Chapter 17 Shameful Secret
Abruptly yanking Stella’s clothes off, Zane pinned her onto the sofa. Her sexy collarbone and creamy skin were bared to his sight, so he wanted to kiss her hard. However, the moment he glimpsed her ivory body, he was reminded of the man who once had her.
Beneath him, Stella was fervently pleading with him as she struggled, her hair a tangled mess.
Zane desired her greatly, but two forces were at war within him. That man whom I’ve never met has defeated me from the very beginning, and I’ve suffered a sound defeat!
At this time, Stella had started weeping, her tears soaking the sofa.
“Why can’t I have you when I’m your husband? What’s with this unwilling expression of yours? Are you even my wife?” Zane’s voice was colored with fury.
Upon seeing that his impulsiveness had faded, Stella finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this precise moment, the doorbell rang. Straightening his clothes, Zane went to open the door. He only wore a white shirt at home, and his hair was currently slightly mussed, while a corner of his shirt was untucked from his pants. On the other hand, Stella hastily wiped her tears and smoothened her hair before getting to her feet. However, she happened to come face to face with Miles in the next instance, upon which her expression turned a touch stunned.
Miles stared at her flushed face and messy hair. Despite her having tried her best to conceal her flustered condition, some things only became increasingly obvious the more one tried to cover it up. After all, she radiated a sense of panic and dishabille, as did Zane, so it was as though the two of them had been making passionate love.
Because of his arrival, Stella merely greeted him before hiding out in her own room.
“This is the settlement agreement.” Miles had come to hand this to Zane, so he placed the settlement agreement on the table.
In the meantime, Zane gazed at the settlement agreement on the table coldly. “You came just to give me this, President Grant?”
“Why else would I come?” Miles retorted glacially in the face of his challenging gaze.
“It was your company suing me in the first place, so it should be someone from the company sending it over. Besides, it’s rather late at night now. Thus, I’m afraid that your intentions extend beyond this, President Grant.” As Zane spoke, he sat down on the sofa with his legs crossed.
“So what even if that’s true? What can you do about it?” Miles didn’t get up in arms. Instead, he smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
The battle between the two men was now out in the open. Although there was nothing obvious from their remarks, both understood the underlying meaning.
As Stella listened on in her room, abject anxiety gripped her. Zane Levitt isn’t yet aware that it was Miles Grant who took my virginity, so if this were brought to light, his misunderstanding toward me would be even greater! She was like a cat on hot bricks at this moment, pacing back and forth.
“Before we got married, my wife—” Zane started, wanting to say ‘my wife and I fell in love at first sight’.
However, when his words reached Stella’s ears, it sounded as though he was going to blurt out the night she spent with Miles, so she hastily dashed out of her room and said to Miles, “Are you satisfied with the girlfriend I introduced to you the other day, President Grant?”
As soon as her remark was heard, the entire house plunged into silence. Zane had always suspected an affair between Miles and Stella, but he started wavering upon hearing this. If she’s truly carrying on with him, she couldn’t have possibly introduced a girlfriend to him.
Meanwhile, Miles was momentarily taken aback before he gritted his teeth hard. “The person you introduced to me is naturally excellent, Mrs. Levitt. She’s educated and well-mannered besides having a countenance I favor. I truly have to thank you, Mrs. Levitt, for your utmost concern for me.” Then, he leaned back against the chair while gazing at Stella languorously. Conversely, Zane hadn’t uttered a single word, his status as the host instantly suppressed by Miles’ aura.
At this, Stella finally exhaled the breath she’d been holding. I never thought that Miles Grant would play along with me. Her intention was merely to cut Zane off, but since the conversation had come to this point, she could no longer backtrack. “I’m glad you like her,” she replied. She vaguely remembered the director of the design department saying that Miles wasn’t married and had no girlfriend, so that idea came to her earlier. However, she hadn’t thought of the position she’d be putting him in.
Getting to his feet, Miles then took his leave.
“I’ll see him off.” Without waiting for Zane’s objection, Stella walked out. Since I’ve vowed to never lie to him, I’ve got to clarify this lie today. As he kept his word and sent the settlement agreement over, it’ll be dastardly of me to break my promise.
