All Novel Romance
Chapter 223
The lively chatter had ceased momentarily as all eyes turned towards the entrance of the room. When Jason strode in, the air thickened with a silent reverence. It was no secret to the crowd gathered today about the complicated ties between him and Estrella.
Eventually, Thomas, with a chuckle, broke the awkward silence. “Jason, you’re back, man! Just in time, we haven’t called it a night yet.”
Jason, hands still buried in his pockets, gave the room a cursory glance, his gaze briefly resting on Estrella before retreating with indifference.
When Estrella’s eyes met Thomas’, he hastily explained, “Estrella, when I called Jason, he really was out of town on business. I told him if he could make it back, great; if not, no sweat. And look, here he is…”
Before Thomas could finish, Estrella’s attention had already drifted away, uninterested in his explanations. Whether Jason showed up or not wasn’t such a big deal to her.
Having not seen him for over twenty days, she noted that Jason looked leaner than when they had signed their divorce papers, his frame more slender than before.
Grayson, sensing the need to lighten the mood, chimed in with a laugh, “Well, just in time to join in on today’s festivities.” He then added, “But Jason, your timing could’ve been better-we’re about to wrap up here.”
Without waiting for Jason’s response, Grayson continued, “You haven’t had a drink, have you? Estrella’s mom just called, wants her home pronto. Could you maybe drop her off first?”
Estrella had a child at home, so every time she went out, Autumn would keep calling her.NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
As Grayson finished speaking, Jason’s eyes shifted towards Estrella once more. She was wearing a white shirt, black wide-leg trousers, layered with a light gray cashmere coat. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail at the back of her head. She exuded a mature, steady, and capable demeanor, and her presence was even stronger than before.
Jason glanced at Estrella and calmly said, “Hmm.”
Estrella was about to decline the ride, but Grayson had already spoken. “Estrella, let Jason take you home. We’ll catch up another time.”
With Grayson insisting, Estrella found it difficult to refuse and agreed.
Bryce, hands in his pockets, looked over at Estrella and said, “Drop me a line when you get home, okay?”
“Will do,” Estrella replied.
Nearly a month had passed without a word between Estrella and Jason.
Reaching the parking lot, Jason unlocked the passenger door for Estrella. As she bent to get in, he instinctively shielded the top edge of the door, careful not to let her bump her head-a protective gesture he’d always made whenever she rode in his car.
After a short while, the car started, and the inside of the car remained quiet. Halfway through the drive, as Estrella flicked through her phone, Jason finally broke the silence. “You let Serene drug me, and used it as evidence of my infidelity. You really went there, Estrella.” He had been waiting for the right moment to confront her about it.
Estrella glanced at him, her voice laced with casual defiance, “Well, you pushed me into a corner, didn’t you?”
If only he had divorced her sooner, she wouldn’t have had to go through such an elaborate ruse, now having to dig into the truth behind a fire from seven years ago.
Jason fell silent again, and the quiet returned.
At a red light, Jason glanced at Estrella and calmly said, “I never got together with Holly back then.”
Estrella looked at him but quickly averted her gaze.
Jason continued, “The photos were taken out of context by the media, all fabricated stories. I didn’t come forward because Korey had just started his tenure, and the Ledford family didn’t want to be affected.”
His late explanation was met with silence from Estrella. Even if he hadn’t been with Holly, the fact remained that he had hurt Estrella-ignored her calls, left her stranded at the airport for Holly, and hadn’t even known she was hospitalized. These were all undeniable truths.
Then Jason added, “I shouldn’t have slapped you that time. I apologize.” He often wondered if things might have been different if he had controlled himself back then, an they had talked things through. Maybe all that followed could have been avoided, and they wouldn’t have reached this point.
To Jason’s belated apology, Estrella responded with a faint smile, “Those are old stories, long buried. I don’t even remember them anymore.” Whether it was the slap or any other past scuffle, it was all history to her. She was content with her life now and had no desire to dwell on the past.
When Estrella claimed to have forgotten, Jason remarked, “There isn’t a man in the world as cool as you.”
“We’re divorced, and what else do you want?” Estrella retorted. “If you’re after money, I’m telling you, I don’t have any to give.”
The conversation faltered. Jason’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his eyes occasionally drifting to Estrella’s face, which remained untroubled by anything he felt or said. His emotions were a tangled mess, beyond words.
09.03
Chapter Chapter 223
Soon, the car pulled up in front of the Dorvold family estate. As Estrella unbuckled her seatbelt to leave, Jason’s hand shot out, grasping her wrist.
Estrella turned to face him, her eyes questioning, “Is there something else?”
With her gaze fixed on him, Jason confessed, “In ruthlessness, Estrella, I admit I’m no match for you.”
Estrella let out a resigned sigh and was about to say something when Jason cut in, “Damn, it really chaps my hide to think about this divorce.”
A month had passed since the whole ordeal, but every time Jason recalled how Estrella and Serene had joined forces against him, a sour feeling gnawed at his insides.
Jason grumbled with resentment, and Estrella began, “You’re upset about it, but the
divorce is still-”
She never got to finish her sentence. With a sudden tug on her wrist, Jason’s right hand pulled her closer, cutting her off mid-sentence. Estrella looked up into his eyes, finding him mere inches away.