My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 27: I Think He Looks Frigid

Stella Sterling was woken by pain.

She had been asleep in the car. Half-conscious, she felt a sharp, piercing pain suddenly shoot through her shoulder.

"Hiss—" She gasped.

The pain shocked her fully awake.

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Owen Rhodes’s handsome face. His brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze filled with distress and self-reproach.

Stella Sterling had been asleep, and not wanting to disturb her, he had planned to carry her inside so she could sleep a little longer.

He had been so gentle, so careful.

But he still hurt her.

"Does it hurt badly? How about we go to the hospital and get it checked?"

They were so close that Stella Sterling could see each of his long, curled lashes. So close that her every breath was filled with his scent of pine and bamboo.

In fact, she had been aware of this scent even in her sleep—faint and very comforting.

Their position was also a bit awkward.

One of Owen Rhodes’s arms was hooked under her knees, and the other was holding her uninjured shoulder, poised to lift her.

But the moment she felt pain, he had frozen, afraid to move. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

A blush slowly crept across the side of her face that wasn’t marked by the slap. She instinctively shrank back, and Owen Rhodes, sensing her movement, immediately retracted his hands.

Stella Sterling shook her head. "It hurts a little, but I don’t want to go to the hospital."

"You don’t like hospitals?"

Stella Sterling nodded.

She hated hospitals.

Owen Rhodes deferred to her wishes. "Alright, we won’t go to the hospital. Let’s head in. Tate has already made dinner."

Stella Sterling nodded and quietly followed beside him after getting out of the car.

After a few steps, she seemed to remember something. She asked Owen Rhodes to wait for a moment, then turned back to exchange a few words with Liam Hawthorne before rejoining him.

Owen Rhodes asked, "What did you say to Liam Hawthorne?"

Stella Sterling avoided his gaze, her eyes darting away. "Nothing much. Just thanking him for helping me with my luggage today."

Stella Sterling had moved all the belongings she wanted to keep to Lanthos Bay. Before she had woken up, Mr. Joel had already brought her suitcase and two cardboard boxes inside.

Owen Rhodes glanced at her and hummed in acknowledgment.

Owen Rhodes had been away on business for five days. It was a routine trip, so he was completely unprepared for what he saw when he opened the front door to their Lanthos Bay home.

He froze.

On the shoe cabinet in the foyer sat a uniquely shaped white porcelain vase filled with Manta roses, white tulips, and some small white flowers he didn’t recognize.

On the floor were two pairs of linen-blend slippers—one large and one small, in dark brown and white.

In the living room beyond, the black sofa was now adorned with several brightly colored throw pillows, and a beige cashmere blanket was draped over one of the armrests.

A European-style tea set had been added to the coffee table, and the fruit bowl was filled with fresh fruit.

The living room’s original dark gray curtains had been replaced with pale yellow ones. They weren’t a solid color, but rather an ombré of several alternating light shades. The simple act of changing the curtains had transformed the entire atmosphere of the room.

The house finally seemed to have some life in it.

Stella Sterling watched his expression, her heart fluttering with anxiety. "You... don’t like it, do you?"

’Stella felt a pang of regret.’

’He had told her she didn’t need to ask his permission to buy things for the house, but... he looked completely stunned.’

When Owen Rhodes finally looked away from the room, the corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile. He gently placed his broad hand on top of Stella Sterling’s head.

"I love it. It feels so warm and inviting. Thank you."

’He said he loves it!’

’He said thank you!’

Stella Sterling beamed, her eyes crinkling in a happy smile. "I’m just glad you don’t hate it."

’All her hard work over the past few days had paid off.’

June had brought summer to Jandor in full force. After her trip out, Stella Sterling felt uncomfortably sticky with a thin layer of sweat.

It could have been from the heat, or it could have been from the pain.

When she got out of the shower, she saw a flurry of messages from Ariana Grant on her phone.

[STELLA!!! It’s the end of the world! My idol got married in the prime of his life!]

