Chapter 171: Running from the uproar

After a long moment of sitting and staring at Stella’s retreating steps I a stunned silence, Adrian finally recovered.

The shock left his face first. What replaced it was a cold anger. His fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles whitening as the full meaning of Stella’s words settled into place. This would not be a quiet separation. It would be public and messy. The kind of mess that clung to a political image and refused to wash off. He stood slowly, already calculating, already measuring how much pride he could afford to lose.

His political opponents would definitely say there was something wrong with him for having been dumped.

"No, I can’t afford to bear that stain..." He mumbled under his breath.

At that moment, Stella walked out of her room.

She had changed into a modest short gown that covered her properly, the earlier invitation had been wiped clean from her appearance. Her expression was calm, almost settled, as if the hardest part of the evening had already passed. She approached him and held out the engagement ring without raising her voice.

"We aren’t compatible, Adrian. Let’s say goodbye." she said.

Adrian’s frown deepened. He looked at the ring, then at her face, and shook his head firmly as to say the woman before him was just a stubborn child not thinking clearly and making a wrong decision.

"Do you really think you can leave me like this?" he asked, holding her gaze intensely.

Stella blinked, then lifted her chin. "I just did."

Something uglier than just anger moved behind his eyes. He stepped closer, close enough that the air between them tightened.

"I will not allow you to humiliate me like this. Never." he said quietly.

He did not wait for a reply. He turned to leave.

Stella caught his arm and pulled him back just long enough to press the ring into his palm.

"You forgot this." She told him very calmly.

Adrian’s jaw flexed hard. For a second, it looked like he might say more. Then he closed his hand around the ring and walked out without another word.

The door shut behind him.

Stella stood alone in the living room and exhaled deeply.

"Always so full of himself," she muttered.

She remained there for a moment longer, staring at the empty space he had left behind. How had she endured him for so long? She wondered in disbelief, inwardly. The answer came easily enough. It was for her career, access and protection. She had used him the same way he had used her.

"My career will survive," she said quietly to the room. "I’m a talented actress. I don’t need a man like him to grow."

Afterwards, she picked up her phone, took a picture of her bare left hand, and typed the caption without hesitation.

’A broken engagement is always better than a broken marriage. Always.’

She posted it, then turned off her data. Not long after, her management began calling. She exhaled sharply, she had foreseen that.

"Yes, I just did. It’s exactly what you saw." she said into the phone immediately she picked the call without letting the person from the other end say one word.

Then she ended the call, switched the phone off completely, and left it in the house. She grabbed one of her cars and she walked out of the house in a hurry before the noise of the night could catch up with her.

~~~~~~~~~~

She drove for a few minutes and arrived at her destination... The planned destination... Sienna’s place.

By the time she reached the place, evening had fully settled. She did not bother with a disguise. The bodyguards at the entrance recognized her as one of their employer’s known clients and let her through without question.

Inside, Sienna was seated in the living room watching a TV program. She looked up when Stella entered and froze in open surprise.

"Hi," Stella said simply, then continued toward Tom’s room without slowing down.

Sienna’s nostrils flared. Her hands clenched hard against the armrest as her eyes followed the other woman’s back.

"How dare she?"

Stella stopped at Tom’s door and knocked.

Tom opened it and stopped short when he saw her. For a second, he only stared, as if trying to place her presence in a house she had no reason to enter so boldly.

Stella gave him a small smile and walked in before he could fully process the invitation and she closed the door shut behind her.

Before Tom could slowly turn around to face her, she had begun talking;

"I need somewhere to hide from the uproar tonight. Until it calms down. Can I stay with you?"

Tom still looked stunned.

She added quickly, sounding thoughtful, "You can do your things. I won’t mind. I’ll gladly share you if that’s the only way to stay around you."

Tom blinked and the realization crept in. "What have you done?" he asked gently.

"What I should have done a long time ago," Stella replied. Her voice softened slightly. "Thank you for making me take the decision."

Tom drew in a slow breath and looked at her to read what her tongue wasn’t saying. Her body language was clear. She was satisfied. Settled in a way he had not seen from her before, like a weight she had been carrying had finally been put down.

He exhaled and asked, "Are you going to be okay here?"

"I’ll be okay wherever you are," she said in a sweet, low voice then added more firmly;

"Besides, I just want a break from my life tonight. I’d like to forget who and what I am for one night."

Tom nodded slowly in understanding.

"Okay. So do you need anything? Food? Drink... Hot or cold?"

"I’m fine," Stella said. Then, after a beat, a small curve touched her mouth in a mischievous manner. "Unless it’s booze."

Tom frowned slightly. "I’m not sure that’s a good idea."

"That’s exactly why it’s a good idea, It’s what I need right now." she maintained firmly.

Tom studied her face for a second longer, then sighed. "Okay. I’ll get it."

"Thank you."

After that, Stella moved to the edge of the bed and sat down, she was still able to keep her posture very elegant, her hands resting lightly against the mattress as if she had already claimed the space for the night. Tom left the room and walked into the living room.

Sienna was still there. And she was fuming.

The next words out of her mouth made Tom’s face tighten with anger.