Chapter 551
Lily had brought up their high school days on purpose, right in front of Elnora.
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Now, seeing Stella apologize so carefully, Lily worried that what she had blurted out earlier might cause trouble for Stella, so she promptly apologized too, just to be safe.
“Sorry, I really didn’t know Mr. Campbell had gotten married,” Lily said.
Elnora didn’t bother looking at Stella or Lily. Instead, she addressed Albert directly, her voice cool and detached.
“I’m going ahead to the private room. You two carry on,” she said.
Albert raised an eyebrow, following her into the private room with a faint smile.
“Are you mad?” he asked.
Elnora stepped into the private room and, at his words, turned to look at Albert.
“You’re mistaken,” she replied.
“I’m just worried that my being here might get in the way of your memories. After all, those high school days are the ones people tend to hold onto the most,” she added.
Albert pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on Elnora.
“Is this something that’s got you thinking, Ms. Finley? I guess you must’ve had some great memories from your high school days, right?” he asked.
Elnora gave a slight nod.
“Of course,” she replied.
“But I’m not someone who dwells on memories,” she added.
All the people and things from back then have changed. Nothing’s the same anymore. Even if those days were good, there’s really nothing left to reminisce about,’ she thought.
After responding to Albert, Elnora reached out and took the menu from the waiter.
She glanced at the menu, checked off a dish, then handed it over to Albert.
“Your turn to choose, Mr. Campbell. Dinner’s on me tonight,” she said.
Albert raised an eyebrow. “Does it really make a difference if you treat or I do?”
Elnora gave a faint smile. “Of course there’s a difference.”
“After you left yesterday, things got a bit messy. Kaelin and the others really helped me out, and I’m grateful
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Chapter 551
for that,” she said.
“I know they only helped because of you, so this dinner is for them, and for you too,” she added.
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Albert looked up at Elnora, gave a quiet laugh, and without saying a word, picked out a few dishes and asked the waiter to bring over some vintage liquor.
Elnora was drawing a clear boundary between them.
She made the boundary unmistakable.
Kaelin, Benedict, and the others started arriving at the restaurant one after another, and soon they were all in the private room.
Elnora greeted them with a faint smile.
Albert noticed that Elnora’s expression wasn’t nearly as frosty as it had been earlier in the day, and he found himself stealing a few extra glances her way.
Kaelin was great at keeping the mood lively, striking up a conversation with Elnora.
Elnora always responded politely, never missing a beat and carrying herself with grace.
Albert, on the other hand, was unusually quiet.
For most of the evening, he stayed silent, only now and then raising his glass and taking a quiet sip of his wine.
After making a round of toasts with everyone, Elnora’s wine glass was left empty.
When the waiter tried to pour her more, she waved him off and just focused on her food in silence.
Albert glanced at her, his voice calm as he asked, “No more drinks, Ms. Finley?”
Elnora shook her head. “No, thanks. I can’t really hold my liquor.”
Albert smiled. “Relax, you’re safe here. Even if you get drunk, I’ll take you home myself.”
Elnora replied, “Aren’t we playing pool later?”
“I need to pace myself,” she added.
Albert nodded. “Fair enough.”
Benedict, Kaelin, and the rest of the group exchanged glances, sharing a silent understanding.
‘Man, Albert still hasn’t managed to lock down Ms. Finley, Benedict thought, amused.
‘Who even calls their spouse “Ms. Finley” and “Mr. Campbell” after getting married?’ Kaelin wondered, shaking
his head.
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Chapter 551
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Once dinner was over, since there was another event lined up, nobody stuck around in the private room.
As they were leaving, they ran into Stella again at the entrance.
Seeing Elnora and Albert having dinner with Kaelin and the others tonight, Stella felt a pang of discomfort deep inside.
Once upon a time, she used to be part of Albert’s group of friends.
Whenever something was happening, Albert always brought her along.
Stella bit her lip, then took the initiative to say hello.
“Kaelin, Benedict,” she greeted them.
Kaelin and Benedict exchanged an awkward glance when they saw Stella, but still nodded politely in response.
“What a coincidence, you’re eating here too?” Kaelin asked.
Stella nodded.
“Yeah,” she replied.
“I actually ran into Albert and Ms. Finley earlier tonight,” she added.
Kaelin let out a couple of awkward laughs but didn’t say anything.
Stella boldly called Albert by his first name and Elnora by her title, not caring if Elnora took offense.
Kaelin shot a cautious glance over at Elnora.
But Elnora was busy chatting with Eamon, not even sparing them a look, so Kaelin let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Stella could sense the subtle detachment from Kaelin and Benedict, and her eyes shifted slightly as she spoke softly, “Do you guys have another event after this?” she asked.
Kaelin nodded.
“Yeah,” he replied.
A hint of regret flickered in Stella’s eyes, her voice gentle as she spoke.
“It’s a shame my leg’s hurt, so I can’t hang out with you guys tonight,” she said.
Benedict said, “You just had a car accident yesterday. Normally, you should still be in the hospital getting treatment. Being out and about like this isn’t exactly good for your recovery.”
Stella looked a little embarrassed. “I cleared it with my doctor. He said it’s not a big deal, I need to take it easy for a while, and I should recover soon.”
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Chapter 551
Benedict and Kaelin both fell silent.
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Just this morning, the Hong Kong media made it sound like Stella was seriously hurt, almost dying.
Elnora was the only one who didn’t make a fuss about it.
If it were any other woman, seeing Stella shrug it off like that, she’d probably want to rip her to shreds.
Elnora and Eamon chatted as they headed toward the parking lot.
The Dassler family and the Finley family were long-time business partners, so Elnora and Eamon knew each other well.
While they talked shop, Albert quietly walked beside Elnora, keeping to himself.
Kaelin and Benedict glanced over at Albert and couldn’t help but find the whole thing pretty amusing.
Honestly, compared to Elnora, Albert looked more like the wife she brought home.
He was acting all obedient and gentle, and one could totally see him getting jealous whenever Elnora was having a good time chatting with another guy.
Kaelin was the first to crack up, unable to hold back his laughter.
Benedict just smirked, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Stella pressed her lips together, then murmured quietly, “Have fun, everyone. I’m heading back to the hospital.”
Kaelin and Benedict didn’t respond, just made their way toward Albert and his group.
Stella sat in her wheelchair, quietly watching as they got into their cars and drove off.
Lily noticed how Stella was fixated on them, almost making herself miserable by refusing to look away. She leaned in and spoke softly, “Stella, let’s go.”
Stella nodded, finally tearing her eyes away. Her voice was tinged with uncertainty as she asked, “Lily, do you think Albert could ever fall for Elnora?”
Lily replied without a doubt, her voice unwavering.
“Absolutely not. Just look at the women Albert’s been around since you went abroad. They’re all delicate, demure, sweet, and obedient, just like you.”
“None of them is anything like Ms. Finley,” she added.
“Elnora is just not Albert’s type at all,” she said.
Albert was always the faithful type. When it came to women, he only ever had eyes for one kind.
And that was Stella, through and through.
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Chapter 551
Lily was sure there was zero chance of any romance ever happening between Albert and Elnora.
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The only reason Albert was treating Elnora any differently now was that she was just his brand-new wife from an arranged marriage.
She was his wife, after all. He had to at least keep up appearances for her sake.
Yesterday, Albert ditching Elnora to rush Stella to the hospital was all the proof that he didn’t love Elnora one
bit.
AD
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