowledged with a light "okay," showing no visible emotion. Stella's view was blocked by the man's broad frame. Just as she looked at his approaching face, she gently closed her eyes, her hand on his back involuntarily clenched. In the darkness, she felt a warm sensation on her lips. His nose emitted the refreshing scent she recognized, and as their lips met, their breaths seemed to meld together. With the warmth of their breath, her other senses heightened, and even the touch of his hand on her waist felt hotter. After what seemed like an eternity, Stella finally heard the photographer's voice, and she steadied herself, opening her eyes once more. Before her were the deep, ocean-like eyes of the man. They briefly locked gazes, a hint of awkwardness passing between them, before he quickly stood up. "Ethan." "What?" "We're done shooting." Meeting his gaze again, Stella bit her lip and gestured to his hand, which still held hers tightly. She spoke softly, "You should... let go of me first. I need to change back into my clothes." The man lowered his gaze and then released his hand. The wedding ring on his ring finger glinted in the light. It seemed like he wasn't as calm as he appeared. Thinking of this, Stella smiled. She stood up and walked over to Tina, who was still focused on editing photos on the computer. "Thank you so much." Tina looked up, smiling. "You are welcome. If you need to shoot more outdoor scenes later, you can contact me again." Previously, Tina had asked if they needed to shoot more outdoor scenes and even suggested shooting abroad. However, both of them had been too busy recently, so they had put it on hold for now. Upon hearing Tina's words, Stella nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll contact you again." At that moment, Tina added, "The single album and the three framed photos from this set will be ready in about a week. Shall I have my assistant deliver them to you?" Stella thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "If you're not too busy, I'll come pick them up myself." Tina nodded. "That works too." After finishing the wedding photoshoot, they instinctively put on their wedding rings. Unconsciously, they seemed to have taken on a bit more of a married couple's appearance. However, the atmosphere in the villa, once naturally casual, had subtly changed. Fortunately, there was work to ease the awkwardness. Over the next few days, Stella continued to shuttle between the construction site in the North city and the company. On Thursday, as usual, she went to the North city with Aurora to check on the progress of the construction. After completing the rounds, Aurora needed to stay on-site to discuss details with the contractors, so Stella left alone, remembering her appointment with Wyatt. Taking the contractor's car back to the company, Stella stood in front of the elevator, staring at the descending numbers. Unexpectedly, when the elevator doors opened, among the figures inside stood Aaron, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Although Dean was still detained, the previous medical cooperation case had not ended due to the contract being signed. However, the subsequent procedures had always been coordinated between Wyatt and Aaron. Stella was busy with projects in the North city and didn't have much time at the company, so she hadn't run into Aaron. "Hey, Stella." Seeing the slender figure suddenly appear at the elevator door, Aaron's eyes lit up, and he quickly approached. Stella's work attire was always comfortable and neat. Today, she was wearing a bright-colored draped shirt and casual, sleek wide-leg pants, as elegant and efficient as ever. It was the most familiar look to him. During this period, Aaron often came to Carlson Group under the pretext of cooperation, but he could only see Wyatt. He even began to miss the days when he could see her at work every day. Aaron was not alone in the elevator; there were also Chandler and others from Malone Group. Aaron's identity was Carlson Group's business partner. So Stella simply nodded without speaking. Seeing this, Aaron softened his tone and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "I want to talk to you, but there are things you probably don't want to discuss in the company." Stella frowned, paused for a few seconds, and replied, "There's a café downstairs. Go there and wait for me for a while." Upon hearing this, Aaron smiled with relief, then nodded lightly and left with the others from Malone Group. Alone in the office, Stella took out the long-prepared document from the drawer, pondered for a moment, and then went to the café downstairs. Aaron sat in the window seat on the inside, and Stella walked over and sat across from him without saying much. She simply handed him the document. "Stock transfer