Chapter 10

Stella’s footsteps faltered for just a second. But then, without hesitation, she kept walking. The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside with Anthony. Ding—another chime as the doors closed behind them. That woman… she chose to walk away with Anthony. She chose to leave. All the rage inside Eric froze the moment she walked out, then shattered into sharp shards of ice that pierced his chest, causing a heart-wrenching pain. Elsewhere... The moment Stella entered the elevator, her body went limp, and she collapsed, sinking straight down. Thankfully, Anthony caught her just in time, preventing Stella from hitting the floor. “Stella, are you okay?” Anthony asked, his voice filled with concern. Stella shook her head, her mind blank, so empty that she could barely feel her body, let alone her existence. It felt as though her soul had been ripped away, leaving her in a dizzying haze. In her disoriented state, she didn’t even realize when Anthony brought her to his home. When she finally regained her senses, the sky outside had long since turned dark. “You’re finally back to yourself,” Anthony said, handing her a cup of coffee. “You sat on the couch, staring blankly, the entire day.” Stella moved her stiff fingers and looked down at the coffee in her hands. Her response was slow, dull. “Oh.” Anthony sat beside her, watching her pale, exhausted face for a while. Then his gaze shifted, and his voice took on a tone of quiet concern. “You clearly care about Eric. So why did you choose to leave with me just now?” Stella tightened her grip on the coffee cup, pressing her lips together so tightly they turned white, but didn’t say a word. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak; she just didn’t know how. Two years as mates, and Eric had been cheating for two years. She wasn’t some doll without dignity, someone who could quietly watch her beloved husband flirt with other women while he treated her coldly, even speaking cruelly to her. He called her disgusting, said she was nothing more than a plaything he could buy with money, a prisoner to be controlled. In his eyes, she—Stella—was just a worthless object he could trample on. She had had enough. Anthony noticed she didn’t answer, but he didn’t push her. Instead, his voice softened, and he spoke with an oddly hopeful tone. “If two people aren’t right for each other, forcing it won’t bring happiness. If you really can’t stay with him anymore, you should leave and choose a better life.” As he spoke, his gaze locked onto hers, filled with unspoken expectation. Stella finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. “Kiss me.” Anthony no longer hid his desire. He shrugged off his coat, then leaned into her, kissing her fiercely. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, then to her collarbone, her chest. He sucked at her skin as his hands roughly pulled at her clothes, pushing aside her lingerie and clumsily groping her chest. Stella could feel the intensity of his passion. Stella couldn't help but moan when he pinched her nipple hard, and reached out to pull his shirt. But he suddenly opened his mouth and took the whole nipple in, sucking hard. "Hmm..." Stella panted heavily, hugged his head tightly and pressed it against her chest, arching her body to ask for more. She was wearing a professional skirt, and his hand lifted her lower body to expose her lower body completely. His slender fingers stroked through her underwear for a few times and then reached in from the edge, entangled with fine hair and rubbed the ravine in the middle. Stella panted more and more, and her fingers squeezed into his crotch to unbutton his pants, outlining the shape of his lower abdomen with her fingertips, and teasing his penis with the rhythm of his stroking between her legs. Stella simply threw him down, spread her legs and sat on him, holding the hard penis steady and slowly sitting down in his shocked eyes. This is her favorite position, which can control everything and allow the penis to penetrate very deeply. "Do you feel good?" Anthony looked at her, "Do you feel good when I fuck you?" Stella snorted, unwilling to answer his question. Anthony reached out and grabbed her breasts. Stella couldn't control her panting, and moans came out of her throat. The lewd fluid slowly flowed down her legs, wetting her skin and pubic hair, and made clear sounds with the rhythmic impact. "Harder, I like this!" "Mmm..." The next day. Stella had no appetite and didn’t want to eat anything. But despite her reluctance, she eventually gave in to Anthony's persuasion and agreed to go downstairs for some light porridge. However, as soon