Chapter 13
At Lane Manor, Stella had just received a call from the hacker. She was surprised as she listened to his reports.
“Customer no. 39, other than the task of decensoring the video, I’m giving you something extrá as a surprise gift.
“I’ve stumbled upon many videos of Ms. Ariana Fairwood and other men on her computer. Since you’ve paid me a lot of money, I’ve uploaded those videos on the Internet too. You’re welcome.”
After the call ended, Stella had a look at those videos of Ariana. Her being wanton and promiscuous in the videos was completely different from the pure image she normally had.
Stella reckoned Julian would probably be livid when he saw these videos. The woman that he loved dearly had secretly betrayed him countless times. Julian would also be equally humiliated because of these videos.
With how much Julian valued his pride, Stella could already imagine how unpleasant Ariana’s ending would be.
Just then, someone opened the door to her room. Anthony stepped in through the door and teased her, “What are you watching, Stella? It sounds like someone’s engaged in an intense workout…”
The young man walked toward her in big strides. He was wearing a loose–fitting sports singlet and a pair of shorts. A sunny smile played on his lips. Anthony bore a close resemblance to Ethan. Ethan was gentle and mature. Meanwhile, Anthony had this lively, youthful air about him. He was tall and handsome. Someone like him would certainly receive a lot of attention and admiration from girls around his age.
Three years had passed since they last saw each other. Even though she had seen Anthony via their video calls previously, Stella was nonetheless surprised by the drastic changes in his appearance. She could not help it as her heart raced.
When she realized what Anthony was teasing her about, Stella blushed and immediately stopped playing the video.
She felt utterly mortified. Anthony caught her red–handed while she was watching that type of video. Although Stella had only checked the videos out of curiosity, it was still pretty hard for her to explain to others about the situation.
Stella could feel her ears burning. She hurriedly explained, “It was a pop–up ad. It wasn’t anything…”
Her voice grew smaller as she spoke. Anthony leaned closer toward her as if he were trying to hear her better.
When Stella lifted her head frantically, she met Anthony’s gentle eyes and was momentarily mesmerized by those eyes.
Those eyes were almost identical to Ethan’s eyes. While one had a soft, tender look in his eyes, the other’s eyes burned with honest, passionate feelings. Stella’s heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously reached out her hand to touch his face. When she snapped out of her reverie, Stella swiftly pulled back her hand.
Anthony acted as though what she did was no big deal. Instead, he glanced at Stella with an enigmatic look in his eyes. “What’s this, Stella? Do you like me that much?”
Stella’s cheeks flushed scarlet. She shot a glare at him. “You’re being ridiculous. I’m pretty much your sister–in–law.”
Yet, Stella grew anxious when she noticed how Anthony was covered in sweat and his body was generating a lot of heat.
She quickly grabbed Anthony’s wrist and felt for his pulse. She began nagging him în a worried tone.
“Why on earth were you even out playing basketball? Does it hurt anywhere around your chest area? Let me know if you feel any discomfort.”
Stella placed her fingers against an area of Anthony’s wrist where she could feel his pulse. As he looked down at her, Anthony could see Stella’s eyelashes fluttering slightly. They reminded him of a butterfly’s beautiful wings.
His heartbeat quickened without him realizing it. Stella, who sensed the chang,e knitted her brows.
“Your heart is beating too quickly. You’re not allowed to go anywhere tonight. I’ll stay and watch over you.”
Roxanne and her husband had both traveled abroad for work. She felt very much at ease leaving Anthony in Stella’s care.
Stella thought that the energetic young man would be displeased about being told to stay at home. To her surprise, Anthony agreed to her request right
away.
His eyes smiled up at Stella as he gazed at her intently.
“Finally, you’re here before me. Stella, I love you more than Ethan did,” Anthony thought.
Chapter 14
