Chapter 50

Ethan's blue eyes glowed with fervor. In the next moment, his hand gently cupped the back of Stella's head. Stella slowly closed her eyes, feeling the soft touch of his vibrant lips against hers. Her slender waist pressed against his strong arms, his embrace gradually tightening, their bodies silently melding together in an intimate posture. His slightly cool lips captured her tender ones, delicately tracing their contours, gradually delving into deeper exploration. Their lips intertwined, his tongue skillfully slipping in, filling her mouth with his essence and a hint of sweet wine. It was an incredibly prolonged kiss. After a while, he finally released her, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, his restless mind easing, yet still lingering as he gently pecked her lips a few more times at the corner. Her cheeks blushed crimson, nestling softly into his embrace, her head buried against his neck. The fireworks had faded, under the vast, dark starry sky, he held her quietly. Though neither spoke, there was a sweet tranquility between them. Ethan lightly clasped Stella's fingertips, exerting gentle pressure, and for the first time, she felt a joy she couldn't contain. After a long silence, the heat on their faces dissipated. Stella lifted her head, meeting Ethan's eyes, brimming with a smile, and asked, "What's gotten into you?" "Nothing," Ethan raised an eyebrow lightly, planting another kiss on her forehead, then teasingly added, "Just felt like, thankfully, I'm patient enough." Finally, the time had come to unwrap the gift. All his painstaking arrangements were not in vain. This feeling was indeed worth savoring. Stella didn't quite understand what he meant. Before she could dwell deeper on it, a gust of cool wind blew, causing her to instinctively huddle. "Feeling cold?" Ethan glanced down at her, then released her, taking off his coat and draping it over her, zipping it up tightly. "Let's head back." The man's long, loose-fitting windbreaker enveloped Stella entirely, leaving only her head visible, resembling a child wearing oversized adult clothing. Ethan smirked, propping his chin up. "Huh, you actually look pretty cute like this." At least, she looked adorable. Stella glanced down, pulling her lips into a smirk. "What kind of taste is that?" After spending time together, she probably understood. When necessary, she had to deflate his baseless confidence in his haughty temperament. ... Half an hour later, Ethan carried Stella back to the hotel room. After changing shoes and freshening up, Stella walked out of the bathroom and caught sight of Ethan leaning silently against the bedroom door, his deep eyes gazing faintly. After a moment of thought, she seemed to read something from his face. "You go sleep in the bedroom," Stella said, glancing at him, then added, "Together with me." Ethan heard her words, raising an eyebrow lightly and casually responding, "Okay." They turned off the lights, and the bedroom dimmed. Stella walked to the other side of the bed and lay down. In the dim room, it was so quiet that they could hear each other's breaths. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously turned her head and met the man's slightly deep gaze in the darkness. Their eyes locked. The next moment, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. His chin rested on her head, gently stroking it a few times, his warm palm on her lower back. The posture hinted at subtle sexual undertones, and Stella couldn't help but feel a bit tense. After a brief silence, she felt him massage her head, followed by Ethan's low, husky voice, "Let's sleep." His words made Stella relax. Okay, she should be able to sleep like this. ... Next, they spent another three or four days in Fiji before reluctantly boarding the return flight. Although Stella couldn't go into the water for the next few days, even walking hand in hand on the bustling streets felt sweeter in its own way. This honeymoon, whether early or late, finally broke through the vague barrier and gradually entered the rhythm of love. Back at the villa, they naturally became a bit more intimate. However, this holiday piled up quite a bit of work, making both of them quite busy. In the CEO's office of the Horizon Group Building, Jason, who had been working overtime for more than 10 days, walked in with dark circles under his eyes and sat down at the desk, handing a document to Ethan. It was a property transfer agreement for the commercial area in Peach Blossom, with the transferee being Malone Group. He glanced at the man who seemed to be enjoying himself, and relayed the information he had gathered. "William has been making waves in the Malone family recently, and Aaron isn't having an easy time." William was Aaron's cousin and also a grandson highly valued by Jonathan. Even though Aaron had taken the position of CEO, there were still factions within the Malone family, led by his uncles. Despite the Malone family's considerable size and influence, there were too many family members involved. Even if Aaron had gained the upper hand after returning to Seattle, no one was willing to concede. William had been making significant strides lately and had caused Aaron quite a few headaches. Naturally, Ethan had been stirring the pot behind the scenes. After all, he had warned Aaron at the Reeves family banquet not to mind giving William some advice. Hearing Jason's words, Ethan lifted his gaze slightly and said, "Better stay busy and not bother about other things." Ethan knew that Aaron had been trying to win Stella's favor all along, but since he hadn't succeeded in getting her on his side before, there was no way he would let Aaron approach her now. The Malone family's relationships were complex, and Aaron had an indecisive personality. From the beginning, Ethan didn't believe that Aaron and Stella could really make it work. But he couldn't make up his mind, so he let himself take the lead prematurely. He wouldn't confront