Chapter 1
"Number 23, Miss Stella Jewell. Were you able to contact your family members?" It was unknown how many times the nurse had urged her. Stella took a glance at her cell phone with her head down. Keegan Kane's phone was still unreachable.
A massive pile-up occurred at the overpass Rivera City Route 3 Loop. A bus tipped over and fell into the river. Tens of injured civilians were sent to the hospital. The family members of the wounded arrived at the hospital in droves, while only Stella's family members were unreachable.
Despite the horrifying scene of the accident still flashing before her eyes, the fear could not withstand the chill in her heart. Stella suddenly thought, 'If I died in the accident today, would there not even be a person to come collect my remains?'
"Miss Jewell?" Stella returned to her senses. The blood stains on her accentuated her fair complexion, which was close to being transparent. Her voice was slightly hoarse and flustered, but she did not lose her poise. "Sorry, he might be busy. Can I sign it myself?"
"I'm sorry, if there is no signature from a next of kin, please stay in the hospital for further observation. The severity of a concussion can vary. We will need to take responsibility for your well-being." Stella pursed her lips and said, "Then, let me try again."
She took out her phone and walked out of the ward. She passed by two nurses pushing a trolley of equipment as she walked by. When she slightly slanted her body to give way, she heard them say, "Do you know who is at Ward 16?"
"Who?" The other nurse asked.
"Bella Young! The superstar! The one who was in that very famous drama, the female lead of 'Secret Sweetheart!!" The first nurse exclaimed.
"Oh my god! Did she get severely injured?" The other nurse asked.
"Her elbow was slightly scrapped. If she had come just a little later, it wouldn't have healed. And, she is a celebrity. She uses her looks to get a job. Naturally, she would be more delicate than us normal people. If I was this beautiful, I wouldn't hesitate to get my whole body insured!" The first nurse answered.
"Oh yeah, I even saw her boyfriend! It was the person who had his picture taken being with her at her lake villa!"
Stella instantly stopped in her tracks.
"He was tall and handsome. Based on his attire, he must be quite rich. Most importantly, he was so nice to Bella. When the accident happened, he immediately rushed over here through the hospital's VIP passage just to accompany her throughout the process. Tell me, women are all the same. But why is it that some people are born to be winners in life..."
Their voices faded out as they walked further. Stella slowly gripped her phone tighter until her knuckles turned white. Outside of Ward 16, Keegan was talking to Bella's manager. Stella was far away from him and actually could not hear anything. However, Stella oddly felt that he was scolding the manager for Bella's accident.
Stella took out her phone and called Keegan. Keegan paused for a bit and looked at his phone. His already furrowed brows were now furrowed even more tightly. He picked up the call, and his impatient voice came from the other side, "What's wrong?"
"Where are you?" Stella's voice was hoarse, and her tone held some fragility.
Keegan, instead, did not notice it and coldly said, "At the company."
"Is the Kane corporation also involved with hospitals?"
Keegan froze, and his face sank. "You stalked me?"
Stella felt the urge to laugh a little, but her eyes turned slightly red. The disdain in his eyes made her chest tighten in waves.
"Mr. Kane, you think too highly of me," She paused a bit then said, "There was someone who looked quite like you on the news, so I called to ask about it."
Keegan replied. "Don't you have something better to do." Then, he hung up the call and turned around to go into the sick ward.
Stella gave a single chuckle of self-mockery and thought, 'Yeah, I have nothing better to do. I clearly saw everything, and yet I still gave him a call to seek humiliation for myself.'
In the end, Stella was picked up by her friend, Felicity Thompson. If it was not because she did not have a next of kin to contact, she actually did not want to trouble her friends. No one would willingly show the bad part of their life to people. Regardless of mockery or pity, it would just make her feel embarrassed.
"What about Keegan?" Felicity asked.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
"At the company, I guess. That's what he said," Stella replied.
Felicity slammed the steering wheel and cursed out, "Fucking mutt. His wife was in an accident, and he still wouldn't come. Is he earning so much money just to buy his own coffin?"
Stella bantered in return, "He could also be doing it to buy me a coffin."
Felicity glared at her. "You still have the mood to joke around! The people in the car behind you are already dead!"
"That's right," Stella lowered her gaze and gave a barely audible sigh. "I almost died..."
Felicity had some urgent business, so she rushed off after sending Stella home. Once Stella had reached home, she greeted Maya Lane, the housemaid, and went upstairs.
After coming out from her shower, the traffic incident on Route 3 Loop had already started trending. However, most of the headlines were related to Bella Young. Apart from the state media being concerned about the level of severity of this incident, the entertainment media heavily focused on Bella's mysterious boyfriend.
The media did not dare to leak Keegan's identity and merely subtly mentioned that the individual had a high net worth. Bella's fans were helping Bella deny the relationship while spamming concerns about Bella's injuries in the comments section of each major media site. Stella thought that it was a little funny. The nurse said that Bella only had minor scrape wounds. 'Aren't these people making a big fuss over a minor issue?' She thought.
However, immediately, her expression turned ugly, and her heart began to tighten. Bella had posted a pregnancy checklist on her social media.
Six weeks pregnant. Six weeks ago was precisely the day a picture of him was taken at the lake villa.
The timing lined up.
Stella stared at the screen, stunned, and her heart crumpled into a ball. Three years of marriage was just a piece of blank paper. Before Keegan married her, he was together with Bella. Keegan's grandmother, Cordelia Lawson, looked down on Bella's status and background. Hence, she forcefully separated them.
Keegan was dejected and chose Stella, who was with the worst background among the numerous socialites, to rebel against his family. The Jewell family was in it for the protection of the Kane family, while Keegan was in it for her identity. This marriage hit off perfectly, and both sides got what they needed.
No one knew that she was in it for Keegan Kane himself.
In a relationship, whoever fell for the other first would be the first to lose. Bella's presence was like a thorn in Stella's marriage. Stella had tried her best to ignore it, allowing it to grow on her. Stella always assumed that bearing with it would allow it to pass on. However, this thorn started to spread its roots in her flesh and tore her marriage into shreds. In the end, her persistence became the biggest joke ever. When Keegan came back, it was already close to ten at night. The lower floor was quiet, with only Maya there.
"Where is she?" Keegan asked.
Maya took the coat and softly said, "Madam went to her room once she returned. She did not come out at all. She didn't even eat her dinner."
Keegan furrowed his brows.
"I'll heat up the porridge again and send it to madam's room," Maya said.
"That won't be necessary." Keegan's tone was indifferent. "She'll come down herself when she is hungry."
Maya did not question any further. Keegan took a shower and stayed at the study for a while. At eleven o'clock, he glanced at his watch. Usually, at this time, Stella would bring a glass of milk in. She would still let Maya send it over even when they were in a fight.
Yet, ten minutes have passed since eleven o'clock today, but the door to the study still had no hint of any movement. Keegan could not bear to read his files any longer. He stayed for another few minutes before he finally got up and went to the bedroom.
He opened the door, and no lights were turned on in the room. It was pitch black. Keegan could barely see the person lying sideways on the bed. Stella opened her eyes the instant the door was opened. She did not move and felt the seat next to her cave in as Keegan lay down.
She flipped over and stretched her hands into his pajamas. Feeling his muscle under her palm tense up, her hands became even more wanton. Keegan's breath became heavy. When she continued to venture downwards, he held her hand. He flipped over and pinned her beneath him. "What are you doing?"