Chapter 17
Rowan opened the drawer and froze. Upon seeing the lingerie inside, his ears flushed slightly. He quickly looked away, pursing his lips as he picked up the silky fabric and tossed it into the paper bag.
Then, he moved on to pack up the skincare products Stella had mentioned. There were indeed several large boxes neatly arranged on her vanity. His gaze swept over them, but it froze when he spotted a small black velvet box.
Rowan recognized it immediately. A few days ago, while at the styling studio, he had “coincidentally” run into Stella. She had been sitting on the couch, fiddling with that same box. At the time, she had been asking Erin, sounding conflicted, "Do you think it’s too simple? Too cheap? Will he like it?"
Erin had rolled her eyes. "Even if you give him something more expensive, he might not care. Besides, look at your situation now—just giving him a gift is already pretty generous."
Stella sighed and nodded. "You’re right." Then she had noticed him, and her gaze flickered for a moment before she quickly turned away. Her lips moved, but Rowan couldn’t catch what she mumbled. He imagined that she must have thought it was unlucky to run into him again.
Without needing an explanation from them, Rowan had a sinking feeling. He knew exactly who that gift was meant for. At that moment, a strange feeling surged through him, compelling him to pick up the box. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the lid.
Inside was a silver tie clip with a folded pink note beneath it. Rowan swallowed hard, his throat tight as he pulled the note from its resting place.
"Randy, Happy Birthday."
The delicate handwriting made Rowan’s heart sink. As expected. Although he had known it for a while, seeing the tie clip and those three words at that moment still caused him a dull, unbearable pain.
If he remembered correctly, Randy’s birthday had been three days ago. He couldn’t understand why Stella hadn’t given him this gift… Rowan closed his eyes briefly.
Stella, why did you suddenly choose me? Were you hurt by Randy and are now using me as a substitute for him? he thought.
He steadied his trembling fingers, placed the box back where it belonged, and finished packing up her things before turning to leave.
Rowan returned to the bedroom, the sound of running water still echoing from the bathroom. He hung the bag on the door and knocked softly. The water stopped almost immediately, followed by Stella’s soft, sweet voice asking, "Is that you, Rowan?"
"Yeah." Rowan’s voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "I’ve hung your clothes on the door. You can grab them later. I’ve left one of my jackets on the bed. Put it on before you come out."
She responded, "Okay, I’ll be out soon." Rowan told her, "No need to hurry." He paused for a moment as if about to say something else, but in the end, he just lowered his gaze and turned to leave.
About ten minutes later, Stella came out of the bedroom. Stella, freshly showered, carried a damp, refreshing aura. Her skin glowed with moisture, and her eyes looked soft and light. Her hair was still damp. She wore a nightgown with his black casual jacket draped over it. The jacket hung down to her legs, covering her bare skin.
Stella sat down beside Rowan and asked Connor to give her the vaccine. The zipper of her jacket had been pulled slightly down, revealing a sliver of her smooth shoulder and delicate arm. Rowan furrowed his brow, watching her closely.
As the needle pierced Stella’s arm, Rowan felt a slight sting in his own arm as well. His gaze flickered. It wasn’t just a trick of his imagination, nor was it a hallucination.