agreement?" Aaron furrowed his brows, looking up at her. Stella nodded expressionlessly. "I know you pressured Dean into giving up the shares he held. I bought all of Avery's shares with money to prevent him from using those shares to harm the company in the future." Although Avery was willing to sell her shares, it was because Aaron had instigated it. The shares of New Era were the final link between her and Aaron. The price Stella offered, although slightly low, was already a generous return compared to the initial investment. Regardless of Aaron's motives for helping her, she considered this as repaying him in full, and it also severed the final tie between them. With his expectations dashed, Aaron tensed his jaw and pushed the agreement toward her. "This is what you deserve." Stella's cold demeanor made him feel like he was the only one reminiscing about their days of working side by side. Stella calmly raised her gaze and said, "If you don't want it, there are probably plenty of other people who would be interested." Her implication was that there was no need for him to pressure her into selling the shares to someone else. Staring at her determined expression, Aaron fell silent for a moment. His throat moved slightly, and he sighed. "Fine, if this will make you more comfortable, I'll accept it." Stella nodded and then stood up. Seeing this, Aaron furrowed his brow and said, "Are you leaving already?" As she turned to look back at him, he clenched his fists and spoke with a hint of bitterness, "Stella, you promised me that you would give me a chance to try to win you back." A chance to win her back? Stella looked puzzled for a moment, pondering for a few seconds before recalling the brief conversation she had with Aaron at her grandfather's funeral. However, at that time, she had paid no attention to what he had said because of the warning look implied by Ethan. "Sorry, I think you've misunderstood," Stella said calmly. "You helped me in the past, and I've repaid that help. Between us, it's even." "Even?" Aaron gritted his teeth, staring straight at her. "Stella, am I really unforgivable? Do you need to weigh everything from the past like this?" Stella sighed, still intending to make things clear with Aaron. She said firmly, "Look, I don't think I owe you anything. Just because you apologize and try to win me back doesn't mean I have to start over with you. I have my own life,." He had no right to interfere with it. Seeing her rebuild her defenses, Aaron couldn't help but regret his earlier words and walked up to her. "Okay, I won't stop you from starting a new life, but even if it's just business dealings, you don't need to deliberately avoid me, right?" Stella furrowed her brow, meeting his gaze. ... The Horizon Group Building, CEO's Office. Jason took a ten-day vacation but couldn't bear to use up all his leave, so he returned to the company early. Wanting to show his care for his friend, after finishing his work, he took the elevator to the top floor to deliver the gift he had bought during his vacation for Ethan. He didn't anticipate that despite his well-meaning gesture of presenting the gift, Ethan didn't acknowledge him even with a glance. Instead, he delicately took a soft cloth and meticulously wiped the gleaming wedding ring adorning his finger. "Alright, stop wiping! You're almost wiping off the polish on that ring," Jason couldn't bear to see Ethan's behavior and spoke sarcastically. "Have you ever seen anyone's wedding ring need to shine?" Ethan glanced at him, his tone dragging slightly, "Do you not understand the concept of lasting brilliance?" Jason pursed his lips. "If it's so precious, why didn't you wear it before?" After all, with Ethan's arrogant attitude, if he had a wedding ring, he would have worn it to show off long ago. Ethan hesitated for a moment, didn't answer, but pressed the internal line button on the desk. Two minutes later, Isaac pushed the door and walked in. "Boss, what do you need?" "Yeah, take down that painting and remember to send it to the auction at the next charity event," Ethan pointed to the painting behind him. It was one he had bought at an auction last year, and he quite liked it. It had been hanging in the most prominent position in the office all this time. Jason knew that this painting was quite valuable, so he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you sending it to the auction?" Upon hearing this, Isaac, while taking down the painting, smiled to clear up his confusion. "The boss and his wife took wedding photos before. As the special assistant, I'm practically a half worm in the boss's belly, so of course, I understand what the boss means—" With wedding photos taken, what use was there for this painting? "Are you planning to hang wedding photos in the office?" Jason glanced