Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Rain lashed against the taxi windows, swallowing the sound of her quiet sobbing.

Stella covered her mouth, her fingertips pressed against her lips, The bitter sting of salt on her lips.

She watched in the rearview mirror as Alexander faltered and ran through the curtain of rain, and she desperately wanted to get out of the car and help him up.

Blood had already begun to blossom across the stark white of Alexander's shirt.

The vivid red diluted by the icy rain, pierced Stella's heart like a needle.
She heard Alexander calling, his voice raw, ragged plea.

Yet Stella knew with a haunting clarity that there was no turning back.

If she turned back, the walls she'd built would come crashing down in an instant.

She feared her resolve would fail, sending her sprinting back into his arms, blind to the jagged history between them, forgetting all that pain.

Greater still was the fear of becoming a weight Alexander could no longer carry, making Joseph's dissatisfaction worse and drawing him back into the line of fire.
The car drove all the way to an intersection near the hospital. Stella wiped the tears from her face and smoothed her messy hair and clothes.

By the time she stepped onto the pavement, she had forced her features into a mask of composure.

Only the raw rim of her eyelids betrayed the storm at her recent emotions.

A persistent dull ache in her abdomen had driven her to the hospital. With no other choice, she had asked Nicholas to come with her for a checkup.

While waiting for Nicholas to retrieve the results, she never imagined a collision with Alexander, never expecting to run into Alexander there.

Stella returned to the hospital lobby's waiting area and sat down. Nicholas approached, the test report held loosely in his hand.

His eyes fell on Stella's reddened eyes, A shadow of concern darkening his features.

He placed the report on the table and asked softly,

"What's wrong? Why are your eyes red? Are you feeling unwell? Did the report bring bad news?"

Facing his concerned questions, Stella shook her head.

Unconvinced, Nicholas reached for her forehead, but Stella flinched away.

She picked up the report from the table and glanced at it. It showed the baby was healthy, though the recent emotional turmoil had taken a physical toll on her, and she needed proper rest.

Looking at the report, A breath she hadn't realized she was holding escaped her.

The baby's safety was the only thing that mattered now.

She looked up at Nicholas and shook her head, her voice still a bit hoarse.

"I'm fine. The evening air was biting; it irritated my eyes. The test results are good, the baby's fine."

Reading the avoidance in her eyes, Nicholas knew a secret lay behind her silence.

But he didn't call her out on it, just went along with what she said, nodding and handing her the water beside him.

"That's good. Now that you're pregnant, you can't be careless. You need to be careful about everything."

He sat across from Stella, his gaze resting gently on her belly, his eyes full of warmth.

When Nicholas spoke, his tone was gentle.

"When the baby's born, if it's a boy, I'll teach him basketball and business. If it's a girl, I'll spoil her like a little princess, buy her the prettiest dresses and the finest toys. Later, our family can find a quiet place and live a simple, peaceful life. Wouldn't that be nice?"

He spoke of a future glided in gold.

Stella listened, her heart aching with a bitterness she couldn't suppress.

She knew that the "family" Nicholas spoke of meant he was hoping to be with her.

But Stella didn't want to let him keep thinking this way.

She could no longer allow him to harbor a false hope that would only chain him to her. It wasn't fair to him.

While Nicholas was still imagining that future, Stella suddenly interrupted him.

Her voice remained steady, though it carried the weight of an unshakeable resolve.

"Nicholas, I'm sorry, but I think we need to make something clear."

Nicholas's smile died, leaving his face a hollow mask, and a cold dread took root in his chest.

He tried to stay calm and asked, "Stella, what do you want to say?"

"I know you've been good to me and taken care of me all these years. I'm very grateful."

Stella looked up, meeting Nicholas's eyes directly, and replied seriously.

"But I've only ever felt friendship and gratitude toward you, never romantic love. Alexander has held my heart since the beginning, and he will until the end. Even though I'm choosing to leave now, that won't change."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, completely snuffing out the last flickering embers of his hope.

His face instantly turned pale, his lips moved as if to say something, but no words came out.

Stella knew her words might be too cruel, but now that she'd started, she couldn't stop.

"I know this might upset you, but I cannot live behind this lie any longer. It's not fair to you. I've already booked a flight for tonight. I'm leaving this city soon. From now on, I'll find a place where no one knows me, have the baby in peace, and start a new life there."

Nicholas bolted upright, as if struck, his voice filled with disbelief and an urgent plea.

"Stella, you're leaving? Please don't go, okay? This city may hold bad memories, but you still have me. I can take care of you and the baby. I can give you and the baby a home. You don't need to face everything alone."

Stella met his gaze, her eyes heavy with a silent "I'm sorry."

"Nicholas, thank you. But I've already made up my mind."

The very air of this city was heavy with the ghosts of her past.

Mason's death, Elodie's betrayal, and everything with Alexander.

She didn't want to stay here anymore.

"Nicholas, I appreciate your feelings, but I can't accept them. You deserve someone better."

Despite his desperate entreaties, Stella's attitude remained firm, without the slightest wavering.

Nicholas looked at her resolute expression and knew that nothing he said would make a difference.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his lips, and when he looked at Stella, his eyes were filled with hurt.

"Stella, how can you be so heartless?"

Hearing this, Stella pressed her lips together and said nothing.

She knew her sudden announcement to leave wasn't quite right.

But things had already come to this point—what else could she do if she didn't leave?

Never mind the unresolved mess between her and Alexander; just consider things between her and Nicholas.

Stella knew very clearly that she had never had romantic feelings for Nicholas, but somehow Nicholas had fallen for her.

Not knowing before was one thing, but now that she knew, she couldn't keep holding him back.

The strength left Nicholas all at once, and he collapsed back into the chair, his eyes full of disappointment and helplessness.

After a long silence, he finally said softly,

"I can't stop you, and I can't prevent you from moving toward a new life. But I'd like to take you to the airport. Is that okay?"

Seeing the loneliness in his eyes, Stella finally nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."

In that one word of gratitude, a vast, unbridgeable chasm opened between them.