(Chapter 11 She Couldn’t Even Wich a Sheet Without Getting His Attention
They were silk, no less. Silk couldn’t go in the washer. One snag and the whole thing was ruined,
Stella sighed and filled a basin with water, carefully soaking the delicate fabric.
By the time she finished, it was nearly evening. She carried the laundry outside to dry.
Then, a familiar voice came out of nowhere. “Stella? Why are you doing chores?
Stella knew that voice better than anyone. She’d heard it over and over the night they’d slept T
But now she was Stella. She couldn’t afford for Jeremy to suspect anything-
Panic surged through her. She turned quicldy and sliced her finger on the rosebush beside her.
She winced, hiding the pain, and forced a calm expression. “It’s Ms. Irwin’s stuff. It’s too personal to trust someone else with ”
Jeremy took it all in, then smiled faintly. “Next time, let the maid handle it.”
“I’m fine. I still have more to do. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Parker. She avoided his eyes, gave a quick nod, and hurried away:
Jeremy raised a brow, she was way more Interesting than he’d expected.
Inside, Martha was in the living room, sipping some thick bone broth, grimacing with every sip.
When she spotted jeremy, she nearly dropped the bowl. “Jeremy! You’re home early?”
slow day,” he said casually, eyeing the liquid in her hand. “What are you drinking?”
It was actually a fertility supplement, but she couldn’t say that she blurted out, “It’s birth control. Modern medicines are hard on the Jeremy didn’t want ldds, so her answer suited him just fine
He knew Martha wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he glanced toward t master bedroom tonight.”
e body. This
This works too.”
the courtyard. “I didn’t have much going on today. Be in the
The meaning behind his words was dear. He wasn’t asking for Martha. He wanted Stella, the one pretending to be her.
Martha nearly crushed the spoon in her hand. Forcing a smile, she gritted out, “Of course.”
A heavy silence settled between them before jeremy’s gaze flickered slightly. “Stella’s here because of you. Why are you letting her do maid chores? She shouldn’t be washing sheets That’s what we have staff for.”
Martha froze for a second, then quickly put on a look of surprise. “I told the staff not to give her hard work. She probably picked it out of habit, must be used to it. I’ll talk to her. From now on, I’ll let her only take care of ine.”
“That’s between you two. Handle it how you see it.” Jeremy gave a nod and turned back toward the study, like it was just an offhand remark
Martha watched Stella’s figure moving around the courtyard, fists clenched tight.
Dressed like that, doing nothing more than washing sheets, and she still managed to catch Jeremy’s eyes? That tramp was born to lure men in
Chapter 12 Stella Really Is Something
After tidying up, Stella returned to the mom to find Martha lounging in a hanging chair, waiting for her.
“Perfect timing,” Martha said casually. “You’ll be heading to Jeremy’s room a little early tonight.”
Stella rubbed her sore back and frowned. “Even employees get days off. I was in the master bedroom last night and played maid all day today. If I can I get any rest, how am I supposed to get pregnant?
Martha clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed. “Fine, no more laundry from now on. But tonight, you have to go,
no matter what!
Jeremy had already hinted he was expecting someone in his room. If something went wrong tonight, there’d be no explaining it away.
But Stella stood farm. “I’m not going”
Η
This wasn’t up for debate. Martha couldn’t make her do it
Jeremy had given Stella a check just a few days ago, enough to cover her mom’s recovery!
very treatment for a while. She didn’t have to kiss up to Martha anymore.
Martha could see the defiance in Stella’s eyes and stood up. “Aren’t you afraid ‘l-
Ms. Nood,” Stella cut her off coolly. “Everyone has a breaking point. Push me too far, and I’ll burn it all down.”
Their eyes locked. The tension between them crackled,
Martha finally caved. “This time, I’ll give you so thousand dollars.”
Stella hesitated. Money was still her biggest weakness.
A few seconds passed, then she held out her phone. Transfer it fi
Martha was fuming as she entered the amount. “All you care about is money! You think you’re so high and mighty just because you’re getting paid? You’re no
better than a whore!”
Soon after, a maid delivered the medicine. Stella downed the dark, bitter liquid in one go, exhaling heavily afterward
Thinking about having to see jeremy again that night, she grabbed an unopened sorted candle from her nightstand and stepped out.
