Chapter 249
Back in the day, Stellan would have been shy, possibly even wanting to punch Alaric for teasing her. But now, she found his playful antics amusing and had learned to play along.
“Yeah, I want you. Will you give it to me?” she said, her voice low and teasing.
Alaric laughed, pinching her nose affectionately. “You’re getting better at this.”
Stellan chuckled. “Like you said, it’s hard to resist.”
With a grin, Alaric dropped his robe and pulled her into bed.
They had become better at understanding each other’s sensitive spots, making each time together feel exciting and new. However, Stellan couldn’t shake the guilt she often felt. She was terrified of having children, so she insisted on using protection every time. Alaric didn’t mind, but she felt bad for not letting him fully experience their intimacy.
Afterward, they lay together in the quiet of the room, Alaric playing with her hair. Stellan sighed softly.
“We head back to Arizona tomorrow,” she murmured, “and then things will get busy again.”
Their trip hadn’t been as productive as they had hoped, but it had felt like a mini-vacation—a rare opportunity to forget their responsibilities and just enjoy each other’s company.
“If you don’t want to go back, we can stay a few more days,” Alaric suggested, his voice full of warmth and affection.
“No, it’s fine. It was just a short trip,” Stellan replied, her smile soft. “But we’ll have more chances in the future.”
It had only been two days, but Stellan was certain that by the time they returned, Marigold would already be restless and calling for them to come back.
“You’re right,” Alaric agreed, his voice distant as he dreamily added, “We’ll have plenty of chances. When we go on vacation, I’ll take you all over the world. Once we’ve seen it all, we’ll come back and just enjoy life together.”
Stellan smiled, looking forward to that day. “Okay,” she whispered, her heart light.
Alaric kissed the top of her head and whispered, “We have an early flight tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”
He pulled her close, and they drifted off into a peaceful sleep, content in each other’s arms.
The next morning, they rose early, had a quick breakfast, and headed to the airport. Marigold, already anxious, had received word from Silas about their early flight and felt a wave of relief knowing they would soon be back.
“Alaric’s been a handful since he was a kid,” Marigold complained to Joe, pacing around the room. “I was glad he wasn’t involved with those awful organizations anymore, but now he’s helping Stellan with some case. He just can’t stay out of trouble.”
Joe offered a calm response. “Mr. Knight hates evil and has a strong sense of justice.”
“There are so many wrongful cases,” Marigold muttered, worry creeping into her voice. “Does he plan to handle them all? He’s just asking for trouble.”
She quickly grabbed her phone, her concern mounting. “I need to call Ambrose.”
Ambrose, on the other hand, had just finished meeting deadlines at the construction site and was finally on his break. When he saw Marigold’s name flashing on his phone, he hesitated before answering.
“Hey, Mrs. Knight, what’s up?” Ambrose’s voice was tired, yet polite.
“I’m feeling uneasy,” Marigold admitted. “Since you care about Stellan, don’t give up. If you need my help, I’m all in.”
She knew she couldn’t break up Stellan and Alaric alone. The more she tried, the worse it seemed to get. She needed Ambrose to stay in the game, to keep fighting for Stellan’s attention, or else she’d be left isolated in her efforts.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Knight,” Ambrose reassured her, his tone confident. “As long as I’m breathing, I won’t give up on Stellan.”
“Good,” Marigold replied, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly.
Ambrose added, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone, “You’re already pretending to accept Stellan, right? Keep it up. Let everyone believe you’ve really accepted her. Then they’ll let their guard down, and you’ll be able to help me later.”
Marigold swallowed her disgust, but she knew it was necessary. “I get it,” she said, though her words were laced with bitterness.
“Great,” Ambrose said, sounding pleased. “Trust me, Mrs. Knight. It’s only a matter of time before I win Stellan back.”
After hanging up, Ambrose turned to Denny. “Alaric and Stellan should be on the plane by now, right?”
Denny nodded. “Yeah, they should be back in Arizona by noon.”
Ambrose smirked. “Stellan’s too naive. She thinks she can just dig up everything from seven years ago? Does she think Alaric’s some sort of miracle worker? If she wants the truth, she’ll have to come to me.”
Denny agreed, “Yep, once Ms. Storm realizes Alaric can’t help her, she’ll turn to you.”
Ambrose was confident. He knew Stellan had a strong bond with Brennan; she wouldn’t let him die unjustly. No matter how important Alaric was to her, Brennan meant more.
“By the way, Mr. Vale,” Denny interjected, “the entertainment center project is almost finished. What’s next?”
Ambrose scoffed, his face hardening. “Alaric wants me out of Arizona once this project’s done. No way. Far East International is making waves now.”
Denny nodded, eager to keep the momentum going. “You mentioned developers are lining up to work with us. Gather their info and give it to me. I’ll pick the best ones, and we’ll keep working in Arizona.”
“Yeah,” Ambrose said, a dark glint in his eyes. “Far East International is definitely in high demand. I’ll make sure to choose carefully.”
Denny, with a hint of pride, added, “Oh, Mr. Vale, I heard from the overseas HQ that Mr. Stuart Vale is thrilled with your success and has been praising you. This has really annoyed Todd. His company is struggling, and Mr. Stuart Vale is upset with him. Todd’s jealous of your success and might start a project in Arizona.”
Ambrose raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty much,” Denny said. “Even though Mr. Stuart Vale favors him, your achievements are impressive. Many top executives are singing your praises. It’s normal for Todd to feel threatened.”