as Stella stood up from the couch, her vision blurred, a loud buzzing filled her ears, and her body collapsed, dropping to the ground. "Stella!" Anthony was horrified. He rushed to catch her, swept her up in his arms, and hurriedly took her to the hospital, driving through the night. Stella had already been hospitalized due to low blood sugar. After enduring the trauma of being drugged, she had spent the day without eating or drinking, tossing and turning. Her body simply couldn’t handle it, and her strength was completely drained. She was hospitalized again that evening. This time, Stella slept for a full day and night. When she finally woke up, it was already the third day. Meanwhile, a great storm had quietly been brewing during her unconsciousness. After twenty-four hours of sleep, sustained only by an IV drip and nothing to eat, Stella woke up feeling completely drained, with no strength left. She could only weakly lean against the hospital bed, letting Anthony help her sit up and feed her spoonfuls of sweet porridge. After finishing a bowl of porridge, Stella finally felt like she was coming back to life. Once she regained a bit of strength, she immediately pulled away from Anthony’s embrace. "President Anthony, I’m really sorry for all the trouble these past few days," Stella said, feeling deeply guilty. Anthony was always someone who prioritized work above everything else, and now that she had delayed him, she both felt bad and subconsciously feared that once she recovered, he would work her to the bone like she was some kind of machine. "It’s good that you know," Anthony replied, setting the soup bowl down. "Once you're back on your feet, you can help me catch up on work." Stella silently groaned inwardly. Anthony didn’t stay long. After about ten minutes, he left the room. Stella was left alone in the hospital room, resting quietly. But it hadn’t even been half an hour before there was a knock on the door. The person who entered was none other than her wicked stepmother, Thorne. The moment Stella saw her, a look of wariness instantly crossed her face. She clearly remembered that night when Thorne had drugged her. Thorne was holding a thermos and wearing a fake, beaming smile. "Stella, I heard you’ve been sick. I made some nourishing soup for you. Just try it and see if you like it." Stella didn’t even glance at the fake kindness in the soup and coldly asked, "What do you want?" Thorne maintained her concerned expression. "I just came to check on you..." "Well, now that you’ve checked, you can leave," Stella said, unceremoniously ushering her out. Thorne’s expression soured, twisting into an ugly smile. She continued shamelessly, "Actually, there’s one more thing..." Stella turned her gaze away, uninterested. Thorne persisted, "Stella, I know you and Alpha Eric haven’t severed your bond yet. So, could you please ask Alpha Eric to go easy on Banker William? The banks have been targeting our company these past few days, and things have been difficult for me and your father." Stella looked at her with no expression, replying, "Well, that’s quite a coincidence. My life’s not going well either." Thorne froze, her eyes blazing with barely contained rage. "Stella, I’ve been speaking to you nicely. Don’t be ungrateful!" Thorne’s true nature showed through as she couldn’t maintain her pretended politeness any longer. Stella calmly met her gaze. Despite lying flat in bed, her presence was enough to overpower Thorne, who stood there with her hands on her hips like a shrill, angry woman. "Sorry, I’m just that ungrateful. If you want him to help you, go find Eric yourself." She smirked. "And since you know I haven’t severed my bond with Eric, are you not worried he’ll come after you?" Stella cleverly invoked Eric’s name, knowing that the bastard wouldn’t be any the wiser. Mentioning Eric seemed to be just the right move—Thorne, once so arrogant, immediately shrank. No matter how she acted, she wouldn’t dare behave this way in front of Eric. With clenched teeth, Thorne stormed out in a huff. Once she got into her car, she was bombarded with calls from various banks, each one demanding payment. Not daring to answer a single one, Thorne fumed in silence. Ever since Banker William’s incident, she had been blacklisted by the banks. The loan terms had become harsh, and her already struggling company was now on the brink of collapse. Thorne shut off her phone, frustration mounting. It was all Stella’s fault—the little wench. And now, she had the audacity to use Eric to pressure her… This was something she couldn’t let go. Her eyes darkened with malicious intent as she curled her lips into a sinister smile.