I was rubbing the back of my neck as I entered my bedroom, pausing when I heard noise coming out of the closets. Stella was here?

“It was fun while it lasted,” she spoke, dispirited.

Her voice tugged at me. I was sure she was feeling like I was throwing her out, but it wasn’t like that at all. I was more than confused, being pulled in all directions. There was so much to be done. Even after burying my father, there was still his company to sort out. Not to mention Zara’s clingy pleas and demands, thousands of employees worried if they still had a job, my mother’s constant blabbers and the list just kept on growing. The only person who was in my life before all this happened, was the only one who wasn’t demanding anything. It proved what a great woman she was, but at the same time, it seemed that she was willing to move on from me.

I didn’t blame her. Things between Zara and I were complicated. I wasn’t even sure where to begin. As much as I pondered about where Zara and I were heading to, the thought of saying goodbye to Stella didn’t sit well with me, either. I knew I couldn’t have both and that I had to let someone go, but I was dreading the thought of not seeing Stella again. I cared for her, I truly did.

It was fortunate that Zara was staying with her family for the time being, since they brought the subject of impropriety of staying at my house while mourning the loss of her husband, even though it hadn’t been a real one.

When Stella finally emerged from the closet, my immediate reaction to seeing her didn’t help one bit. Yes, I was undoubtedly attracted to her, but I was more drawn to the airy lightness that she easily exuded. Yeah, letting her go was going to be a battle, I sadly conceded.

“Hi.”

“Hello,” she said whilst looking like she wanted to dash out of the door and not face me at all.

“I was hoping we could talk?” I was nervous, hoping that she’d give me a chance to explain. Leaving things the way they were was not what I had intended. This was not how I pictured ending things with Stella.

Stella nodded, baring me her beautiful eyes. “If you think it’s necessary, yeah, I suppose we could.”

Where the fuck did I start with this catastrophe? I mentally went through all the crap in my brain, racking to find what the best way to deliver things without sounding crass would be, but I was rendered speechless. After my third sigh, I frowned as I glanced at her impatient looking face. “Would you mind if I take a quick shower? I’ve had a long day and a shower would do wonders for me. I hope that’s all right? If it isn’t, then it could wait until later.”

“Sure, go ahead, Cal. I’ll just wait right here.” Stella even added a sweet smile. It was too sweet, it left me unsettled, but I brushed it off as I thanked her for understanding before striding towards the bathroom and showering as quickly as possible.

In less than ten minutes, I was dressed in jeans with some strands of my hair dripping with water due to the fact that I had been in a rush and I didn’t have the time to dry it with a towel while Stella awaited my return. Alas, the woman wasn’t there.

Right then, I heard a loud slam of the front door. Did she just leave? Renewed energy buzzed throughout my body.

Striding out of the bedroom, heading downstairs, I called out to her, “Stella?”

Once I reached the front door, I peeked my head out just in time to catch a glimpse of her getting into a cab. “Blasted fucking fuck!” I screamed as I darted towards the foyer table and took hold of my keys and my wallet.

Dressed only with jeans and nothing more, I literally ran towards my car barefoot, jumped inside my silver Pagani Huayra and gunned the engine, going after her.

It was mental, truly it was, but I didn’t want to part this way with Stella. When it came to women, I was a completely pompous, callous tool… but Stella was different. “Hell, she’s my fucking wife! Of course she’s different, you soddy bastard!” I growled as I tried to catch her cab. The traffic was atrocious, but still, I could make out her head appearing in the back of the cab.

After a lot of swerving in between cars, tons of honking and yes, I almost crashed into a few cars, I made it out alive and finally caught up behind the blasted black cab at a stoplight.

Leaving the car running, I stomped towards the cab and yanked the door open. “How dare you walk out on me!” I barked at the apoplectic looking Stella.

“Kindly walk away, sir, or I might have to call the—” the driver started to fuck with me, so I laid it out quite nicely for him.

“Interrupt me one more time and you won’t like the consequences, mate.” I wasn’t to be fucked with. Today of all days, it had wrung me dry. I was past exhaustion, but I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t settle this amiably with Stella.

Stella glared at me before quickly apologizing for my ill-mannered behavior. With a fierce look, she pinned me on the spot. “There’s nothing to talk about. Please, let’s leave it as is… I don’t want to drag this out.”

“Well, I do. We have to talk. You can leave afterwards, but either way, we’re talking. Get out of the cab, Stella.” There were horns honking and some expletive words flung towards us, but I was unperturbed. “You’re holding up traffic.”

With her chest heaving, her eyes ready to spit fire and her skin aglow, she had never looked more radiantly gorgeous than at this very moment. “Damn you, Kensington!” Stella hissed as she exited the cab.

She only had a large tote with her, so it didn’t take that much effort to pluck it out of the seat. Expressing a relieved sigh, I dug in my pocket and handed the cabbie his due. He was more than grateful when he saw it was three hundred quid in his hands. “Cheers mate!” he bid me goodbye as I nodded towards him, slamming the door shut.

It was starting to rain with light showers. Summer time in London wouldn’t be the same without these showers. I used to like it, but right now, since I hadn’t donned a shirt, I wasn’t that appreciative.

Was I surprised to find Stella pouting as she stared at my running car? Not really. “Get in,” I commanded as I tightened my grip on her purse and strode towards her.

She shook her head, stubborn as a goose. “No. I don’t want to, Cal.”

“Get inside!”

“Callum. I. Said. No.”

She was testing my limits and I was about to explode like a ticking time bomb if she decided to play stubborn. “Don’t defy me, Stella!” I roared, yanking the door open, past caring that she was fuming and throwing curse words at me. I ignored her and shoved her purse inside the car. The road was starting to get wet, but I was beyond caring about my underdressed state as I failingly tried to act calm. Holding the door wider this time, I directed her again for the umpteenth time. “Get inside, Stella.”

“You have no right to manhandle me. No. Right. Do you hear?” She screamed, unmoving.

In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be so brutish, but this wasn’t one of them. Planting both of my hands around her sides, I lifted and carried her before gently dumping her tenacious self on the seat. Ignoring her hisses and growls, I securely placed the seatbelt across her tensed body and then slammed the door shut then went to the driver’s side.

Stella was furious, but she was unbending. What else was there to do? All I cared about was for her to get in the goddamned vehicle and drive back to my home so we could sort this out rationally. No matter what happened after this, I couldn’t for the life of me let her leave in this condition.

This was Stella… Richard’s sister… the woman I vowed to take care of, which I wasn’t doing exceptionally well in that department.