Chapter 483
Chapter 483:
Janice’s brow furrowed. Was this woman possibly Wendy? Her gaze turned to Stephen. Despair loomed in his eyes, unhidden and profound.
“And indeed, this woman became his support. Under her protection, his enemies ceased to surface again. However, gaining her protection came at a significant cost to him.” With a heavy sigh, Stephen faced Janice. “Let’s end the story here. For both our sakes, some things are best left unspoken. I appreciate your concern and thank you for listening. Moving forward, I suggest we keep some distance. I wouldn’t want to involve you in my troubles.”
“Stephen, you’re taking this too seriously. But if you think you can drag me down, you’re underestimating my strength,” Janice replied, a confident smile playing on her lips, her eyes sharp and authoritative. “Unless I trip over myself, no one poses a threat to me.”
Stephen, caught off guard, was struck by Janice’s unexpectedly familiar yet mysterious presence.
Janice filled two cups of coffee—one for herself and one for Stephen. “Stephen, I appreciate you sharing your story. It has cleared up a few things for me.”
“What exactly?” he asked.
“For now, let’s just enjoy our coffee.” Janice didn’t answer further, placing the steaming cup before Stephen and quickly taking a sip of her own.
Later, upon returning to her villa from the pavilion, Janice found Aiden lounging on the living room sofa, absorbed in a book she had left there earlier.
“Are you done talking?” Aiden asked, raising his eyes to meet hers as she entered.
“Surely you haven’t been waiting just for me,” Janice teased, settling beside him with a grin.
Aiden remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on her.
Feeling the weight of his stare, Janice cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Yes, our conversation is over.”
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“And what did you learn?” Aiden asked, his brow furrowing slightly with concern.
Relaxing into the sofa, Janice let out a long breath. “I’ve gathered some information about him already, confirming that my initial judgment was correct.”
Aiden realized Janice’s words implied that Stephen could be trusted, unlike the Edwards family. “Now that you’ve confirmed that, I’ll say no more. Meanwhile, while you were talking, I looked into Stephen and Wendy’s relationship.”
Janice’s eyes sparkled with astonishment as she looked at Aiden. “You’re incredible! I was just thinking of asking Prescott to investigate this, and you’re already ahead of me!”
A knowing smile played on Aiden’s lips. His thoughts constantly revolved around Janice. Of course, he could anticipate her next move.
“Is that a compliment?”
“You could interpret it that way.” Janice’s melodious laugh filled the air as she leaned forward, her breathtaking features mere inches from his face.
Aiden’s heart raced, his pupils constricted, while her signature fragrance—an elegant scent that always captivated him—enveloped his senses.
“Tell me what you’ve discovered,” she prompted.
Aiden steadied himself, suppressing the storm of emotions inside.
“Twenty years ago, Wendy adopted Stephen. She erased every trace of his past, fabricating the story that he was an orphan. For all these years, she has kept him as nothing more than her plaything.”
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