NovelEnglishAfter Joshua left, Stella sat alone on the stone bench, quietly taking in the scenery around her.
She had to admit, this place really was beautiful-there was even a touch of romance in the air. Even by herself,
she didn't feel the least bit bored.
Resting her chin in one hand, her elbow propped on the stone table, Stella let herself relax. The tranquility here
was almost hypnotic, and she realized just how tired she'd been lately with everything going on.
She lay her head down on the table and, before she knew it, drifted off for a few minutes.
A cool breeze swept past, stirring her awake. With a start, she checked her phone and realized she'd been out for
over twenty minutes.
The banquet hall wasn't far-ten, maybe fifteen minutes round trip at most. Surely nothing could have happened,
right?
Still, a faint unease crept in. She grabbed her phone and called Joshua.
The line rang and rang, but no one picked up. Stella's concern deepened.
She slipped off her shoes, deciding to go look for him herself.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
Just then, footsteps sounded behind her.
Relief washed over her-Joshua must be back.
She turned around. "Joshua-"
But the face she saw made her freeze.
"Neville? What are you doing here?"
His striking features were half-hidden in the soft glow of the streetlamp, every gesture radiating an effortless
elegance and nobility. There was a rebellious spark in his eyes, and those dazzling hazel irises caught the
moonlight, shimmering with something unreadable.
At that moment, his gaze rested on her, and in the silvered night, it almost felt... tender.
He walked toward her, a small, knowing smile on his lips. “I just got in from the airport. | stopped by your studio
to surprise you, but you weren't there.
Abby toldyou were at the music conference, so | cto find you."
It had been a while since Stella had seen Neville. The unexpected reunion was a pleasant surprise.
Neville's eyes dropped to her broken shoe, his brows knitting together. "Your shoe broke?"
Stella nodded. “Yeah. Joshua went to getanother pair, but he's been gone a while. I'm starting to worry
something happened, so | was
about to go check." fo
Neville sat down across from her, an amused, enigmatic smile playing at his lips.
"Joshua? | actually just saw him. But honestly, | don't think you should go looking for him right now-you might
interrupt his fun."
Stella frowned in confusion. "What fun?"
"He's playing the hero, rescuing none other than Simone Lerman, the eldest Lerman daughter."
Neville's gaze lingered on Stella. "Are he and Simone... close?"
Stella remembered the last tshe'd seen Joshua and Simone chatting, how well they seemed to get along. "I
guess they hit it off?"
Neville's tone was teasing. "Didn't expect that guy to have such charm, did you?”
Now that she knew Joshua was fine, Stella relaxed and gave up on her rescue mission.
Instead, she turned the conversation to Neville. "I heard from Marvin Connolly that today's your birthday."
Her voice was soft and melodious, drifting through the gentle night. "Happy birthday, Neville."
A faint warmth crept into Neville's eyes. "Thank you."
Stella reached into her bag and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box. "I got you a birthday present. | was going
to give it to Marvin to pass along, but since you're here, | can give it to you myself."
Neville opened the box to find a delicate keychain inside. Nothing too fancy, but the little cartoon figures on it
made him smile despite himself.
"Is this supposed to beand Marvin?"
Stella nodded. "Yeah. | drew them myself for you and Marvin."
With her artistic talent, sketching chibi versions of Neville and Marvin was practically second nature for her.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
