Chapter 65

After hesitating for a moment, she murmured softly in refusal, "You heard it already, I don't want to say it again." If she hadn't wanted to soothe him, she wouldn't be the kind of person who could casually say "I love you." Now that he had heard it, she didn't want him to record the words. Who knew what that man might do once he finished recording? Seeing that he didn't seem angry anymore, she changed the subject, "Why did you come over?" Ethan's gaze lingered on her face for a moment. Without insisting on hearing it again, he pulled her into his arms and sat down on the sofa in the bedroom. He smoothed out her rumpled clothes and smiled, "Wasn't I supposed to go to Mountside County? Although I have a business trip next month, I can accompany you on a trip before that." As the year-end approached, both of them were busy with work. He was leaving for a business trip to England next week, and Stella was soon heading overseas to lead a team in competing for the CF collaboration. "Is everything okay at the company? You suddenly left there after all," Stella said. Ethan shook his head, "Everything's fine. Jason and Simon are still there." Jason was busy trying to make up for his past mistakes for the year-end bonus. He was eager to get Ethan on the plane. He neither had to date nor did he want to return home to be nagged about marriage by his parents, so compared to Ethan, he was indeed "free." "Well—" Stella wanted to ask him how many days he would stay in Skyloop, but as soon as she opened her mouth, the man's intense breath engulfed her again, carrying stronger emotions than ever before. This time, it wasn't just a kiss. Rolled over onto the bed, she found herself pinned under him, waves of passion rising and falling. The pile of questions that had been swirling in her mind had to be set aside. Ethan's movements seemed more intense than usual, and after exerting himself, she nestled in his arms. The hand he had held during her moments of confusion and infatuation still remained clasped. Before long, drowsiness gradually overtook her. After a busy day, feeling somewhat tired, Stella was preparing to sleep when his kisses began to lightly dot her face again. Half asleep, she pushed him away with a hint of complaint in her voice, "No." The next moment, Ethan paused, tightening his grip around her arm, his silent gaze deepening in the dim surroundings. Sensing his silence, Stella slightly opened her eyes and asked softly, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," he said, stroking her head. "Just go to sleep." Knowing she was sensitive, he refrained from saying more, concerned about adding pressure to her mind. Feeling quite tired, Stella responded lightly and nestled into his neck, falling into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, there were still some loose ends to tie up. The next day, Stella spent another day in Kenwest. On the following day, the Investment Bureau took the initiative to arrange a meeting to assist with the acquisition of the factory land that Lush Aura wanted. The meeting took place in the conference room of the Emperor Hotel. This time, Aaron did not appear. Director Phoenix, who had been responsible for communicating with Aurora, noticed Ethan accompanying Stella. "I didn't realize you are Mr. Powers's wife. I am sorry for that," Director Phoenix apologized. Horizon Group had several real estate investments in Kenwest and other technical businesses, while Malone Group expanded into Skyloop in recent years. Having seen Ethan, they didn't expect that even trying to help Aaron could lead to trouble. They had to be very careful to avoid losses. Stella smiled and said, "I don't quite understand your apology. Could it be that last night's dinner was not to your liking?" Director Phoenix sweated nervously. He had only called yesterday because Mr. Malone's assistant hinted that they were a couple having a lover's quarrel. He thought apologizing today would clear things up, not realizing how complicated it was. Stella was clearly hinting a warning. After the hint, she smiled and redirected the conversation. "Since you also found the dinner unsatisfactory, let's take it as a lesson for the future, shall we?" Director Phoenix glanced cautiously at Ethan, who stood silently nearby, and wiped his sweat. "Sure, you are right. You can rest assured, it won't happen again." The rest of the conversation went smoothly, and both sides' intentions for cooperation were basically settled. Stella left the follow-up matters to Dorian and then left with Ethan for Mountside County. The distance between the two places wasn't far, just over an hour's drive. However, unlike Kenwest, which was bustling as the provincial capital, Mountside County was just an ordinary county town, quite simple in its surroundings. They set off at 9 o'clock and by just before 11, they had entered the old town area of Mountside County. Stella looked around at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery. Even though she saw some storefronts buried in her memories, she had been away for 10 years, and Mountside County had changed a lot. They followed the navigation to the doorstep of the orphanage. As soon as they got out of the car, a middle-aged man in a formal suit and glasses approached them tentatively, asking, "Excuse me, are you Mrs. Powers?" "Yes, I am. You must be Director Caspian," Stella smiled and nodded. "Thank you for waiting for us." "Not at all," Director Caspian smiled back. The man and woman in front of him were good-looking and had exceptional demeanor, clearly from wealthy families. When Ethan nodded in greeting, Director Caspian couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. After leaving the orphanage, Stella sponsored several orphanage children's university tuition every year. Director Caspian had come to the orphanage 6 years ago and had some contact with her, but they had never met. He didn't know that Stella had once lived in the orphanage and only saw her as a kind-hearted sponsor. Seeing Director Caspian's friendly smile, Stella added, "By the way, we brought some things for the children." "You're very kind. Let me show you around?" Director Caspian said. Stella replied, "Thank you." Before coming to Mountside County, Stella had asked Aurora to prepare some clothes and books, all of which were in the trunk. Director Caspian called over two orphanage staff members to carry the things, then led the two into the orphanage. Stella and Ethan followed Director Caspian at a leisurely pace, listening as he briefed them on the current situation of the orphanage. She had thought returning to the orphanage would bring back feelings of long-lost familiarity. But the newly renovated buildings around her were starkly different from the old impressions in her memory, making her suddenly feel somewhat estranged. Looking at the roster Director Caspian brought out, she didn't recognize any of the names. Well, she had been away from Mountside County for 10 years, and everything had changed, including the orphanage that she once considered home. She felt a pang of melancholy. "The orphanage has changed a lot," she murmured. Director Caspian thought she was simply nostalgic about her previous visits and nodded as he explained, "The county has helped renovate twice in recent years and added two new buildings. The layout has changed. The children who have left often send money back, greatly improving the orphanage from how it used to be." Stella gazed at the cafeteria now turned into dormitories, catching sight of a five or six-year-old girl with a ponytail behind a pillar a few meters away. Director Caspian noticed too and deliberately called out sternly, "Lulu, everyone's napping now. Why did you sneak out again?" The girl called Lulu shrank behind the pillar and then reluctantly emerged, taking hesitant steps towards Stella and the others at the dormitory door. As she reached Stella's side, she stole a glance at the pretty dress Stella was wearing, afraid of being caught looking, then quickly withdrew her shy gaze. "Wait, here, this is for you." Stella reached into Ethan's suit pocket and pulled out a few candies, smiling as she handed them to Lulu.