Chapter 13

Eric's breath hitched, his anger barely contained as he coldly asked, "Have you been to the house?" Lillian took a sip from her teacup and casually replied, "Yes." "What were you doing there?" Eric’s gaze darkened, his tone heavy with authority. "You’re living your life at home. Why do you have to interfere with mine?" Lillian smiled lightly. "I’ve been keeping up with the news. Aren’t you and Ya’er getting along just fine? I’ve always said you two should’ve mated. What a perfect match—you could’ve avoided so much trouble. Just look at Stella’s family. A real mess..." "Enough!" Eric stood, towering over her as he glared down. "Mother, please leave. Don’t interfere with my life anymore." Lillian bit her lip, unwilling to give up. "Haven’t you locked her up at home to stop her from embarrassing herself? Didn’t she want to sever the mark with you? You didn’t know that?" "Please leave!" Eric interrupted, pointing firmly at the door, clearly done with the conversation. When Lillian heard him mention severing the mark, her expression softened, and a smile spread across her face. Her voice trembled with excitement. "Oh! I understand now! I’ll go back right away." Eric watched her leave, his expression darkening. He chuckled bitterly to himself, muttering, "You think you can leave me? Dream on!" At the rented apartment Stella had been staying in the temporary apartment that Beverly found for her for two days now. She had switched her SIM card and taken time off from work to regroup, recharge, and regain some energy. So much had happened in the past few days, it felt suffocating. She rubbed her forehead. After two days of rest, it was time to return to work. Before she had switched her SIM card, her phone had been flooded with missed calls from Anthony, which had startled her. She quickly called back to explain, leaving out a few details. Once he knew she was safe, he assured her to take care of herself and confirmed that her pay for the last few days would not be deducted. And then there were Eric’s missed calls... She sighed and patted her face, telling herself not to think about it. He and she... had already severed the mark. At the office The moment Beverly saw Stella, she rushed over and hugged her, speaking so fast she was almost incoherent. "Stella! You’re finally back! How’s your health? You don’t know how scary the boss has been these past few days—he was like someone on fire! You’re here to save us!" Stella chuckled and patted Beverly’s head to calm her down. "Our boss is such a gentle person. He must’ve been upset because you guys weren’t doing your work right. Keep trying, don’t give up, and good luck! I’ll go check in with him." Beverly, hearing this, reluctantly let go and pouted. "But... President Anthony is just different when it comes to you..." Stella playfully tapped her head and said with a teasing smile, "Go back to work! Stop gossiping!" Beverly stuck out her tongue and ran back to her desk. Stella shook her head in amusement before turning toward Anthony’s office. She took a deep breath in front of the door and gently knocked, "President Anthony." From inside, Anthony’s voice responded in a soft, yet cool tone, "Come in." Stella opened the door and walked to his desk, standing still in front of him. She gave a slight bow and said, "President Anthony, I’m back to work." Anthony looked up from his papers when he heard her voice. While working, he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that made him appear even sharper and more capable, but they also softened his demeanor just a bit. No matter how gentle he appeared, Stella couldn’t help but stiffen in his presence. His clear, kind eyes curved behind the lenses as he smiled. “It’s good to see you back. Have you rested well? How’s your health?” Stella nodded seriously. “I’ve rested well. I’m really sorry for causing any trouble for the company. I’ll catch up on the work over the next few days.” Anthony chuckled softly. “Don’t be so serious, Stella. You haven’t caused any trouble for the company. In fact, I should be thanking you for helping me manage things so well.” Stella gave a small smile. “Of course.” Anthony adjusted his glasses, handed her a few documents, and, after giving her instructions, let her leave to get to work. Stella nodded at him, holding the documents as she turned to leave. Anthony watched her retreating figure, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. Later that night… Stella lifted her head, her right hand gently massaging her neck to ease the tension and soreness. The office was empty, with only her and Anthony remaining. She sighed. Anthony was a workaholic, always the last one to leave the office. In that regard, they were very much alike. Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder. Startled, she stiffened and was about to stand, but a cool voice stopped her. “It’s me.” “Mr. Anthony, it’s you.” Stella relaxed, her body loosening as she turned to face him. “Is there something you need me to do?” Anthony gave a dry laugh. “Do I always have to find you because of work?” Stella blinked in confusion. “Then…?” Anthony gently pulled her up from her chair, taking her jacket off the back of it and draping it over his arm. “Let’s go. It’s after eight. You’ve just recovered, right? Let me take you out for dinner as a welcome-back-to-work gesture and a reward for your hard work.” “But I…” Stella hesitated, wanting to refuse. Anthony cut her off. “I know you’re about to break up with Eric. Aren’t you staying in that rented apartment? I found it for you. Do you think Beverly could’ve found you a place that quickly?” Stella widened her eyes in surprise. “How do you know about that… and the apartment…” Anthony sighed, his eyes soft behind his glasses as he looked at her. “Stella, while we’re at work, we have a boss-employee relationship. But after hours, I hope we can be friends. You’ve been working with me for so long—don’t you trust me?” “I—I didn’t mean it like that…” Stella hurriedly explained, shaking her hands. “It’s just that so much has happened recently, and I… It’s fine. I trust you.” Seeing her flustered, Anthony smiled softly, his eyes gentle. “I know. After hours, just call me Anthony.” “But…” Stella hesitated. Their relationship had always been formal. Apart from the time she’d asked him for help, she had always been respectful toward him. "Didn't we do it before?" Anthony's tone was a little aggrieved. He lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes left a shadow under his eyelids. "It's the same now." Looking at his Adam's apple rolling up and down, Stella bent her knees and pushed against his crotch: "Are you hard already?" Anthony put his right hand around her waist, and he pushed her back two steps against the door, pulled down her uniform, and covered her with his big hand and kneaded her nipples hard. The left nipple was pulled red and stood trembling. Stella's voice trembled: "Here, this is the office!" Anthony pressed his whole body against her, and pressed his fingers on the woman's clitoris and kneaded it hard. "Don't scream, shh!" Stella's ears were hot because of what he said, and she panted more quickly, and her vaginal fluid soon flowed down his fingers. "Go in!" She begged with crystal eyes. Feeling the hot liquid leaking into his hand, Anthony bit her earlobe, untied the belt a few times to release the penis, and squeezed in between her buttocks. The soft flesh in the hole was scraped by him vigorously, and the body was numb and numb. "Don't scream so loudly, people passing by outside will hear it." Anthony straightened his waist and pounded deeply. More and more vaginal fluid flowed out, flowing down her thighs, and the sound of the hole hitting continued, accompanied by the heavy breathing that echoed in the room. ...... AveryAvery