Chapter 809
Chapter 809:
The line went dead, leaving Wendy’s response to echo in the void.
“Ah!”
A primal scream tore from her throat as she hurled the phone against the ground.
In the villa’s ghostly light, her gaze cut like a blade, promising annihilation to all who dared meet her eyes.
Though Stephen had finally slipped free from Wendy’s iron grasp, he’d braced himself for nights haunted by terrors, expecting sleep to become his enemy.
Contrary to his expectations, the embrace of Mount Cloudridge’s villa welcomed him into a deep slumber that lasted well past dawn, until the morning sun climbed high at nine.
Sleep had been his elusive companion for years, his nights a battlefield of restlessness. Only the artificial peace of sleeping pills had offered him any respite.
Now, perched on the edge of his bed, Stephen’s unfocused gaze softened as his lips curved into a smile that held the innocence of childhood.
“So this is what freedom feels like? To sleep in perfect peace, unchained and untouched, without someone claiming pieces of your soul as their own…” he murmured.
His phone’s screen illuminated with a message. Reading it, Stephen’s face blossomed into a gentle smile as warmth spread through his chest like morning sunlight.
It was Janice.
“Stephen, are you awake? I’ve arranged breakfast to be delivered to you. Since I wasn’t sure about your preferences, I ordered a variety of dishes. Costello will escort you to the office after you’ve eaten. From now on, he’s assigned as your personal bodyguard.”
Stephen’s fingers danced across the screen.
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“Janice, anything you choose would make me happy. But Costello is your bodyguard. Let him stay with you.”
“I don’t place my trust easily. Just let me decide, will you?”
A soft laugh escaped Stephen’s lips as he read her words. He could perfectly envision Janice’s expression—that endearing mix of playfulness and stubbornness as she typed.
The gift of having a sister filled his heart with unprecedented joy.
“For my sister, I have to work harder. From now on, every cent I earn will go to her.” Stephen’s heart, once lost in the shadows, was slowly finding its way back to the light. That newfound warmth spread through him, wrapping around his soul like a gentle embrace, melting away the cold that had once taken root.
Sitting in Aiden’s car, Janice glanced at Stephen’s text message, and before she knew it, a soft, genuine smile bloomed on her lips. She had never dared to imagine having conversations like this before. But with Stephen, her brother, it all felt so effortless, so natural, as if things had always been this way.
Aiden, ever the observant one, caught sight of her expression and felt an unexpected pang of jealousy. “I know you’re just texting your brother, but I still can’t help feeling a little envious.”
Janice turned to him with an amused look, slipping her phone into her lap. “Jealousy, huh? Who would’ve thought the mighty head of the Green family would be this easy to ruffle?”
“What can I say? Ever since I met you, I’ve been stuck in this state.” Aiden sighed dramatically as if resigning himself to fate. “I’ve already accepted that I’ll be jealous at least a dozen times a day.”
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