Chapter 10 Why Is It Always Stella Who Gets to Keep Him
The bitter taste of the supplement clung to Stella’s mouth. She wiped her tingling lips, glaring at Martha with fury. “What did you make me take?– Martha stood with her as folded, “Just something to speed things up. I don’t have time to wait around for you to get pregnant at your own pace.” Though relieved it wasn’t poison, a wave of discomfort settled over Stella. “The contract clearly says I’m to be informed first. You have no right to interfere in my personal affairs.”
Stella’s resistance struck a nerve. The anger Martha had been burying surged to the surface. “When I tell you to do something, you do it. Don’t start with the bocktail”
Sure, the contract was unfair, but Stella was still a person, not a tool to be used and discarded on command. So, she didn’t budge. “Get out.”
Martha arched an eyebrow: “Your mother’s still counting on that life–saving money. Are you sure you want to challenge me now?!!
It was the same old threat. Martha’s go–to tactic,
But sipe was right. Stella had no choice. As long as Alison was receiving treatment at Concord Hospital, Stella had to play by their rules.
Her natis dog into her palm, nearly breaking the sdn.
Suppressing her frustration, Stella remarked, “The light in the study is too harsh. I can’t let him see my face.”
Martha enjoyed seeing her so reluctant and helpless. A satisfied smile tugged at her lips. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult? Fine, go wait for him in the bedroom, ill take care of the rest,”
Stella got up and changed into the silk nightgown Martha had prepared for her Then, she opened the door and stepped out of the room
Seeing Stella enter Jeremy’s bedroom, Martha grabbed a cup of coffee and headed toward the study.
“Jerry, may 1 come in?” she asked, knocking on the door.
Inside, Jeremy set his pen down and massaged his temples
“Come in, he replied.
The study door creaked open, and Martha entered, her figure draped in a thin nightgown
She set the coffee cup on the desk, her voice laced with reproach. “It’s so late. Why are you still worlding?
Jeremy didn’t address the question, “Go to bed. There’s no need to wait for me.”
The message was unmistakable. He wasn’t coming back to the bed room tonight,
Under the glow of the desk lamp, Jeremy leaned forward slightly, his eyes focused on the documents in his hands.
His profile looked as though it had been carved from marble. Martha found herself captivated, almost lost in the sight of him.
“I understand that work is important,” she said, “but your health is just as crucial. Let me stay with you for a little while,”
Jeremy was the man every elite heiress in Cindervale dreamed of marrying. The idea of losing him to Stella stirred something bitter deep in Martha’s chest.
“I don’t like having anyone around while I’m working.” with these words, Jeremy set his documents down, his gaze hardening as he looked at her
The more he got to know Martha, the more convinced he became that the woman he shared his bed with each night was someone entirely different.
Her figure was slimmer, her body more elegant and alluring. But despite the differences, their eyes held an eerie resemblance.
Having been dismissed, Martha knew it was time to leave the study.
“Alright,” she said. “I wait for you in the bedroom. Don’t stay up too late.”
The underlying message in her words was clear.
As she walked out, Jeremy’s lips curled into a knowing smile,
If his suspicion was right, the “Martha” waiting in the bedroom had already been swapped out.
After reviewing the documents in his hand, Jeremy stood up, a quiet yearing rising within him. Without a second thought, he left the study and headed toward the bedroom.
Down the hall, Martha heard the study door creak open. Jeremy had gone to the bedroom
A surge of rage burned in her chest. Why was it that Stella always managed to hold Jeremy’s attention? What did Martha lack, compared to her?
The bedroom was dim, enveloped in darkness. As the door creaked open, the silhouette of a woman lying on the bed became visible.
Jeremy stepped inside. Still half–asleep, the woman’s soft voice floated toward him. “Why are you so late? I was just about to fall asleep.” Hearing that familiar voice, Jeremy instinctively let his guard down. He pulled her slender body closer, wrapping his anns around her from behind. “Did you miss me?” he asked.
H
*Mrhmm. Stella whispered.
But before she could speak further, Jeremy’s hand began to move restlessly,
Though they had been intimate countless times, Stella still couldn’t shake the shiver that can through her.
Treviny leaned in, bila breath warm against herneck. Along with the familiar seent, he caught a faint, unusual fragrance. It was slightly bitter, like the scent of
traditional medicine.
“What’s that smell? I don’t recall you taking medicine,” Jecemy asked.
le you were in the study”
Already losing her sense of reason under his touch, Stella responded without her usual cantion. “I took some supplements while
The timing lined up, so she wasn’t lying.
“What kind of supplements?” pereny pressed.
Stellarealized there was no point in hiding the truth, so she stammered, “F–fertility supplements.”
When Jeremy heard this, a faint, knowing sindle tugged at his lips. It was clear that she and Martha hadn’t coordinated their stories.
Jeremy turned her over, Efting the hem of her nightgown. “And your maid, Stella. How’s her mother’s health?”
Stella curied slightly, her body ignited with desire, unable to resist the pull of his touch. Soft, involuntary gasps escaped her as she succumbed to the intensity of
the moment
“She just had surgery and needs time to recover,” Stella teplied.
“You seem to know quite a bit about Stella and her family,” Jeremy remarked,
Was he here for intimacy or was this all an interrogation?
Jeremy tightened has grip on her waist, yanking her back to the present. Stella quickly baciqedaled. “No, no, i
that’s not
Hallway though, she realized that Martha wouldn’t bother to offer any explanation.
Without hesitation, she reached up and tugged at Jeremy’s loose the, her voice taling on a bold, flirtatious edge. “Jerry, do you really want to talk about other Awomen right now? Are you so interested in Stella?”
Her tone canied a playful challenge, tinged with a touch of jealousy.
She swiftly adjusted the direction of the conversation, effortlessly regaining control,
Jeremy let the topic drop. He leaned in and kissed her, his voice rough with desire. “Talking about someone else really ruins the mood. Let me make it up to you… “Mm!” Stelia felt like a small boat tossed by waves, rising and falling with no control.
She tried to push him away, but it was already too late. Jeremy was like a starved wolf, unyielding in his hunger.
That night, they renalined wrapped in each other for over two hours.
After Jeremy finally fell asleep, Stella slipped out and made her way back to the maid’s quarters.
she took a quick shower, but the uncomfortable sensation deep inside still clung to her. She lay on the bed, barely moving
At the first hint of daylight, she slipped into her maid uniform. With a mask in place, she went to tend to Martha Jeremy had already left for work, so their paths did
not cross
Meanwhile, Martha sat at the dining table, leisurely enjoying her meal.
“You sure have a way of keeping him around,” she commented
stella’s body ached. Her knees were bruised and sore, and even standing felt like a struggle, she replied nonchalantly, “Everything I do is for your plan, Ms. Nord ” Her words only brightened Martha’s frustration. With a sharp clatter, she tossed her fork side. “You sure talk a lot, but after all this time, there’s still no sign of a baby!”
“Getting pregnant is a matter of probability,” Stella said. If she couldn’t conceive, wouldn’t that just mean she’d be holding on to Jeremy even longer?
Martha wasn’t interested in hearing excuses. She stood up and seized Stella’s wrist. “The premarital health screening showed Jeremy’s in perfect health. His sperm is strong and active The embryo could already be implanted for all we know. You’re coming with me for a blood test. Now.”