Outside the house, a gust of chilly breeze blew past. Halting his steps, Miles mockingly remarked, “Mrs. Levitt, do you know the kind of woman I like when you’re so eager to introduce a girlfriend to me?”
“So, what kind of woman do you like?” Stella inquired with her hands behind her back, throwing the question back at him.
“It’s rather difficult to say since it all depends on feelings. Love at first sight is best.”
Stella was well aware that Miles wasn’t at all interested in looking for a girlfriend, so she hung her head and murmured softly, “Earlier, I was afraid that Zane would bring up the matter of that night, so I timely interrupted him. I once vowed not to lie in front of you in the future, but that was just an expedient measure just now. I was lying to him, not you, so please don’t take it to heart.” She explained things to him, her hands at her back, since she was the one in the wrong in everything that had happened earlier.
“What matter?” Miles asked. The two of them had already walked out the gate, and Stella was leaning against the gate as the streetlight illuminated her face.
“It’s the night we spent together back then… Zane Levitt is pissed off at me because of that, but he doesn’t know who the man was. Because of that night, he…” Stella couldn’t bring herself to continue further since it was a family scandal, after all.
“So, I’m your shameful secret?” Leaning back against the gate behind him, Miles took out a cigarette and lit it. He appeared tall in the dark night as he languidly propped himself up against the iron gate. As he puffed away, he stared at her with piercing eyes.
Stella nodded. Then, she blurted, “I’ve got to go back since I’ve been out for quite a while.” She merely came out to explain about the matter of finding him a girlfriend, but she couldn’t tarry because Zane would definitely suspect something if she was gone for too long.
Also, she hadn’t planned on being out for a long time, so she merely draped a jacket over her silk blouse. Unexpectedly, her jacket slipped off when she was leaning against the iron gate of the villa, so her silk blouse was hooked on a protruding metal décor. In the next moment, a crisp ripping sound cut through the air, and her blouse tore. All at once, the night breeze seemed chilly as it brushed against her shoulder. Her face paling, she quickly picked up her jacket and draped it over herself.
When her blouse ripped earlier, Miles had already glimpsed the creamy flesh that was bared in the process, and he even saw the thin bra strap on her back though he couldn’t make out the color since it was too dark. Sticking his hands into his pant pockets, he gave a cough before staring straight ahead.
Stella’s face blanched. When she came out earlier, she didn’t take anything, leaving her cell phone and key in the house. At this moment, she pressed the intercom, but no sound came, which made her brows furrowed. Zane Levitt is at home. Then, she thought of using Miles’ cell phone to give Zane a call. But he’s already suspecting an affair between us, so if he knows that I’m still with Miles Grant, it’ll be an unpardonable sin. After that, she rang the intercom for a long time, but the gate remained closed. Embarrassment pervaded her since Miles was standing right beside her.
“Don’t ring it anymore. He’s doing this deliberately, purposely not allowing you in,” Miles stated.
Stella had wondered about this possibility herself, but she then thought, Since Zane Levitt is suspecting us of having an affair, isn’t he giving us an opportunity to ‘fool around’ when he refuses to open the door for me? While that’s an utterly despicable phrase in my eyes, he’ll certainly assume that of us.
“I’ll take you someplace to buy a new blouse,” Miles said. Having no other choice, Stella could only nod.
Throughout the drive, Stella kept her gaze out the window, so she didn’t notice Miles keeping his head tilted as he stared at the rearview mirror at the side. When they arrived at a shopping mall, she simply picked a blouse and tried it on in the changing room before stepping out. It was a silk blouse as well. Having been married to Zane for half a year, her standards had gone up as well, so the price was quite steep—860. Naturally, it was Miles who paid.
Stella hung her head, too embarrassed to say anything, but Miles then declared, “Consider it a gift from me.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
“As you wish. Since he doesn’t allow you in, there’s no need for you to go home tonight. I’ll drive you to a hotel.” Then, Miles placed Stella’s torn blouse into the shopping bag. When the blouse brushed his hand, a wave of fragrance wafted into his nostrils, the aroma faint and elegant, very much fitting with her aura.
“Okay.” Stella was on the verge of tears as she forced this single word out.
