Stella got up from Clarence’s legs and then bent over placing softly the ice pack on his face on which
the finger marks still could be seen.
Clarence laid his hands on his knees with fingers knocking on knees and gazed at Stella with his black
eyes in silence.
Stella was disturbed by his stare, so she reminded, “Mr. Conrad, could you please close your eyes?”
“You looked at me secretly in the car for a long time, but I didn’t ask you to close your eyes.”
“….”
An annoying wretched man.
Stella increased her strength deliberately putting the ice pack on his face tightly.
Clarence’s expression changed slightly, but Stella withdrew her hand quickly right before he was going
to get mad, “I think it’s enough. It’s late. Mr. Conrad should have an early night. I gotta go.”
Stella turned around but her wrist was held by Clarence again.
Clarence showed annoyed, “Leaving so soon?”
“Or I should stay for midnight snack?”
“Good idea.” Clarence agreed and then took out his phone from the sofa. As he was dialing, Stella
stopped him in a hurry, “I was kidding, I was kidding!”
The wretched man never acted like a normal people.
Clarence pushed the glass on the table towards Stella, “Have a drink?”
Stella laughed with a sneer, “Mr. Conrad think I would fall for it twice?”
“I didn’t know you are a light drinker.”
Stella ignored him and got rid of his grasp, “I have to get up early tomorrow morning. Mr. Conrad, enjoy
yourself.”
As soon as she finished, she walked toward the door.
Watching her leaving, Clarence took a glass of Whiskey and leaned back against the sofa, giving a
slight smile with his thin lips.
When Stella came back to her own room, she found Sherry texted her asking if she arrived at Aqock.
Interrupted by what happened at the airport, she completely forgot to inform Sherry that she had
arrived safely.
Stella called Sherry. They chatted for a while but Sherry discovered Stella clamped up often while
talking, so she asked tentatively, “You met Clarence there again?”
Stella, “….”
How could she make a correct guess so easily?
Sherry had been used to the sudden appearance of Clarence.
She asked, “What’s the wretched man’s excuse this time?”
Stella shook her head, “He didn’t follow me here this time.”
She paused for a while and then continued, “I met Annie.”
Sherry was shocked to hear that, “Why was she there?”
When Stella came to visit Cameron together with Emmett, Stella heard Annie’s parents talking that
Annie was put under house arrest in the Conrad’s Mansion.
In addition, Nathan told her that Clarence already knew they lost their first kid because of Annie.
Perhaps the Conrad’s family and the Perez family were afraid that Clarence would get to Annie, so they
tried every effort to send her away.
But unexpectedly, Stella met Annie at Aqock coincidently.
It might be fate.
The reason why Clarence came to Aqock was probably that he knew Annie was going to leave.
Sherry asked, “What does the wretched man want to do with Annie?”
“I didn’t ask him.”
“Whatever, Annie deserves whatever punishment for what she had done.” Sherry left the upsetting
topic and distracted Stella from it, “Where are you going to sleep tonight. Your aunt’s home?”
Stella answered, “It’s late, so I booked a room.”
They chatted for a while and then hung up.
Stella took her clean clothes into the bathroom to take a shower. After the shower, she was drying her
hair when she discovered a minor wound on her lip. It was scarred.
She came close to the mirror to check it but to find there was a bite mark beside the wound.
Crap. She easily figured out when did she get these marks.
Stella thought she should have slapped the wretched man with greater strength.
…
Next morning, when Stella went downstairs after breakfast to take a taxi to Anqiao Street, she found
Nathan was waiting with a smile at the gate.
Clarence, the wretched man, was sitting in the black Maserati behind.
Nathan lied in a serious tone, “Ms. Radomil, it’s the morning rush hour and it’s difficult to get a taxi. We
are going to the same place as you do, so we can give you a ride.”
Stella played dumb, “You are going to the airport too? Don’t you have business to do? Why do you
leave so early?”
Nathan, “….”
At this moment, Clarence rolled down the window, giving her an emotionless glance, and said, “Get in
the car.”
Stella curved her lips, thinking they have the same destination and the wretched man must mock her in
front of Ms. Anderson if she take a taxi.
Thinking of that, she opened the door and got in the car.
Seeing what happened, Nathen took a breath of relief. Only Mr. Conrad could handle it at such key
moment.
On the way, Stella placed her head close to the window viewing the scenery outside.
Compared to City N, Aqock was a small city, but it showed unique beauty in each season. In the winter,
the snow covering the trees were blown into the air occasionally, falling in flakes.
In a small city like Aqock, there was no morning rush hour as Nathan said. Before long, the car drove
into the Anqiao Street.
The creek flowing through the street was frozen. Most of the people in the neighborhood had moved
away and the gate of the ancestral hall was left open. The entire street was quiet, not as noisy as it was
when she moved here.
She concentrated on the street view for a while and then turned to ask, “Mr. Conrad, when will the
street be dismantled?”
“This May.”
Stella had thought that it would be dismantled right after the New Year’s Day, but now there was a few
months left.
It was good news. When there was less work at her studio, she could take Sherry and Chan here to
have a tour.
Soon, the car stopped in front of Dolores’ house.
When Stella walked to the door, she found Clarence stood beside the car as if he didn’t attempt to
come into the house.
Stella was surprised and asked unconsciously, “Mr. Conrad doesn’t come in?”
Clarence answered flatly, “You come first.”
Stella pondered for a while and then took a step forward, but soon she turned around walking toward
Clarence and asked tentatively, “Did you get Ms. Anderson angry, so you don’t dare to come in?”
Clarence, “….”
He looked down at her, “I don’t have the gift of the gab as you do.”
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