When Love Comes Late

“What a pair you make.

First, your brother tried to harm me, and then you rushed in to make amends.

You two really think you can do whatever you want.

”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Lindsay adopted a guise of innocence.

“Stella, what are you implying? I sincerely came here to apologize with my brother…”

Stella rolled her eyes, replying with impatience, “How long will you keep up this charade? Don’t you get tired of playing pretend every day?”

Lindsay’s facade cracked, and she turned to Matthew, pretending to be clueless.

She put on a pitiful look, glanced timidly at Stella, and whispered, “Stella…”

Meanwhile, Robin observed the scene with his usual defiance.

Tired of Lindsay’s antics, Stella directed her attention to Robin and mocked, “You seem more inclined to hurt me than apologize.

Is this your way of making amends?”

Robin returned Stella’s stare with a defiant look, his tone acerbic.

“What is it you want, then?”

Stella smiled, her demeanor calm and assertive.

“If you are truly remorseful, prove it.

”

Her expression hardened.

“In this world, the guilty do not stand taller than the wronged.

You have two choices: kneel or bow.

”

Robin’s temper flared.

Pointing at Stella, he retorted, “Enough.

I’ve kept quiet about your true character out of respect, but Look at you here, in the middle of the night, at the home of a man in a bathrobe.

It’s not a good look, is it?”

Lindsay, feigning panic, yelled, “Robin, just drop it, will you? There’s no need to air this out!”

Stella couldn’t suppress a cold laugh.

“And what exactly are you suggesting? Huh?”

Lindsay shifted her gaze nervously between Stella and Sanford but remained silent.

Robin, unrestrained, scoffed.

“Look at you two, here in the middle of the night.

What else would anyone think?”

Stella knew that regardless of her response, they would twist her words into something malicious.

So, she decided not to engage with them and instead looked directly at Matthew.

She suspected that they had concocted a different story for Matthew about the events of the night.

Inhaling deeply, she calmly asked, “So, you thought I was being unfaithful? You came here to catch me in the act?”

Matthew stayed silent, his mind overwhelmed with troubling images.

It hadn’t been long since they got married, and already there were whispers of Stella being overly familiar with another man in a public setting.

His expression grew even more stern as he glared at Stella, his voice cold.

“It’s not like this is the first time you’ve been implicated, is it?”

Stella stared at Matthew in disbelief, unable to believe he had said those words.

Trying to keep her disappointment from showing, she asked sharply, “When? When did I do that?”