Chapter 20

“Sir.” Jim knocked on the door, noticing the nurse packing up medical supplies and preparing to leave with the cart, along with the two people huddled together. He respectfully reported, “We’ve gathered the information.” Eric nodded, releasing Stella from his hold as he said, “I’ll step out for a moment. You rest.” Stella nodded obediently. He gently touched her hair before standing up to leave. Outside the room. Eric lazily leaned against the wall, twirling a lighter in his right hand. His gaze lowered as he coldly said, “Go ahead.” Jim nodded, lowering his voice as he continued, “As you expected, we started by looking into Luna’s father and stepmother. It was her stepmother who did it.” “Bang!” The lid of the lighter snapped shut with a force that echoed in the room, and Eric clenched it tightly, his voice sharp and cold. “Thorne again?” Jim swallowed hard before continuing, “Yes. She signed a contract with that organization.” “Where did she get the money?” Eric ran his fingers over his chin. “I already ruined the Chu family’s company last time.” “Private savings?” he added. “Did she really use her own funds?” Jim lowered his head. “It seems so. Over the years, she’s often whispered in Carlson’s ear, pushing him to give her more of the assets.” Eric squinted and sneered. “With a woman like Thorne, you know what to do, don’t you, Jim?” Jim straightened, nodding. “I understand, sir. I’ll complete the task.” Eric smiled faintly, his lips curling into a slight smirk. “Don’t touch Carlson yet. After all, he’s still Stella’s father.” “Understood, sir!” Jim nodded again. “I’ll take care of it.” Eric watched Jim leave, his lips pressed tightly together, his expression firm and cold. … Stella leaned against the headboard of the bed, while Eric sat beside her, feeding her spoonfuls of porridge from a bowl. It had been a long time since she had received such care from Eric. Two years. She found herself somewhat unaccustomed to it. Noticing her distracted look, Eric asked, “What are you thinking about?” As he spoke, he lifted another spoonful of porridge to her lips. Stella snapped out of her thoughts, opening her mouth and swallowing the porridge. She mumbled, “Nothing... by the way, you still haven’t told me—why did you come to the Silver Moon Pack?” Eric paused for a moment, continuing to feed her as he replied, “Well, you still owe me fifty million dollars, and I’m worried you might try to skip out on your debt.” Stella choked slightly on the porridge, struggling to swallow, frowning as she said, “Are you serious? I’ve already told you I’ll pay you back. I’m full, I’m full now, don’t feed me anymore…” Eric placed the bowl and spoon on the nightstand, a low chuckle escaping his throat. “I know. But until you pay me back, I still have the right to know where you’re going. After all, if something happens to you, who am I supposed to ask for my money?” Stella turned her head away and muttered, “Cheapskate.” “What did you say?” Eric leaned closer, pressing his ear toward her. “Nothing, nothing… Why are you so close to me?” Stella turned her head again, only to realize Eric’s face was mere inches away. His eyes were filled with amusement at her startled expression. Eric simply gazed at her quietly, their breaths mixing in the air. It felt so good—seeing her like this, healthy and still able to bicker with him. He stared at her lips, pink and moist from the porridge. Unable to control himself, he slowly leaned in. "I don't want you to owe me that fifty million dollars anymore. From now on, I owe you my life." Eric’s forehead pressed against Stella’s, each word heavy with meaning. "My life is yours now." "Stella, we..." Eric took a deep breath and kissed her lips. "Shall we start over?" Eric was a stubborn man when it came to matters of the heart. Once he made up his mind about someone, that was it. For the past two years, he had done everything he could to make Stella angry, jealous—even confessed his feelings openly—and staged countless scenes with other women. He admitted he’d been close to them, but he’d never crossed that final line. He felt nothing for them. In truth, he had been waiting all along. As long as she turned back to him, confessed her feelings, and promised not to repeat the past, they could still make it work. God knew how much he loved her, how much he didn’t understand her. But she had thrown herself in front of him to take a bullet—didn’t that prove she still loved him? That she still cared for him? With that thought in mind, he kissed her harder, as if he were a thirsty traveler in the desert meeting rare, refreshing rain. He even started to bite her lips. It had been too long since he had kissed her. God knew how badly he longed for her taste. It wasn’t enough, no matter how much he kissed her. He was like a man possessed. The kiss hit like a storm, and Stella’s lips grew numb from the intensity. Her hospital gown hung loosely over her arm. His cool fingers slipped under the hem of her gown, brushing against her bra as he massaged her breast, flicking the sensitive tip. Stella was startled, but due to her injury, she dared not move too much. She could only weakly push him away with her other hand. Why was he kissing her so suddenly? What did he mean by "starting over"? Stella was confused. He kissed her so fiercely, it almost felt like he was biting her—but he was careful to avoid her injury. Like a gentle beast. "Mm!" Stella suddenly let out a muffled sound, startling Eric. He quickly pulled his lips away and asked, "What’s wrong? Is it the wound?" Stella pointed to her lips, feeling wronged. "It seems like I’ve split my lip..." He gently held her chin and checked. Sure enough, he had been too forceful. Her lips were dry and swollen. "I'm sorry..." Eric caressed her head, unable to resist kissing her lips again, lightly, like a dragonfly’s touch, again and again. Stella blushed. "Stella, you still haven’t given me an answer," Eric said, his hand caressing her face, his voice a little nervous. Stella lowered her gaze. "But Ruby..." She hesitated. "There’s no Ruby. There never has been," Eric said with a faint smile. "Not even those other women. I only have you." Stella stayed silent. She couldn’t quite believe him. If he had never cared for those other women, why had he cheated just one month after their wedding? Why had he mocked her for two years, bringing countless women home? That fragile marriage had almost driven her to give up, but he refused to let go. "You don’t believe me?" Eric’s eyes darkened. He suddenly grabbed her uninjured hand and moved it toward his pants. "Eric, what are you doing?" Stella gasped, feeling something hot and hard... Her face flushed instantly, and she quickly tried to pull her hand away.