Chapter 448 The Real and Fake Stella White

Atlas remained composed as he set down my phone and said, “Let's eat the pasta before it gets cold.”

“Atlas, are you... hiding something from me? Well, maybe I shouldn't know too much,” I said cautiously.

He explained, “It’s not that I'm afraid you'll know too much. My family’s just complicated. I'll tell you about them gradually, not because I’m hiding anything from you. You'll need to know a few things first before you can accept more details.”

Atlas’s reasonable explanation eased my mind. I looked at him and asked, “Don’t you hate me for investigating you? I honestly didn’t mean to.”

“No, I don’t. On the contrary, you did well in your investigation. It shows you're actively trying to understand me, which is a good thing. It means you love me,” Atlas spoke frankly with a hint of teasing.

I blushed as I ate a mouthful of pasta to hide my embarrassment. I muttered, “I knew you'd tease me.”

He smirked and said, “Do you even have a good reason to argue? If you didn't like me, why would you investigate me?

Okay, okay, let’s eat.”

After a while, I asked him, “So, you already knew the current Stella isn’t the real one?”

“Mhm."

"Then why'd you let her continue to be Stella?” That was something I couldn't understand.

"Because of Annalise's death at that time,” Atlas said casually, showing no sign of sadness.

“They knew Annalise, who was undercover as Stella. She died in a sudden accident. It was difficult to explain to the world, the Pierce family, and the old ministers at the time. So they had the current Stella replace the real one,” Atlas explained.

“Wait, it's so convoluted. But the real Stella and the current one don't look alike. How could they pass her off as the real one?” I still didn't understand the twists and turns.

“At that time, everyone knew Annalise had fallen off a cliff, but whether or not she died was a mystery.

The attendants who saw Annalise's appearance all died in accidents. What people knew was that Annalise had gone to Hennesia for plastic surgery.

“Soon, Stella returned with bandages all over her face. Outsiders think Annalise didn’t die in the cliff fall.” Atlas’s explanation was complicated, but I finally understood it. I stared at him, somewhat stunned.

“So, they made it seem like Annalise hadn't died but only went to Hennesia for plastic surgery for her disfigured face. When she returned, Celine adopted her?”

"Yes, that's correct.” Atlas nodded firmly.

"But Annalise, the real Stella, has already passed away?”

"You can put it that way.” Atlas nodded without elaborating.

Then, he urged me to eat. "Finish your food. We can chat into the night after dinner.”

I caught his hint and couldn't help but blush, muttering softly, "Here we go again.”

“What did I do?” He smirked. "You can't let my craftsmanship go to waste, right? You don't even know how often I practiced to get the perfect onion ring size, fry, and taste."

I sensed something was amiss and asked, "Why did you say ‘ back then?’ Have you cooked it for someone else?”

He paused momentarily, then smiled. "I've only cooked for Stella.”

My heart ached, and I felt somewhat jealous. "You could’ve admitted it just now. Stella’s the only one I can think of, but I wonder how many other women you've cooked for.”

"Only you. From now on, I'll only cook for you,” Atlas claimed. I scoffed in disbelief, but I couldn't be jealous of a dead person.

After finishing our meal, we cleaned the dishes. However, the situation made me feel uneasy. When I wasn't paying attention, Atlas suddenly kissed me and sighed, “This is the life I've always wanted. The feeling of home is perfect, especially when it’s just us two.”

I faked a glare and retorted, “No one wants to be alone with you.”

Although I said that, I was overjoyed. It seemed our harmonious and beautiful days had returned.

There was no Stella, Harmony, or Annalise in our world. It felt like only us two existed.

As we finished tidying everything up, Atlas suddenly picked me up and went upstairs, ignoring my protests. The long-lost passion finally burned between us again. That night, we embraced each other and slept, leaving me with an unprecedented sense of peace.

Without the doorbell that woke us up, I would’ve continued sleeping like this forever.