Chapter 5 The Trap Behind the Banquet
As Stella turned to leave, Grayson suddenly called out, “Ms. Stella, would you consider coming to Quinn Corp? I could offer you—”
Before he could finish, her refusal rang out clear and cold.
“No.”
Grayson watched her slender figure walk away, something flickering in his eyes.
A trace of admiration. A stir of something deeper.
Another task ticked off the memo.
Stella rested at the hotel for half a day before returning to the twin villa.
The garden was a mess.
Wendy, wearing her clothes and draped in a luxurious wool shawl, was directing the servants like the lady of the house, telling them to uproot every flower Stella had painstakingly grown.
Seeing her arrive, a glint of satisfaction flashed through Wendy’s eyes.
She hadn’t even gotten the chance to send a taunting video–Stella had come back on her own.
Perfect.
With a sweet smile, she waved cheerfully.
“Stella, what a surprise! Shane said you’d be staying at the hotel the next few days and told me to make myself at home.”
She covered her mouth and coughed lightly.
“My bad. I’m allergic to pollen. Shane was up all night taking care of me. Stella, you’re not mad, are you?”
Stella’s gaze landed on the wilting flowers.
After she left Unity Corp, Shane, afraid she’d get bored, had filled the garden with rare flower species for her to tend.
Some had taken months of care just to bloom.
The day one of the rarest finally blossomed, she’d sent Shane a photo and told him she wanted to use it in her wedding bouquet.
Now they were nothing but ruined stems and mud.
“Good job. Keep digging.”
She withdrew her gaze and headed upstairs.
Wendy’s expression faltered.
She had braced herself for a dramatic outburst–but Stella remained calm.
Inside the bedroom, Stella took in the room she had lived in for years. It felt so empty.
Even though she and Shane had always had separate rooms, everything in hers came in pairs.
Toothbrushes, towels, stuffed animals, pajamas, pillows…
She grabbed a large black trash bag and began clearing it all out.
1/4
Five full trips to the bins. The servants were too busy in the garden to notice.
On her last trip back, Shane’s car pulled into the driveway.
He rushed through the door and headed straight upstairs–he didn’t even see her.
As she passed his room, she heard Wendy crying inside.
“Shane, maybe I should move out. Those flowers… cough cough…”
“Silly girl. They’re just flowers. We can plant more later. Your health matters most. Don’t cry–look at you, a teary little kitten.”
His voice was soft, coaxing. Every word twisted in her chest like a knife.
Stella returned to her room and packed up the last of her belongings.
Just as she zipped the suitcase, the door opened.
“Star, you…
Shane saw the empty cabinets and panicked.”
“Where are your things?”
Stella turned to him, eyes cool, a hint of a smile on her lips.
“They were old. I wanted new ones. Is that a problem?”
He froze.
Something felt off.
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2
But he’d already agreed–they would get married next week. Everything would change after that.
Buying new items seemed normal.
And since she’d come home as he asked to take care of Wendy, clearly she wasn’t mad anymore.
He brushed aside his unease and walked over, ruffling her hair as he always did.
“I know you’re upset. Just shop for a bit, distract yourself. I asked Cheng Zhou to find Wendy a new place. She’ll move out next Monday. Once she does, everything in my room will be what you pick. Sound good?”
Stella exhaled a long sigh in her mind.
Her voice was unnaturally calm.
“Shane, after we get married… are you still going to take care of Wendy like this?”
Hearing her mention marriage made Shane relax.
He crouched down so they were eye to eye, his deep gaze warm and amused.
“No being jealous. No tantrums. Be good.”
“Okay.”
She nodded.
17
She wouldn’t be jealous. She wouldn’t cause trouble.
She wouldn’t care anymore.
Stella hadn’t even made it back to the hotel when a call from the old Boston estate caught her off guard.
2/4
The patriarch wanted Shane and Stella to attend a family dinner.
Ever since founding Unity Corp, Shane’s standing in the Boston family had skyrocketed.
Henry, who once refused to acknowledge him, now spoke of him with glowing praise, calling him his most outstanding son.
But every family gathering was a trap for Stella.
The Boston family didn’t know her true identity–they saw her as a pitiful orphan no one wanted.
“Shane, I’m a little nervous… What if your grandfather and parents don’t like me?”
In the passenger seat, Wendy looked shyly at Shane as he drove.
He never brought an assistant to family events.
Instead of answering her, he glanced at Stella through the rearview mirror. She had insisted on sitting in the back.
Still throwing a tantrum, clearly.
Just because he was bringing Wendy to the Boston estate?
Was she expecting them to leave Wendy home alone?
Wendy was a patient, after all.
The car was quiet and awkward.
Wendy, unfazed, kept turning around to talk to Stella. When she got no reply, she pouted and clung to Shane for comfort.
Stella couldn’t be bothered. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The forty–minute ride passed in a daze. She was still groggy when she got out.
“If you didn’t want to come, you could’ve told me. This is the Boston family–don’t make a scene.”
His voice was low, reproachful. She looked up and saw thinly veiled annoyance in Shane’s eyes.
Ever since she stepped back from the spotlight, Shane rarely brought her to public events.
She’d thought he was protecting her.
She never considered that maybe he was… ashamed of her background.
“Mr. Shane is back. And this is…”
The butler welcomed them politely but glanced between Stella and Wendy with an odd expression.
“Hello, I’m Shane’s friend. Sorry to intrude.”
Wendy greeted sweetly and slipped her arm around Shane’s to show closeness.
The butler understood/instantly.
He gave Stella a sympathetic look and gestured for them to enter.
“The master and young master are waiting in the study. The lady is in the living room.”
Staring at the grand estate, Wendy’s eyes glistened with excitement.
One day, all of this would be hers.
“Stella, let’s go in. We shouldn’t keep Grandpa and Shane’s parents waiting.”
She tugged Shane inside without a hint of the nervousness she’d shown in the car.
3/4
Stella watched them walk ahead, side by side, and nearly turned to leave.
But there were still things she hadn’t settled. It wasn’t time to confront Shane yet.
Besides, Mr. Gordon had always been kind to her.
He hadn’t been well lately. She didn’t want to cause a scene at the estate.
She took a moment to compose herself and walked in a few minutes later.
Just as she stepped into the entry hall, she heard Mary’s cold laugh.
“Shane really is something. It’s one thing to bring some orphan girl around. Now he’s bringing in strays like it’s a damn shelter?”
