Chapter 26

Chapter 26

When Stella instinctively covered her face, Randy tossed the showerhead aside and tried ripping off her clothes. Stella screamed, pushing and kicking him with all her might. "Let go of me! Get away!"

Randy smacked her hard in the face. "You bitch! Do you think I’d let you go out like this and embarrass yourself instead of cleaning you up?" Her head snapped to the side from the blow, and she staggered backward; her head slammed against the bathroom wall. A deafening ringing pierced her ears. The moment her dress was ripped, she broke down, sobbing, "Randy, no… please…!" At that moment, Randy let go of her.

Stella crawled into the corner, trembling and wrapping her arms around herself as tightly as possible. She didn’t dare to look up. All she could hear was the relentless buzzing in her ears. Suddenly, another pair of hands landed on her shoulders, and she screamed and shoved them away. When she finally looked up, she realized the man before her was Rowan, not Randy.

His expression was filled with anguish as he knelt in front of her, gently stroking his fingers through her damp hair. His lips moved, but Stella couldn’t hear a word. All she could do was weep harder and push him desperately. "Go away! Just go away!"

Even though Stella was awake, remembering the dream made her tremble in fear. Her arms tightened around Rowan. In the end, she merely replied, "It was nothing, just a nightmare."

But Rowan wasn’t easily fooled. He could feel her shaking in his arms and hear her voice caught in her throat. When Rowan thought back on what she had said in her dream, he realized that her tone had carried a deep fear. At that time, he had been too blinded by jealousy to dwell on it. However, as he reflected on those words, he realized that they weren’t spoken with affection. Rowan’s pupils constricted. His voice was strained as he called her name, "Stella."

When she looked up at him, her eyes were teary. His breath hitched. "Did Randy hurt you?"

Upon hearing this, Stella froze. "What?"

He softly cupped her cheek and urged, "Tell me, has he ever hurt you?" His remark brought her back to her previous life. Her gaze flickered, and she could no longer look at him. "He… didn’t…"

Yes, Randy had hurt her. However, that was in her previous life. Rowan had almost killed Randy back then, and Randy had to spend more than a month in the hospital. Right now, there was not even a small chance of Randy hurting her. But, to Rowan, her hesitation was more than enough as a confirmation.

His jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together, and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. However, he quickly shut his eyes before Stella could see it. "That’s good," Rowan said. He held her tighter for a few seconds before suddenly changing the subject. "The Fairchild Family’s banquet is today. Do you want to go?"

The unexpected question pulled her attention away from the nightmare. She frowned and asked, "Isn’t this banquet meant to celebrate Celina? Honestly, she had no interest in going as she didn’t want to see them. Although they were her family, they felt more like strangers to her."

Rowan ran his fingers through her hair and rested his palm against her neck. "Yes, but if you want to go, I’ll take you."

Stella leaned into his touch and asked, "What would we do here?"