Aaron directly, which would make him seem petty, but he could certainly trip him up through the Malone family's interference, slowing down his progress. At the very least, he needed to ensure that he secured Stella's affections. As it turned out, as long as he waited long enough, he would eventually get what he wanted. Jason didn't know what Ethan was thinking. Seeing Ethan casually raise his eyebrows, he asked, "Didn't you not want Stella to see Aaron before? Why are you taking her to the charity dinner the day after tomorrow?" Ethan had always had Jason and Isaac accompany him to such events in the past, even after getting married. After all, Aaron would definitely be there in such public occasions. Ethan glanced up at Jason without explaining. Well, could it be the same as before and now?? He already had his assurance, so why bother with the trivial matters outside? Jason didn't hear his response and continued on his own, "Since Stella loves you so much, you should show your affection in front of Aaron." But now, Ethan was showing off in front of Jason! Ethan, hearing this, casually replied, "Yeah, you are right." Then, he picked up a small box nearby and played with it for a few moments. Jason asked curiously, "What's that?" "An e-cigarette. She bought it on her way back," Ethan replied, his voice casual. "She said if I really wanted to smoke, I should use this." He opened the packaging in front of Jason, assembled the vaporizer, and took a puff, his nostrils flaring. It had a refreshing mint flavor. Jason, seeing this, seemed to become more interested. "Smells good, let me try." As he finished speaking, he caught sight of Ethan's somewhat indifferent gaze and the motion of him retracting his hand from his suit pocket. Jason pursed his lips and let out a slight hum. "Fine, I'll go buy one myself." Was it really that impressive to go on a honeymoon? It seemed to only make him more cocky. ... On the other side, Stella had just finished reviewing the project report handed over by Marcel. "You've been doing well recently. I'll be handing over the North City project to you directly. If everything goes well, you'll be promoted once the North City project is officially operational," she stated. The North City project was already on track, with construction being the next focus, but the entire project would span two years. Giving it to Marcel would free her up to focus on other matters. For Carlson Group, the North City project was just a safety net for the next few years. Other business areas had significantly declined in recent years, so it was better to develop new ones directly. Marcel seemed somewhat surprised, but after a pause, he quickly responded, "Thank you, Mrs. Powers. I'll do my best." Stella smiled and said, "Good, go ahead and call Aurora in." Marcel nodded, then turned and left. A few minutes later, Aurora knocked on the office door. "Come in." Aurora pushed the door open and walked in. She handed a list to Stella and then said, "The tasks you assigned me last time have all been completed. 80% of the employees from the branch companies accepted the transfer conditions, and the rest received their compensation." Before leaving for their honeymoon, Stella sent Aurora on a business trip to communicate with the factories of several branch companies in Skyloop about transitioning production lines and settling the employees. These factories were all chemical plants, and the current employees, if willing to undergo transfer training and pass, could directly switch to the new production line workshops. If they were at retirement age and planning to retire directly, the company would also provide a substantial severance package. Stella glanced at the list and asked, "Were they all voluntary?" Aurora smiled and replied, "You can rest assured about that." Stella nodded; she trusted Aurora to handle things. After putting down the list, she remembered another thing and said, "Tomorrow for the airport pickup, you'll go yourself to help Director Dorian Ravenscroft settle in at the hotel." "Alright," Aurora agreed before reporting on other matters and then promptly leaving the office. After a while, Stella went to see Wyatt. Knocking on the door and getting a response, she pushed the door open. Wyatt looked up from his documents, saw her, and smiled, asking, "What brings you here at this hour?" Sitting down at the desk, Stella got straight to the point and said, "I'm here today to ask for your help." "Okay, what do you need me to help you with?" "I'll mainly be responsible for the research and development promotion of Lush Aura later on, and the shareholders..." Lush Aura was a newly established company, nominally under Carlson Group, but because Stella invested independently and did not use Carlson Group funds, there was a separation of shares from Carlson Group. Stella hesitated to speak, but Wyatt had already understood her meaning. Although those shareholders didn't hold much stock, they were accustomed to relying on their age and were always looking to make easy money, so there were quite a few complaints. Wyatt nodded and said, "I'll talk to them; you can rest assured." "Thank you," Stella smiled. Wyatt not only had a wide network of contacts, but also had methods of dealing with unreasonable people. Stella truly admired him. She knew he could handle them completely and wouldn't let the shareholders have any more opinions. Wyatt glanced at her, smiled and said, "Looks like your honeymoon was useful; you're not as polite to me anymore. By the way, I really liked the gift you all sent. I'll also go to the island for a visit next time." Teased by Wyatt, Stella felt a bit embarrassed, smiling as she replied, "Then I'll introduce you to a local guide when the time comes." Lately, she had been busy with the new company, so she hadn't had Ethan pick her up from work anymore. Honestly, she thought it was quite nice this way. Being driven around every day, she was starting to forget how to drive.