“But Olivia, what the hell? Have you forgotten that Liam is also my son and depends on this to live? I can’t just let him die!” Although Nathan felt irritated, he still said these words patiently.
“So, you think doing it this way is the only option? Isn’t there another way?” Olivia’s voice was still as emotional as before.
She had sacrificed and invested so much in her relationship with Nathan, and her greatest fear was losing him. Hearing this harsh reality, she couldn’t control herself or calm down.
“Stella needs to give birth to a second child, and the child could help Liam. Besides, the best way to ensure she gets pregnant is this. The process of producing a baby through insemination would take too long, and unfortunately, Liam can’t wait anymore.”
“Nathan, I don’t want…”
From the beginning, Nathan’s heart had been agitated, and at this moment, hearing Olivia’s cries, he couldn’t help but feel even
darker inside.
“I think you need some time to calm down, and then we can talk again.”
He finished speaking, didn’t wait for her response, and hung up the phone.
Olivia immediately began calling him again, but he rejected her calls. As her calls continued incessantly, he simply turned off his phone, lay on the bed, and closed his eyes. Yet, it seemed his irritation hadn’t subsided.
Stella went out to the garden for a walk. She thought she understood Nathan’s words–no matter how painful, they were still true.
Who was she to him? And why should he lend her money?
In recent days, their relationship had not been the same. They strongly opposed each other, leaving her deeply confused. But now, she realized that, in Nathan’s heart, she was still the Stella who had used him, and that would never change.
She sat in the garden for a while before returning. Standing at the bedroom door, she overheard Nathan’s phone conversation with Olivia. Not wanting to stay in the room and hear more, she decided to spend the night in Liam’s room instead.
The following morning, Stella lingered in Liam’s room as long as she could. She even assumed Nathan had already left for the office. But to her surprise, when she opened the door, he was still in the room.
She was startled for a moment.
“It seems like you don’t want to see me, or am I imagining that you’re avoiding me?” Nathan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not avoiding you,” Stella replied as she stepped into the car. Then, passing in front of him without stopping, she didn’t even glance his way.
Nathan couldn’t tolerate being ignored by her, so he reached out to grab her wrist. She quickly pulled her hand away.
Stella, what are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re not ignoring me,” Nathan said, his face darkening.
Even Stella didn’t know why she was so angry. Perhaps she had thought they were starting to get along, but last night, he reminded her how distant the truly were.
“You’re late for work, Stella whispered.
“You don’t need to tell me; I know my responsibilities.”
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Stella nodded. Yes, his business had nothing to do with her, and she wouldn’t control him.
“Take off your clothes. It’s time to change your bandages.” Seeing that she was silent, Nathan continued speaking.
“Don’t worry, I can do it myself.”
Stella’s voice was as gentle as ever, but Nathan had already lost his patience.
“Fine, do as you wish.”
He turned to grab his coat and left the room.
She didn’t have time to dwell on Nathan’s attitude because she had many things to take care of.
After Nathan left, Stella quickly changed clothes and went to the studio. It had been a long time since she had been there, and all the classes had been taught by Carol.
“Ella, how do you have time to come here? You’ve been so busy lately, Carol said, somewhat surprised when she saw Stella.
“It’s been a while since I came here, so I just wanted to stop by and take a look,” Stella replied faintly, then grabbed her dance outfit
and put it on.
She tied up her long hair and went to her private dance room with Caroline to dance a little.
Caroline watched from the side, unable to stop herself from being mesmerized by Stella’s dancing. This time, Stella seemed like a butterfly, swift and graceful, floating effortlessly.
Although Stella didn’t have Fernanda’s musical talent, she possessed a unique and special gift for dance. She excelled in various styles: modern dance, ballroom, jazz, Latin dance, and more. She could learn any dance with ease.
Stella danced for a long time until she was exhausted, then stopped. Caroline handed her a water bottle.
“Nathan must be truly blind and stupid not to value you.”
Mentioning Nathan changed Stella’s expression. She unscrewed the bottle, took a sip, and remained silent.
“Weren’t you hurt? Doesn’t it hurt to move?” Carol suddenly remembered.
“I’m fine. Actually, I’m much better now,” Stella replied with a sigh.
“Ella, what’s going on with you? Did something happen? Did Nathan bully you again?” Stella shook her head.
“Then it’s your father. What does he want this time?” Speaking of Jorge, Carol became angry. She couldn’t understand how such a father could exist.
He cherished one daughter, treating her like a treasure, while the other was entirely different. He used her as he pleased, with no regard for her feelings.
Stella knew she couldn’t hide the truth from Caroline, so she briefly explained the situation. Caroline immediately became furious.
Half a million?” Co asked, shocked by the amount. “Has he ever thought of you as his daughter?”
Daughter? Stella was laughing bitterly inside. She unscrewed the bottle and drank a few more sips.
“What are you going to do? Carol asked. She knew Stella was a good daughter and wouldn’t let her father rot in jail, if not for her
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mother.
“I don’t know yet,” Stella whispered.
“I have 200,000 from some investments I made. I can lend it to you it’s a start, isn’t it?”
Carol wasn’t the best at managing money, but she had gathered what she could and invested. If her best friend needed help, she wouldn’t hesitate.
“Carol, there’s no need. Keep your money; I’ll think of other ways.” Stella had come to the studio today to check on it and let out her emotions. Otherwise, she felt she might explode. “I still Kave some things to do, so I’ll get changed and leave.”
Stella drove to the bank to check her account balance.
Unlike Caroline, who didn’t manage her spending, Stella had saved some money over the years. But even so, compared to half a million, her savings were meager.
While she was feeling restless, Jorge called her, just to ask if she had asked Nathan for the money.
“I spoke to Nathan, but he refused to lend it.”
“And you just accepted his ‘no‘ as an answer? What’s going to happen now? Are you going to watch our family collapse, see your father go to jail, and your mother lose her mind even more?” Jorge shouted from the other end of the line.
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