The stench of the herbal medicine clung to her no matter how many times she showered. Maybe the candle would help mask it.
The door to the master bedroom creaked open. Jeremy already knew someone was waiting. He just hadn’t expected to be welcomed by soft candlelight instead of pitch–black silence.
The small flame flickered on the nightstand, casting a warm glow across Stella’s gentle features. The whole room smelled faintly of roses. It suited her–sweet, quiet, but with an edge.
Stella wasn’t lying in bed but sitting upright, stiff and nervous. When she saw Jeremy walk in, she jumped to her feet.
Stela barely moved, but the edge of her nightgown caught the scented candle and knocked it over. It tipped off the nightstand with a thud, and a few drops of wax splattered across the floor before the flame went out, plunging the room into darkness again.
Jeremy bent down, picked up the candle, and placed it back in its spot
Just as he reached for the light switch, Stella wrapped her arms around him from behind.
“Don’t you think this is.. more atmospheric?” she whispered.
Jemmy wasn’t happy with how slow she was moving. He spun them around, pinning her hands abovscher bead with ease.
Stella watched him nervously, her breath caught in her throat.
Jeremy’s deep gaze landed on her fingers, and just as he suspected, a small bandage was stuck there. It really was Stella.
Jeremy’s mind flashed back to the test results he’d glimpsed at the hospital–three months pregnant. That wasn’t nothing. Was she really pregnant?
Stella’s heart pounded. He’d figure it all out if she didn’t redirect his attention soon. Why was he acting so weird tonight?
“Do you want a baby?” she asked breathlessly in the dark “Next week, after my period, I’ll be ovulating
she looked innocent, but the words out of her mouth were anything but.
“Step moving,” Jeremy said, low and gruft.
He didn’t hate the idea. Having a kid with her didn’t sound bad at all. He pulled her tight against him.
At this rate, the lights were going to come on sooner or later. Pressed against his solid, powerful chest, Stella’s mind raced, desperately trying to think of a way to get out of there..
“I’m a little thirsty,” she said. “Why don’t you shower first while I get us some water?”
She gave him a gentle push, her tone unintentionally sweet.
jeremy nodded faintly, then turned and headed into the bathroom.
Once the door closed, Stella slipped out and switched places with Martha.
The shower stopped, Jeremy changed into loungewear and stepped out
The woman in bed looked the same as before, Same robe. Sime hair. But something felt off.
He tumed on the light, and the woman beside him immediately leaned closer. “Jeremy, let’s go to bed.
Chapter 121 Realty to Spamething
Martha’s voice was sugary–sweet, almost sickening. Her perfume filled the air, cloying and heavy.
Jeremy took one look at her face and completely lost the urge to speak
These two women thought they could tool him. Though appearances were easy to fake, the way a person moved, smelled, and carried the selves was harder to
copy.
When he saw Martha, his body didn’t react at all. He threw an arm over her. “I’ve got to handle a document. I’ll be in the study.”
The next moming, Jeremy stepped out of the study dressed in slacks and a crisp shirt. As usual, he headed straight to the kitchen. He never started the day without coller.
Stella was there, wearing an oversized mask, cleaning up the kitchen trash Martha had apparently changed her mind about the no–laundry rule and started dumping other chores on her.
Still, Stelladidn’t complain, so thousand dollars was so thousand dollars. A little hard work was worth it. She’d done worse.
She tied up the trash, turned around, and slammed into a solid wall of muscle.
Her nose hit something hard, and tears stung her eyes. The bag slipped from her hand and landed on the floor with a thud.
A faint minty scent reached her nose. She looked up and locked eyes with Jeremy.
“You’re up early just to take out the trash?” he asked, raising a brow.
Stella knew her eyes looked almost identical to Martha’s. She quickly looked down. “It’s just pa
part of my job.”
There was something so flat, so bland about her tone that Jeremy couldn’t help but question it. Was this really the same delicate woman from last night? she took a step back, petting some distance between them. “The trash is filthy, Mr. Parker. You might not want to stand so close, you’ll smell like it.”
She tried to excuse herself, but the mention of “smell triggered something in Jeremy.
When she had fallen against him just now, her scent had hit him hard–familiar, warm, almost sweet. He hadn’t thought much of it at first. But now, thinking back, It was the same scent from the master bedroom last night,
A soft, lingering rose. Subtle. Alluring
