Chapter 3

After a long pause, Julian smiled and smoothly picked up my thought:

“You’ve been too stressed lately. Take a shower and get some good rest.”

He had found an excuse for me.

Then, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.

I nodded and turned to go upstairs.

Behind me, the man hidden in the shadows had a darkened, unreadable expression. The air around him seemed to thicken with unspoken tension, his gaze fixed intensely on my preoccupied retreating figure.

The next day, I headed to work as usual. Just outside our gated community, I saw a familiar figure.

My hands tightened on the steering wheel, my brows furrowing.

Stella saw my car too. She suddenly darted in front of it, forcing me to stop. The car behind me blared its horn incessantly.

It was rush hour.

The security guard rushed to pull Stella away.

But Stella was relentless. Even as she was being pulled back, she screamed desperately:

“Amelia Reed! Don’t play dead! You’re taking my fiancé, have you no shame?!”

Her shrill, piercing voice drew everyone’s attention.

I pulled my car to the side, ensuring I wasn’t blocking anyone, then stepped out.

I watched her with a cold expression. Stella flashed a triumphant smile, running a hand through her messy hair.

She chuckled:

“What? Embarrassed? Or are you afraid Julian will find out I’m back and ditch you?”

My voice was like ice. “Stella Reed, you are severely disrupting my life. This is my final warning: stop coming to find me.”

Stella completely ignored my warning.

She sported a look of absolute certainty.

“Don’t pretend, you’re just scared. After all, you’ve always lived in my shadow, jealous of me, wanting to replace me—it’s only human nature.”

She paused for a moment, then took a few steps closer and whispered in my ear:

“But a usurper will always be kicked out. I’ll wait here. Once I see Julian, I’ll explain everything. He’ll forgive me, I know it.”

“And Leo, he’s *my* child. We have an unbreakable blood bond. You’ll never replace me!”

I said nothing, just turned and got back into my car.

This time, Stella didn’t stop me.

In the rearview mirror, I saw her watching my car, a faint smile playing on her lips.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Stella had been pampered since childhood. She was impulsive and utterly devoid of self-restraint. If anyone dared to displease her, she’d throw a monumental tantrum, like a spoiled child.

I took a deep breath, forcing my thoughts away from her.

These past years, I had painstakingly built my marriage and my career.

If I divorced, it wouldn’t just be me, but Julian too. Our interests would suffer a severe blow.

Julian, at least, had a fallback.

I had only myself. I sat in my office, my mind drifting far away.

In elementary school, every summer and winter break, Stella would run wild like a little tomboy. By the time school started, her homework would be untouched.