Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 9: She Must Be Giving Me the Silent Treatment

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: She Must Be Giving Me the Silent Treatment

Among the clutter, a velvet box lay there abruptly, so blinding that his heart nearly stopped.

His breath paused at that moment, and all surrounding sounds faded away, leaving only a silent hum in the world.

He recognized that box.

Jasper Hawthorne’s fingers trembled as he reached into the bag and took out the box.

With a soft "snap," the lid flipped open.

Inside was a diamond ring, a design Stella Sterling had spent months meticulously choosing.

But now, it lay there quietly, reflecting a cold, dazzling light.

At this moment, Jude Kensington had just gotten rid of that couple when he turned around to see Jasper Hawthorne staring intently at the ring box in his palm, jawline clenched tight, and an unseen turbulence surging in his gaze.

The ominous feeling Jude had been harboring suddenly surged to its peak, and he stepped forward quickly, his voice lowered, "Old Hawthorne, what... is this?"

Jasper Hawthorne’s expression was icy, his voice deep, "A wedding ring."

"What?" Jude was taken aback for a moment.

A wedding ring?

Did Stella even throw away the wedding ring?

Or did she mistakenly lose it while moving?

His expression became dazed for a moment, even struggling to respond, he stammered, "She... what exactly does she intend to do? Is she... does she really want to..."

The word ’breakup’ hadn’t even left Jude’s lips before Jasper slammed the ring box shut.

He gripped the box tightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure, veins popping on the back of his hand.

"Impossible." His voice was as cold and hard as if it were forged from ice, devoid of any warmth, "She’s just still mad at me, angry about the wedding."

Jude’s eyelids involuntarily twitched, sensing something eerie about the situation.

No one knew better than him just how much Stella adored Jasper Hawthorne.

Yet, he knew even more keenly Jasper’s indifferent nature, that often those who cared about him the most were the ones hurt deepest.

Stella was undoubtedly at the forefront.

"Shouldn’t you hurry up and coax her?"

But all he got in return was silence.

After a long while of waiting, just when Jude thought he wouldn’t speak again, Jasper finally broke the silence with a chilly voice, "Do you think Stella would break up with me?"

"What kind of joke is this?" Jude almost instinctively denied, "How could that be possible?"

"I don’t think it’s possible either." Jasper slowly lowered his gaze, his eyes fixated on the velvet box in his hand, "She’s definitely sulking with me, this is her way of showing me how angry she is."

Jude frowned, "Well, then..."

But before he could continue, Jasper suddenly interrupted, "What to buy?"

"Huh?" The abrupt shift in topic caught Jude off guard, leaving him unsure of what Jasper meant.

"I mean, for an apology, what gift should I buy to appease her?"

Jude was momentarily speechless.

He looked at Jasper, sensing that Stella wasn’t sulking this time.

He had seen her mad at Jasper, even with severe offenses, she’d ignore him for a day at most, and the next day, she’d grasp the opportunity to smooth things over as if nothing ever happened.

But this situation was unprecedented.

Quitting her job...

Selling her house...

Every action seemed resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Jude opened his mouth, the words ’this doesn’t seem like a sulk’ rolled on his tongue, but he ultimately swallowed them back down.

He sighed, tinged with a hint of helplessness and concern, "If... if it really is just a sulk, then this time Stella’s temper is truly intense. Ordinary items probably won’t suffice... What did she like you to give her the most before? Or something she’s always wanted but you never gave?"

Jasper furrowed his brows tightly at these words.

What was it that she liked receiving from him the most?

He seemed... to have never seriously given her any meaningful gift.

Those treasures she cherished were merely his casual handouts.

Something she always wanted but never received?

He couldn’t even recall Stella explicitly asking him for anything; she was always like that, quietly staying by his side, cautiously hiding all her expectations, yet passionately offering the whole world before him...

Seeing Jasper’s silent, clueless demeanor, Jude couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow for Stella.

He could only vaguely suggest, "... Cater to her tastes, or, show some genuine sincerity, relying solely on gifts, probably..."

It seemed Jasper had listened, yet appeared to understand nothing at all.

He clung tightly to the ring box, turned around, and strode towards the elevator.

"Hey, Old Hawthorne, where are you going?"

"I’m going to find her."

...

And at the same time, at the lobby of a high-end hotel in the city center.

Stella had just finished checking out.

She carried only a simple suitcase; after selling her house and unnecessary items, her baggage was as light as if she were on a short trip.

"Counselor Sterling?"

Just as Stella dragged her suitcase out of the hotel lobby, someone suddenly called her name, "What a coincidence..."

She instinctively looked towards the sound, only to recognize it was a client from Clearstone Law Firm, surname Wright.

"President Wright, hello." Stella put on an appropriate smile, chatting amiably with him.

The two exchanged a few words about inconsequential recent events and industry trends, Stella maintained a polite demeanor, but it was evident her mind wasn’t present.

President Wright was a shrewd individual, noticing her dragging a suitcase, he joked, "Counselor Sterling, are you going on a business trip?"

Stella slightly curled her lips, not concealing it, "I’ve resigned from Clearstone Law Firm, planning to go out for some relaxation."

"Oh? Resigned?" President Wright appeared slightly surprised but quickly smiled, "With Counselor Sterling’s capabilities, surely there are better opportunities ahead? Which firm did you transfer to?"

"Not yet, just taking a break for now." Stella’s tone was calm, reluctant to elaborate further.

As the two were exchanging pleasantries, a familiar figure approached from a short distance.

It was Grace Quinn, walking hand in hand with a friend, shopping leisurely.

She slightly furrowed her brows and pulled down her sunglasses slightly, gazing towards the hotel lobby, only to see Stella conversing pleasantly with a well-dressed, sophisticated middle-aged man.

She suddenly seemed to have a realization, hurriedly pulling her friend towards the nearby flowerbed to hide.

"Hey, Grace, what are you doing?" Her friend stumbled as she was tugged, nearly falling.

Grace hastily gestured for silence, "Shh, keep it down, don’t interrupt my catch!"

"Catch?" Her friend followed her gaze and soon recognized, "Wait... isn’t that Stella? How come she’s coming out of a hotel with a man?"

Grace had no time to answer her then, instantly conjuring up a scenario in her mind where ’Stella, unable to resist loneliness, was sneaking out to have a fling with an older man’.

She felt a moment of glee, quickly took out her phone, adjusted the angle, and snapped several photos rapidly, especially capturing the moments where Stella smiled and seemed to be close to the man.

Her fingers swiftly sent the photos to Jasper Hawthorne, accompanying them with highly provocative words:

[Hawthorne, come quickly to the Hilton Hotel lobby! I think I saw Stella pulling and tugging with a man as they left the hotel. Could she be in trouble? You must come and rescue her...]