On the way back, Stella wanted to take advantage of the moment when Nathan wasn’t paying attention to open the box secretly. However, he noticed her and, left with no choice, she gave up.
Because of that evening’s outing, she hadn’t taken a nap during the day. After hours on the plane and a long walk, her body was crying out for rest. As soon as they got back to the hotel, she thought about opening the box while Nathan showered, but as she lay in bed, her eyes simply closed and sleep overcame her.
Nathan finished his bath and tried to wake her, but she didn’t move This time, Stella slept soundly until dawn. She didn’t know if it was tiredness or the excitement of being in Rio de Janeiro, but when she woke up, it was after nine o’clock.
Nathan was no longer in the room. Stella quickly changed and went to see Liam. The little one had been awake since early morning and was now out on the balcony, enjoying the morning sun while eating his breakfast. His little legs wiggled on the bench, and he seemed radiant with happiness.
“Ma’am, are you awake?” Sara, who was organizing some things in her room, greeted her with a smile. “The president and his assistant left early to take care of some business. He asked me not to wake you and left instructions for you to sleep a little longer. He said you were very tired about last night…”
Stella blinked, feeling a little uncomfortable. The way Sara said it, with a suggestive look, seemed to imply that she and Nathan had spent the night engaged in some intense activity. But no…
She sighed helplessly. She was just exhausted. Nothing had happened between them. But trying to explain herself would only make things worse, so she simply ignored it and nodded.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Yes, ma’am. But I can order something for you and Liam. Mr. Nathan said he wouldn’t be back until later and that he had organized an outing for you. He said he’d have dinner with you tonight.”
“Right.” Stella smiled slightly. Nathan was there on business, so it made sense that he would be busy. But she and Liam could explore the city.
“Order something for coffee, anything’s fine with me,” said Stella before heading for the balcony.
Liam stood with his arms raised to the sun, his eyes squinted, feeling the morning heat. When he saw his mother, he gave her a
radiant smile.
“Mommy, you’re awake!”
“Yes.” Stella sat down next to him. “After breakfast, we’re going out. Where do you want to go?”
“Let’s go for a walk first, Mom. I want to wait for Dad so we can swim together later!”
He wanted to learn to swim with Nathan. After all, he was sure his father must be a great swimmer. And since he knew Stella couldn’t swim, he didn’t ask her to teach him.
“All right.” She smiled, gently squeezing his chubby cheeks.
Shortly afterwards, breakfast was served, and Stella and Liam ate together. A driver designated by Nathan arrived to pick them up and take them for a walk. He was a middle–aged man, a local from Rio de Janeiro, clearly experienced and familiar with the best sights.
The day was full. They visited various places and Liam bought little souvenirs, saying he wanted to give them to his friends and family, Stella was about to say something when her phone rang. It was Nathan.
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“I’ve finished my work. Bring am back, we’ll have dinner together and then go swimming.”
“Right, we’re on our way back.”
When they arrived at the hotel, Nathan had already ordered some dishes and was waiting for them. Stella took Liam to wash his hands, and the dishes were served one by one.
“Daddy, you ordered all my favorite foods!” Liam exclaimed excitedly
“And yours too.” Nathan said, serving her some food.
“Thanks, Dad!”
After a whole day of fun, Liam was famished and ate excitedly. Stella for her part, noticed that Nathan was watching her intently, as if trying to read her mind.
“What’s wrong?” she finally asked.
“Later, you’re going swimming too.”
“I don’t want to swim.”
“You can buy a swimsuit.”
“Next time.”
“But Nathan wasn’t going to let her off the hook so easily.
“We’re not going to the ocean, just to the hotel’s outdoor pool. We can swim and enjoy the view.”
Stella hesitated. Ever since she was little, she had been afraid of water and had never managed to learn how to swim. The idea of going into the pool made her uncomfortable. But before she could argue, Nathan played his final card:
“Liam, your mother said you’re not going swimming.”
The little boy’s eyes widened.
“Mommy, come with me! I want to be with you!”
Faced with that pleading look, Stella knew her battle was lost.
How could Stella resist Nathan’s plea? With no choice, she just nodded, wishing she could keep her composure. If she had known this beforehand, she would have insisted on not buying a swimsuit the night before. Now she had no more excuses to avoid the situation.
Nathan watched her final answer with satisfaction. His lips curved into a discreet smile before he continued his meal.
“Isn’t that Stella?”
The unexpected voice broke the tranquility of dinner. Stella immediately recognized the familiar tone and, upon raising her head, saw Carla accompanied by some friends.
“Sister.”
“What a coincidence.” Carla arched an eyebrow. “Now it makes sense that Dad says he hasn’t been able to get in touch with you
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lately. So it’s because he’s in Rio de Janeiro.”
As she said this, her eyes fell on Nathan. Her expression changed immediately.
“Nathan, you’re here too.”
Nathan put down his hashis and narrowed his eyes, assessing her with an inquisitive look.
“Who are you?”
Carla’s face stiffened. She hadn’t expected to be greeted like this. They had known each other for years and yet, before she could even introduce herself, he ignored her like this. It was clear that he wanted to humiliate her.
Despite her frustration, Carla kept her composure and forced a sweet smile.
“I’m Stella’s sister. Nathan, it’s been so many years since we last saw each other… Don’t you remember? In the past, we did too…”
“I’m sorry, I have no memory of you. “Nathan cut her off coldly. With a nonchalant gesture, he pointed to the other table, where her friends were waiting. “They’re calling for you. Aren’t you going yet?”
Carla’s plan was to sit with them, but Nathan’s words stopped her. Her expression and smile became tense.
“I’ll go there, then… we’ll talk later. Are you staying at this hotel? Do you intend to stay long?”
“We’ll stay a few more days.”
“”Good.” Carla gave a satisfied smile, cast one last glance at Nathan and finally returned to her group of friends.
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