Stella stood in the center of the living room of Stardust Mansion, feeling a strange sense of familiarity despite her short stay. The house wasn’t large, but it had been home to her for the past six months, and she had come to recognize every little detail — from where Weston kept his favorite shirts in the wardrobe to the tie he often paired them with. Habit was indeed a powerful thing, and it made her feel as though she knew this place inside and out, even though it hadn’t been that long.
She had already packed her luggage earlier, and it took her only ten minutes to collect everything. As she dragged her suitcase from the bedroom, she found Weston lounging casually on the sofa in the living room, a cigarette between his fingers. His expression darkened as he noticed her, and he took a slow drag from the cigarette, the smoke lingering in the air.
“You don’t have to move out. I can give you this mansion,” he said, his voice low and a hint of something unspoken behind his words. He seemed to be thinking about something but quickly dismissed it.
Stella didn’t even look at him as she grabbed her luggage bag. “I have no use for this mansion. There’s no need for me to stay here alone in such a big place. If you’re fine with it, Mr. Ford, I’d prefer you just give me the equivalent value in cash,” she said bluntly, hoping to avoid any further interaction.
Weston’s brow furrowed slightly as he absorbed her words. He stared at her luggage for a moment before asking, “You only want money?”
Stella nodded, her tone unwavering. “Right now, all I need is money. If you’re insisting on giving me this mansion, I won’t refuse it, but I’ll sell it instead. Although I don’t have the connections to deal with selling it, I’m worried I might get cheated. If you could help me out with that, it would save me some trouble.”
He stared at her, his face blank, before taking a final drag from his cigarette and tossing it away. “I’ll get my assistant to transfer the money into your account in one go.”
Stella’s gaze softened for a brief moment, and she nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Ford.”
Weston stood up and walked toward her, his towering presence making her feel small in comparison. He reached for her luggage without thinking, but she instinctively blocked his hand.
“It’s fine. I can manage,” she said, her voice calm but firm.
Weston withdrew his hand without saying anything. His dark eyes studied her with a kind of detached curiosity, as though trying to understand what had happened to the woman who had once been his wife.
“Where are you staying now? I’ll give you a ride,” he offered, though his tone lacked any real warmth.
Stella’s expression tightened, and she forced a smile. “That’s alright. I’ll take a cab.”
Seeing Weston remain silent, she quickly added, “Mr. Ford, it’s probably best that we don’t get involved with each other anymore, unless necessary. Even something like giving me a ride, while it may seem like a small thing, could cause problems. Don’t you think Ms. Cohen might get upset if she finds out you’ve given your ex-wife a ride?”
Weston didn’t respond. It was as if her words had silenced him, as he continued to look at her with that unreadable gaze. Stella took a deep breath and quickly made her exit. She grabbed a cab and told the driver to take her to a random location, hoping to leave the mansion and the man behind for good.
As the cab pulled away, Stella looked back through the rearview mirror at Stardust Mansion. Her heart tightened. That place had once been her home, and now it felt like a memory she wanted to forget. The pain of the past still lingered in her chest, and the anger she had bottled up for so long threatened to resurface.
Her hand rested on her flat stomach as she closed her eyes, the only comfort she had left being the life growing inside her.
Stella stood in the center of the living room of Stardust Mansion, feeling a strange sense of familiarity despite her short stay. The house wasn’t large, but it had been home to her for the past six months, and she had come to recognize every little detail — from where Weston kept his favorite shirts in the wardrobe to the tie he often paired them with. Habit was indeed a powerful thing, and it made her feel as though she knew this place inside and out, even though it hadn’t been that long.
She had already packed her luggage earlier, and it took her only ten minutes to collect everything. As she dragged her suitcase from the bedroom, she found Weston lounging casually on the sofa in the living room, a cigarette between his fingers. His expression darkened as he noticed her, and he took a slow drag from the cigarette, the smoke lingering in the air.
“You don’t have to move out. I can give you this mansion,” he said, his voice low and a hint of something unspoken behind his words. He seemed to be thinking about something but quickly dismissed it.
Stella didn’t even look at him as she grabbed her luggage bag. “I have no use for this mansion. There’s no need for me to stay here alone in such a big place. If you’re fine with it, Mr. Ford, I’d prefer you just give me the equivalent value in cash,” she said bluntly, hoping to avoid any further interaction.
Weston’s brow furrowed slightly as he absorbed her words. He stared at her luggage for a moment before asking, “You only want money?”
Stella nodded, her tone unwavering. “Right now, all I need is money. If you’re insisting on giving me this mansion, I won’t refuse it, but I’ll sell it instead. Although I don’t have the connections to deal with selling it, I’m worried I might get cheated. If you could help me out with that, it would save me some trouble.”
He stared at her, his face blank, before taking a final drag from his cigarette and tossing it away. “I’ll get my assistant to transfer the money into your account in one go.”
Stella’s gaze softened for a brief moment, and she nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Ford.”
Weston stood up and walked toward her, his towering presence making her feel small in comparison. He reached for her luggage without thinking, but she instinctively blocked his hand.
“It’s fine. I can manage,” she said, her voice calm but firm.
Weston withdrew his hand without saying anything. His dark eyes studied her with a kind of detached curiosity, as though trying to understand what had happened to the woman who had once been his wife.
“Where are you staying now? I’ll give you a ride,” he offered, though his tone lacked any real warmth.
Stella’s expression tightened, and she forced a smile. “That’s alright. I’ll take a cab.”
Seeing Weston remain silent, she quickly added, “Mr. Ford, it’s probably best that we don’t get involved with each other anymore, unless necessary. Even something like giving me a ride, while it may seem like a small thing, could cause problems. Don’t you think Ms. Cohen might get upset if she finds out you’ve given your ex-wife a ride?”
Weston didn’t respond. It was as if her words had silenced him, as he continued to look at her with that unreadable gaze. Stella took a deep breath and quickly made her exit. She grabbed a cab and told the driver to take her to a random location, hoping to leave the mansion and the man behind for good.
As the cab pulled away, Stella looked back through the rearview mirror at Stardust Mansion. Her heart tightened. That place had once been her home, and now it felt like a memory she wanted to forget. The pain of the past still lingered in her chest, and the anger she had bottled up for so long threatened to resurface.
Her hand rested on her flat stomach as she closed her eyes, the only comfort she had left being the life growing inside her.
Skip to content