Chapter 185 I Want to Marry You

Chapter 185 I Want to Marry You

Stella's eyes reddened, her voice trembling with cautious pleading as she slowly approached Richard.

She crouched before him, whispering, "Richard, don't confront them head-on. This isn't your territory—you can't win against them."

"Leave first. Save yourself. Don't be reckless. It's not worth it."

Richard stared intently at her pale, fragile face, his eyes churning with pain and stubborn determination too intense to dissolve.

Stella knew what Richard wanted to say and cut him off. "He probably won't hurt me, so don't worry about me."

Richard knew that right now, alone, he couldn't possibly fight so many people.

He had no power base here, so any rash move would end badly.

But how could he bear to let Stella leave with that devil?

After weighing his options, Richard finally stopped resisting.

"Stella, wait for me. I'll bring you home."

The moment he finished speaking, a warm, powerful force suddenly pulled Stella into an embrace.

Mason tightened his arm, holding her firmly at his side. He looked up at Richard, his smile gentle but his intent bone-chillingly cold.

"Richard, stop deluding yourself."

"From now on, everything about her has nothing to do with you."

With that, he spared no further glance at the disheveled, restrained man. Holding Stella close, he turned and strode out of the suffocating room.

The car drove smoothly away, eventually arriving at Mason's private estate.

The mansion was luxurious and tranquil, exuding an air of nobility and aloofness that warned strangers away.

Mason led Stella into the master bedroom, his gaze soft as he studied her uneasy form. "If you don't like the décor, I'll have everything remodeled tomorrow to your taste."

Stella's entire body tensed. She took half a step back, watching him warily.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

Mason's gaze was open, his tone serious and direct.

"To marry you. To make you my wife."

Stella's heart jolted. She instinctively shook her head. "You're doing this because of Nicole, aren't you?"

"No."

Mason denied it without hesitation. He stepped closer, his eyes holding rare sincerity. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Stella stared at him in utter disbelief.

Seeing her shock, Mason chuckled softly. "Why so surprised?"

"I've been married. I have a child. My past is a mess. Even if it's love at first sight, what could you possibly like about me?" Stella's voice was hoarse, full of confusion.

"None of that matters to me."

Mason's tone was resolute, his gaze deep and earnest. "Your child—if you want me to raise him, I'll treat him as my own. What I like is you, the person."

His words left Stella silent for a long time.

She only felt that this man before her—gentle and kind on the surface—was unfathomable, every move concealing ulterior motives. It couldn't be as simple as love at first sight.

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't dare indulge in it.

Mason saw the wariness in her heart. He didn't press further, only saying lightly, "It's late. Get some rest."

With that, he turned and gently closed the door behind him, leaving quietly.

The room finally fell silent.

Stella didn't dare stay a moment longer. Danger lurked everywhere here—she only wanted to escape as soon as possible.

When night deepened and silence blanketed everything, she carefully rose, tiptoed to the window, pushed it open, and quietly slipped out along the side of the estate.

Holding her breath, she cautiously avoided the patrolling guards, desperate to escape this cage.

But just as she rounded a corridor corner, her steps froze abruptly, her blood turning ice-cold.

The moonlight was cold, the night thick.

In the shadowy courtyard ahead, Mason stood there.

The gentle, warm-eyed young man from earlier now wore no trace of a smile.

His fingers gripped a cold weapon, his face indifferent, his eyes dark and chilling.

Blood spread across the ground. A corpse lay at his feet.

The man who had seemed harmless and considerate moments ago now radiated lethal menace, his fingers stained crimson as he coldly disposed of an inconvenient obstacle.

Stella's entire body trembled. Though she belonged to the upper class and had experienced things ordinary people never would, she had never witnessed a scene like this.

She stood frozen in place, her legs too weak to support her.

The overwhelming stench of blood made her gag continuously, but she didn't dare make a sound.

Yet the urge to flee flooded her mind relentlessly.

She covered her mouth, preventing herself from making even the slightest noise.

But just as she turned to leave, that ghostly voice rang out, "Who's there? Get out here!"