Chapter 729

"Fine," Xenia Cooper said. “Let's meet. I prefer to negotiate face-to-face.”

"Alright. You pick the place."

After hanging up, Briony received a text from Xenia with an address. It was a villa located halfway up a mountain in the suburbs, quite a distance away.

Briony frowned. Why would Xenia want to meet in such a remote place?

For safety, she decided to have Crystal accompany her.

Back in the hospital lounge, Briony gave the bottle to Aster, who began drinking eagerly. Stella held him, her expression distant as she watched him.

Ableson and Cedric returned after seeing the specialist off. Ableson took Aster from Stella's arms, sighed, and gently stroked her hair. "I'll take Aster for a walk in the back garden. You and Cedric need to talk."

Stella didn't respond.

Ableson sighed again and carried the child out. Briony also stood up and looked at Cedric with a serious expression. “Dr. Clarke, Stella isn't in a good state. Please talk to her calmly. Don't be impulsive."

Cedric nodded.

"I have to take care of something," Briony added. “I'll be back at the hospital tonight." "Okay."

The lounge door closed, leaving them alone. Cedric knelt in front of Stella, holding an ice pack wrapped in a towel. He gently applied it to her swollen cheek. It must have stung, but Stella didn't flinch or pull away. She was completely numb.

How had the vibrant girl he once knew become like this? Cedric's heart ached as he looked at her. He knew his own selfishness had led to this moment.

"Star, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "The truth is, I know you and that man aren't in that kind of relationship. I just saw you laughing so happily with him, and I got jealous.”

A man's possessiveness always had a dark side. The journey from his secret crush on Stella to their

whirlwind romance and marriaget

had been so fast that he'd always been afraid she would leave him her memories returned. And now, his fears were slowly becoming reality.

"Star, I don't want to separate. These past four years, we were in love, we were happy, weren't we?"

Stella looked at him. The issue

dat

between them wasn't a lack of love. It was a clash of personalities a fundamental incompatibility of their values. She looked at the handsome, accomplished man kneeling before her, his eyes filled with guilt and remorse, his posture humbled.

She felt a pang of sadness. A man with his looks, family background, and talent

must have had countless women secretly admiring him. If he hadn't met her, perhaps his love life would have been much simpler, much happier.

Stella reached out and gently touched his cheek. Cedric's eyes lit up. He took her hand, pressing her palm firmly against his face. Her skin was ice-cold.

"Star, I was wrong. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have called your mother. I truly know I was wrong. Please, will you forgive me?"

"Cedric, have you ever thought that if you'd met someone else, you'd be happier than you are now?"

"No," he said firmly. "There are no 'what ifs.' I don't need to meet anyone else. I only want you, Star. I know I haven't been good enough, and I know I've hurt and disappointed you, but please, give me one more chance. Don't leave me, okay?"

Stella's eyelashes fluttered, and tears began to fall silently. After a long moment, her pale lips moved. “Okay. I won't leave."

Cedric was overjoyed and pulled her into a hug. Stella closed her eyes, letting her exhausted body fall completely against his.

He stiffened. Her body was burning up.

He quickly pulled back and touched her forehead. His expression changed instantly. "You have a fever."

Stella felt incredibly tired. Her eyelids were too heavy to open, so she let herself drift into sleep. Cedric scooped her into his arms and hurried out of the lounge.

A black Land Rover snaked its way up the mountain road. The path was narrow, forcing them to drive slowly. Finally, they reached the halfway point and pulled up in front of the villa Xenia had specified.

The place was eerily remote. The villa looked as though it had been abandoned for years, with weeds in the yard growing almost two feet high. The sky was dark, and a heavy rain was falling.

The windshield wipers swished back

and forth. Crystal gripped the

steering wheel, peering out at th desolate villa "Bryn "Bryn, are you this is the place?" she asked, swallowing hard. "She wants to talk here? Are you sure she isn't planning to murder you?"