Chapter 274

Chapter 274:

Stella fell into a deep sleep, drifting through memories. In her dream, it felt as if she were submerged under a deep sea, floating with the current, lost in a trance. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free from the water’s grip and surface.

“Darling, darling, darling... what’s wrong with you? Wake up, darling.”

The voice of a child echoed from a far distance, like it had traveled across time. Stella struggled to open her eyes, her sense of reality blurred. She sat up in a daze, finding Adrian lying on the bed, staring at her with concern.

“What’s wrong, darling? Were you asleep? I called you, but you didn’t respond,” Adrian pouted, clearly upset.

“Oh, Adrian! I fell asleep too deeply,” Stella said, standing up from the sofa. She had been sleeping so soundly that her right leg had gone completely numb, sending a wave of discomfort through her body as she tried to move. It took her a long time to regain feeling.

Stella quickly prepared breakfast for Adrian and herself before rushing out to catch the bus.

In the past, she would have cooked breakfast for both of them—sometimes something simple like a sandwich and milk, or a full meal with porridge, steamed buns, and fried eggs.

But now, with so many incidents since returning to X City, meals had turned into takeout from restaurants. She no longer had the energy to prepare fresh food, and she hadn’t scolded Adrian for sneaking snacks behind her back. Life was overwhelming.

After breakfast, Stella headed to work. Exhausted from her unsettling dream, she struggled to stay awake at the office.

Fortunately, her job was low-pressure, so she spent most of the morning in a daze.

At lunchtime, she sat with Emily in the cafeteria and noticed that the atmosphere was off. Why was everyone staring at her?

Emily leaned in to whisper, “Hey, Stella, everyone seems to know what happened.”

“What do you mean?” Stella asked, confused.

The place for great stories: gⱯlnσν퓮ℓs.com “It’s about Adrian being in the hospital—and how he’s the president’s son. The news got out,” Emily explained, her voice low.

“What? How? Who told them? No one knew, right?” Stella was shocked, struggling to comprehend.

“It turns out one of our colleagues has a friend who works as a doctor at the hospital. She saw Adrian and figured it out,” Emily said with a helpless shrug.

“Oh no! This can’t be real. What do I do now?” Stella felt panic rising. “Everyone must hate me now.”

Emily shook her head. “No, they don’t hate you. They think you’re the president’s wife and admire you for it.”

Stella and Emily reluctantly headed into the cafeteria, their nerves on edge.

Stella knew she wouldn’t be able to stay at the company for long. First, everyone now knew about her connection to RK, and second, the looming lawsuit over Adrian’s custody would undoubtedly cause a stir.

It wouldn’t just affect the company—entertainment reporters would be all over it. A public custody battle between a high-profile figure and an ordinary employee would make headlines. The scandal would be huge. And when the news got out that RK, the city’s most eligible bachelor, already had a son, the attention would become unbearable.

Imagining the media frenzy, the cameras, the gossip, and the possibility of being publicly humiliated made Stella’s stomach turn.

All she wanted was for the situation to pass quietly so she could return to France with Adrian and live a peaceful life.

As the court date drew closer, her anxiety grew. It reminded her of the nerves she’d felt before taking her college entrance exams —except this was far worse. She felt trapped.

When the workday ended, Stella didn’t show up downstairs. Emily went back up to the office to find her.

“Hey, Stella, why aren’t you leaving? Let’s go—I’m going to visit Adrian today,” Emily called, noticing Stella sitting quietly at her desk.

“No, RK told me to wait for him. He’s coming to pick me up, and we’ll visit Adrian together.” Stella sighed. “This is my first task as his ‘secretary’ today.”

“Oh my God, you are so lucky,” Emily teased. “It’s all fun and games for you.”

“No, no. You’re the lucky one,” Stella joked back, but there was a hint of helplessness in her voice.

.

.

.