disdainfully at the man opposite him. Ethan opened the file brought in by Isaac, flipping through the signatures, and said casually, "Is it not allowed?" Jason was speechless. Of course, it was allowed! He was the boss! Luckily, meetings were held downstairs, so hardly anyone came up except for Jason and Isaac. Otherwise, everyone would have been embarrassed by the wedding photos. Perhaps already accustomed to the man's behavior, Jason wasn't surprised, changing the subject instead. "By the way, we are having dinner together this weekend. Maybe we can go to your place." "Not this time," Ethan refused immediately. "Why? If you don't want to bring your wife, fine, but you won't let us come over either? Your villa has been empty for over a year, and we can help you warm it up. Don't worry, the gifts are all prepared." Ethan barely frowned and replied in a nonchalant tone, "It's not about the gifts." "Then what is it about?" "You don't need to know." After signing the last document, the man closed the folder and slowly got up, leisurely picking up his phone from the side as if preparing to leave. "Where are you going?" Jason asked. The man smirked, lightly tapping the watch on his wrist, and casually raised an eyebrow. "It's time to pick Stella after work." With that, he headed towards the door. But he hadn't taken a few steps before he turned around again. Jason thought this might be a change of heart and asked with a smile, "So, suddenly agreeing to go to your place again?" Ethan glanced at him casually and then patted Jason's shoulder. "During your vocation, Simon did a lot of work for you." Jason asked, "So?" "Since you've been back, now it's time to take over his work and let him go on vacation." ... At the end of the workday, Stella did not receive the recent SnapChat messages from Ethan, which surprised her a bit. But considering that he should have arrived, she still finished her work, closed her computer, gathered the files, and took the elevator to the parking lot on the negative first floor. Sure enough, the Bentley was parked in its familiar spot. After opening the door, putting down her bag, Stella habitually looked at the man beside her. "There's still some beef in the fridge. How about stewing tomatoes together tonight?" "Okay," the man responded casually. Stella glanced at him, keenly sensing that Ethan's attitude today was somewhat strange. Not only did he not send her a SnapChat message when he got off work, but his current demeanor also seemed unusually cold. With a sense of puzzlement, she turned to him and asked, "Don't you like tomato stewed beef?" But even if he had favorite foods, he had never been picky about taste, seeming to be indifferent to food preferences. The man glanced back casually and replied, "Yes, I do." Then he closed his eyes with a somewhat complicated look, adjusted his seat, and fell silent. With the driver still sitting in the front, Stella hesitated for a moment but decided to wait until they got home to ask. The silent atmosphere persisted all the way. Back at the villa, Ethan continued to silently open the door and change his shoes. Stella followed him into the living room, scrutinizing his expression, and finally couldn't help but speak up, "What's wrong with you?" "What do you think?" Ethan put down his half-tied tie, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, and raised an eyebrow at her. Stella tentatively asked, "Did something unhappy happen today?" Ethan thought of the scene he had just passed by the cafe and quietly clenched his fist. Then, he sat down on the sofa, expressionless, and said, "The neighbor's got two cats, you know." Ethan was referring to the two pet cats from the neighbor next door. Because the outdoor balcony of the second-floor gym was adjacent, the two cats would occasionally come over here to bask in the sun. Stella nodded, "I know." "The black one has been ignoring the white one lately," the man narrated in a flat tone. Stella explained, "Ethan, they're not called black cat and white cat, they're called Coffee and Milk." With that said, she received the man's direct gaze, sighed, and asked, "What are you trying to say?" "Their owner said that every time he feed them, the white cat eats its own food and then looks at the black cat's bowl," the man chuckled lightly, his tone slightly solemn, implying something as he spoke. "That's what they call being two-faced." Stella furrowed her brows in confusion, nodding. "That's indeed not a good habit for Milk, I didn't expect Coffee to be in such a sorry state. But why are you suddenly concerned about the neighbor's cats?" "Stella, do you think if the white cat wants to make peace with the black cat, she has to—" The man's tone was casual, but he hesitated. Then he looked at her again, raising an eyebrow. "Pacify him?"