chapter1810

Stella stared at Abby in surprise. "Abby, are you in an online relationship?"

Abby waved her hands dismissively. "No, no. I was at a bar with some friends a while back and met this pianist who was wearing a mask."

"He played the piano beautifully, and he had this amazing presence. Someone offered to pay him to take off the mask, but... well, I just happened to step in and help him out."

Stella was confused. "Wearing a mask? Why would he do that?"

"He said he's from a prominent family and ran away from home to rebel against them," Abby explained. "He said he can't show his face in public because if anyone recognized him, his family would drag him back home."

Stella wasn't convinced. "So you've never seen his face?"

"Nope," Abby said cheerfully while typing a message. "Anyway, I'm going back to Solmaris soon, so it's not like anything will come of it. A little harmless flirting is nice, right?"

"Abby, if you want to date, you could..."

Abby cut her off before she could finish. "Star, you know me. A casual fling to have some fun is fine. But marriage..... let's just forget about it. I have a major fear of commitment now."

Abby then looked up at Stella. "Star, how long are you planning on staying in Neo- Vespera?"

"About two weeks," Stella replied.

1

"Then I guess this guy and I have two weeks left," Abby said with a serious expression. "Even though I don't see a future with him, I'm taking this seriously."

Stella couldn't help but laugh at Abby's earnestness. "Alright, as long as you're happy."

She had no idea then that this man, whom no one took seriously, would one day cause Abby immense pain. If she had known what was coming, she would have stopped Abby in her tracks. But there are no 'what ifs' in life.

Back at the apartment, Abby stayed for a little while before tactfully taking her leave.

Stella watched Joshua unpack his suitcase, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin. Though Joshua's attitude toward her hadn't changed since that day, Stella couldn't get it out of her mind.

"Joshua," she asked, "is there anything you'd like to eat? I can cook for you later."

Joshua's hands paused, and he looked up at her.

His gaze, dark and unreadable,

made her heart skip a beat. Lately,

the intensity in his gaze made her

feel pressured, and she found

herself instinctively wanting to look. away.

Joshua quickly averted his eyes. "We just got off the plane today," he said coolly Just get some rest. We car talk about it tomorrow after you've recovered."

However, the next day, Stella received a call from Haynes.

"Star." Haynes's voice sounded weary. "Could Keen stay with you for a few days?"

Stella sensed something was wrong. "Is Deanna's condition still not good?"

Haynes sighed heavily. "Yes. She's still in a coma. The doctors said the prognosis isn't optimistic. I'm afraid..."

Stella suddenly asked, "Have you figured out the cause of the accident?"

Haynes didn't hide anything from her. "We found evidence of foul play, but we're still investigating who was behind it."

"Do you need me to call Mr. Burton and ask for his help?" Stella offered.