[He never, ever responds to questions about his love life, and then he just drops a bombshell like this (crying)]

[[Link] Kyros Group President Owen Rhodes Shocks Everyone, Reveals He’s Married]

[[Link] Owen Rhodes Responds to Catherine Linden’s Public Confession: "I’m married. Please don’t bother me." (Video attached)]

[sad_cat.gif]

[I’m praying Owen Rhodes isn’t some love-struck fool. Don’t give up your career for love!]

[I was hoping to go head-to-head with him someday!]

Oh, right. Ariana Grant was incredibly wealthy—the young owner of the Crestwood Group of Sudleigh.

Stella Sterling had met Ariana Grant on a rainy night in Aethelburg, on Westerfall Bridge.

The rain had been pouring down. Ariana Grant, without an umbrella, was standing by the railing, staring down at the turbulent, rain-swept waters of the River Aethel. She was soaked to the bone.

Stella Sterling had walked over and sheltered her under her umbrella. "It’s freezing out here. You’ll catch a cold. Didn’t you bring an umbrella?"

Ariana Grant turned to look at her. Her exquisitely beautiful face was pale, and her eyes were dark and lifeless, just like the black water of the River Aethel at night.

"I don’t have an umbrella," Ariana Grant said.

Stella Sterling thought for a moment before pressing her own umbrella into Ariana’s hand. "Here, take mine. You can give it back to me once you have your own. It was a gift, so you have to promise you’ll return it."

They made an agreement to meet on Westerfall Bridge at the same time every Wednesday.

Once Ariana Grant had an umbrella of her own, she would return Stella’s.

After lending out her umbrella, Joel Joyce sheltered Stella with his own on her way back.

The rain was heavy that day. Most of Joel Joyce’s body was exposed to the downpour, yet not even the hem of Stella Sterling’s skirt got wet.

Ariana Grant and Stella Sterling had also promised each other they would return home together one day.

But before they could fulfill that promise, Stella Sterling was taken to another country.

Ariana Grant was destined to take over the Crestwood Group one day.

Owen Rhodes was her idol.

There was always gossip swirling around those at the very top, but Ariana Grant couldn’t care less.

She knew that what ultimately put someone at the top wasn’t so-called status, but real ability.

She admired Owen Rhodes’s ability.

Stella Sterling didn’t know anything about the business world, as Ariana Grant had never brought it up before. That was why Stella was feeling a little guilty now.

She still hadn’t told Ariana Grant the true identity of her "little model."

Stella Sterling clicked the link with the video that Ariana Grant had sent. She watched as Owen Rhodes declared without a hint of hesitation, "I’m married. Please don’t bother me."

[guilty_puppy.gif]

[Ariana, do you like Owen Rhodes?]

Stella Sterling closed her eyes, praying frantically. ’Please, no, please, no, please, no!’

’Ariana Grant was one of her very few friends, a friendship she cherished deeply.’

’She couldn’t let a man ruin their friendship!’

Thankfully, Ariana replied, [A wise woman stays out of the river of love, okay! I just admire his ability.]

[I’m not into guys like Owen Rhodes. Can’t quite put my finger on why, but he just looks... frigid.]

Stella Sterling was speechless. "..."

For a moment, Stella Sterling had no idea how to respond.

’She had thought about it before they registered their marriage. She had mentally prepared herself.’

’But that night, nothing she had imagined came to pass. Owen Rhodes had even left on a business trip the very next day.’

’Could he... actually be frigid?’

This topic seemed to perk Ariana right up.

[Ariana: [By the way! Have you and your new model husband had a ’test drive’ yet? Is his performance as impressive as his looks?]]

Stella Sterling’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Ariana Grant knew Stella Sterling’s "tastes." By her friend’s standards, anyone Stella chose should have some real "prowess."

[Ariana: [Did you two get right to it after you hung up on me the night you got married?]]

Stella Sterling, lost in thought, replied in a daze: [He’s frigid.]