Chapter 175: Her life outside his room

Tom thought quickly...

He could see the mischief written all over Stella’s face, and he already knew he might not like whatever version of a "proper morning" she had prepared in her head. With Stella, mischief rarely stayed harmless. More often than not, it came with an audience. After last night, the last thing he wanted was another performance designed to get under Sienna’s skin.

He lifted both hands and held her shoulders gently, grounding her in place before the idea could fully form.

"Heyyy, listen to me... When I said you were going to share me," he begain, looking into her eyes, "I didn’t mean with Sienna. She’s not among who you will share me with so stop trying to prove anything."

Stella pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say but her face showed that the words had begun to soothe her. Tom continued gently;

"I meant every word when I said I would treat you right... Equally and satisfyingly. You don’t need to compete for my attention. Not even today. I’ve allotted all of it to you. Everyone else can wait."

The change in her face was immediate. The mischief drained out of her expression, leaving a softer expression behind. Her face fell slightly, though she kept her posture elegant and her eyes still held control. Whatever sharp little game she had been ready to start lost its edge. She looked emotionally affected by his words, and for once she did not bother hiding it completely.

She lifted her chin elegantly as usual, wanting to say something but Tom did not give her time to search for a reply.

"Since you’re a guest here,let me show you what a morning should be. Simple. Satisfying. You are going to like it... I’m sure." he said more gently.

Stella narrowed her eyes on him for a second longer, measuring the offer the way she measured most things. Before she could answer, Tom spoke again.

"I’m going to cook for you. Tell me what you want for breakfast."

That changed her expression faster than anything else had. Her eyes brightened almost at once, the earlier disappointment loosening as memory caught up with her. She remembered he could cook properly.

"Croissant, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.. ?" she said unsurely.

"You’ll get it." he said that with utmost assurance then he took her hand. "First, come."

Tom led her back into his room and but Stella followed without complaint. He guided her to sit on the chair by the table then brought out a sheet of paper and a pen.

"Write everything you need for the morning." he told her.

Stella accepted both with a faint smile and began listing the basics: a brush, skincare, the small essentials she had left behind when she walked out of her own life the night before. When she finished, she looked up.

"I won’t need clothes. I’ll use yours." she said.

"Take anything," Tom replied, sounding totally unbothered. There was no hesitation in it. The shirt she already wore had made that clear enough.

~~~~~~~~~~

On the other side of the house, Sienna had already decided she would rather not stay and watch.

She got ready and dressed quickly and chose the safest option available to her pride. Which was distance... Her office. Anything that did not require her to stand in her own living room and feed her eyes on a sight she had no intention of accepting. When she stepped out of the house, she was clenching in jaw in annoyance but couldn’t show it.

Back inside, Tom cooked for Stella as he promised. He took his time in preparing the meal for Stella and when he was done and took it to Stella, she ate with a pleasant expression - a small smile was plastered on her face throughout the whole activity of eating. From her, that silence was as close to praise as anyone usually received.

After breakfast, he went out to the nearby mall and bought the things on her list. The errand was simple but strangely intimate in its own way for Stella. She waited eagerly for him to return as if he had gone to buy her the whole world.

By the time he returned, Stella had bathed and changed into another set of his clothes: a plain polo and a pair of his shorts. On anyone else, the look might have seemed careless. On her, it still carried presence. She looked simpler than the version of Stella he was used to seeing in public, stripped of styling but no less striking for it.

He made sure he told her that. Stella smiled brightly at that then said;

"Thank you... For everything."

There was little else to do after that. They remained in his room. After a while, Stella lay across the bed while Tom joined a virtual meeting with Bree. She had already started interviewing potential staff and was feeding him updates live. Every so often, Tom glanced back at Stella to check on her.

At first she seemed content enough. She rested against the pillows, half-listening, half-present. Then her posture changed. The ease left her shoulders and her gaze drifted without focus, settling on nothing in particular. She was still in the room, but no longer engaged with it.

She looked Bored, softly unhappy in a way she did not bother to announce. But Tom caught it clearly.

"Continue the interviews without me. I need to handle something." he told Bree.

Then he ended his part of the call, stood, and moved quietly. Stella had already drifted into a light nap and did not notice him leave. He closed the door behind him with barely a sound.

~~~~~~~~~

One hour later, Tom was back from where he sent himself.

Stella was awake again, seated by the table with one of his books open in her hands. Whatever she had found on the page had not fully held her attention; her eyes lifted the moment he entered. Tom walked straight to her, bent, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. The gesture was simple, but it lingered enough to pull her fully into the present.

"I have something for you." he told her gently but his face held a serious demeanor.

"What is that?" Stella asked, blinking in surprise.

Tom held her gaze and replied;

"Something that belongs to your life outside this room." he announced and Stella’s expression changed.