Novel 543
Chapter 79
Marie replied, “Not yet. But seriously, Ms. Estrella’s business trip is stretching out longer than a Thanksgiving turkey’s legs. She said she’d be back in two or three days tops, and here we are at day five.”
Listening to Marie’s words, Jason fished his phone out of his pocket and headed upstairs. He went into the bedroom, and the call to Drew connected just in time. “Drew, can you look into what’s up with Estrella?” Jason instructed.
“Right away, Sir,” came Drew’s response on the other end.
With his order acknowledged, Jason ended the call and casually tossed his phone onto the nightstand.
He had indeed gone to Silverbrook to confront Estrella. Seeing Korey had soured his mood even further, but Estrella’s barbed words, devoid of explanation, had left him feeling even more out of sorts. So when Serene had called crying, he glanced at the bathroom, grabbed his car keys, and left without a second thought.
Jason was too used to Estrella’s sunny disposition to accept her indifference. Opening wardrobe to grab some clean clothes, he was frozen in place by the sight of Estrella’s colorful pajamas.
“Let’s have a kid, Jason!”
“Which do you prefer, this one or that one?”
“You like the black set? Your wish is my command.”
“If Korey comes back, why am I still wasting my time with you?”
the
“I’d rather marry anyone but you, Jason. Get this marriage over with and stop holding me back from happiness.”
Memories of Estrella’s kindness, her laughter, and her coldness swirled in Jason’s head, darkening his expression as he shut the wardrobe with a definitive click.
After he finished his shower, the bedroom was still empty, and he felt something was missing in his heart.
The room was very quiet, so quiet that only the sound of his breathing was left. For two
years
ars and four months, over a thousand days and nights, Estrella had spent her time.
alone in this room.
Except for a few festive ornaments, there were no photos of him, or of Estrella, and certainly no couple’s pictures. Nothing about the room screamed “married for two years.” Jason lit a cigarette by the floor-to-ceiling window. The yard was still. The occasional
11:37
car’s passing by on the street always belonged to someone else. Estrella didn’t return to
SanOasis.
When the cigarette burned down to the end, the sting jolted him back to reality. He stubbed it out and turned to collapse on the bed.
There had been countless nights when Estrella stationed herself by the floor-to-ceiling windows, tallying the cars that passed by. The first one wasn’t his. The second one wasn’t either. Eventually, she stopped waiting, deciding instead to focus on doing her own thing.
That night, he had restless dreams of days gone by, of a time before “that incident,” back when they were both students. Estrella, ever the free spirit, would laugh and play, outrunning the boys and climbing trees with ease.
Then the dream shifted to their fights, to the slap he had regretfully delivered, and Jason woke up with a start, gathering himself to return to the company.
Meanwhile, Estrella had spent the night with Jesse and Bryce, crashing on the living room couch till dawn, with no dreams or thoughts of Jason.
Back at the office, as Jason stepped in, Drew was right on his heels. “Sir,” he announced.
Jason glanced at Drew, who continued, “I’ve got an update on Ms. Estrella. She returned last night, back to Waterfall Acres.”
Drew’s voice dropped when he mentioned Estrella’s return.
Jason paused in his paperwork, and Drew added, “Korey’s conference in Silverbrook ended Wednesday, and he didn’t meet with Ms. Estrella privately before heading back. However, Bryce went to see Ms. Estrella the night you returned to Ravenwood. Turns out she fell ill, and Bryce was the one who accompanied her to the hospital.”
“I checked Ms. Estrella’s call logs. Korey did reach out, but it seems she didn’t mention her illness to him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have left for Ravenwood without seeing her.”
Jason’s expression shifted through several shades as Drew reported but it was only when he heard that Estrella hadn’t told Korey about her sickness that his features softened
slightly.
Drew, noticing the change, hesitated before speaking, “Sir, there are a couple of things I’m not sure I should say.”
Jason detested half-truths. He shot Drew a cold look, prompting him to quickly add, “I think Ms. Estrella doesn’t have any feelings for Korey, and she’s been quite clear about her boundaries with him. Ms. Estrella is straightforward. Once she’s turned someone down, it’s unlikely she’ll reconsider. And let’s not forget. She’s still hoping to have children!”
Jason simply stared at Drew in silence. Drew, sensing the mood, added more softly, “Maybe I’ve overstepped, Sir.”
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After more than two years, Drew felt he had a clear view from the sidelines. It was hard to tell if Estrella truly liked Jason, but she was not the kind of person who would sneak around. She had been tolerant of Jason, never fussing over his romantic scandals. Each time she met him, she was open and warm – a kind of woman many men would find appealing.
Drew just couldn’t fathom what Jason truly wanted. It certainly wasn’t Estrella’s
warmness.
Jason listened to Drew’s apology. His voice was even but marked with a subtle urgency, “There’s a limited edition pink diamond necklace by Golden Gaze that just hit the market. Go reserve it.”
Drew, always cautious around his boss, gently reminded him,
Sir, aren’t you gifting that custom-designed engagement ring to Ms. Estrella? It’s been over two years in the safe.””
Before Jason and Estrella tied the knot, he had taken it upon himself to design a diamond ring, which was a symbol of his commitment. Yet, despite the years slipping by, the ring never found its way to Estrella’s finger, leading Drew to wonder if it had somehow been misplaced.
Jason looked up sharply. “Since when did you start arranging my affairs, Drew?”
Drew was quick to apologize, “I’m sorry, Sir. I shouldn’t have overstepped. I’ll take care of the necklace immediately.”
Once Drew had left the office, Jason slammed the documents he was holding onto the desk in frustration. Estrella was sick, but she hadn’t told him a word about it. But then, again, when had she ever really put him in the loop? She had been in a car accident la year and kept it from him too.
It was true that that day at Silverbrook, he had been in a foul mood – perhaps he had
taken it too far.
Rubbing his temples, Jason forced himself to dive back into work.
In the spacious apartment at Waterfall Acres, Estrella awoke to find both Jesse and Bryce still deep in slumber. She didn’t disturb them; instead, she moved quietly back to her room, got ready, and headed to her law firm.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
For the following days, she didn’t return to Sandalwood Oasis, choosing instead to go. straight to Waterfall Acres after work.
That night, just past nine, as Estrella was walking back to her apartment after a long day, she stepped out of the elevator to find Jason leaning against her door, with a cigarette in his hand and a scattering of stubs at his feet.