Chapter 62

Stella's POV

Outside the police station. Taylor was waiting with the car.After e

nsuring Sam's safe return home, Adam and I walked towards his

car, the silence between us palpable. "How did you know I was here?" I finally asked. Taylor,walking beside us, cleared his throat. "We received the noti

fication as soon as we landed, Mrs. Lancaster. Mr.Lancaster insiste

d on coming straight here."

"Landed?" I looked between them. "So the calls went unanswered

because you were on a plane."

Taylor nodded. "According to the report, Ms. Lucy and Mr.Brian

were hosting an event at the Rouge Club tonight and got into an

altercation with you and Ms. Samantha, which escalated into a p

hysical confrontation."

"That's not how it happened," I automatically corrected. "They we

re the ones causing trouble."

"Of course they were," Adam's voice held a hint of dry

amusement.

reason."

The way he emphasized"my wife" sent a shiver through me.

despite my irritation. As we reached the car. Taylor excused himself, saying he needed

to return to the office to handle the aftermath of tonight's event

s."You're not going to the office?" I asked Adam as our driver pull

ed away from the curb. "Why would I?" Adam replied, inspecting a small cut on his hand

that I hadn't notced before. "Mrs. Lancaster seems quite capable

of handling business. It appears to be quite profitable."

I felt my cheeks heat up, unsure if he was complimenting or moc

king me.

′′

′'m sure GT Group can survive one night without you."

"Indeed," he replied, his tone deliberately casual. "Stella, I believe

you owe me an explanation."

"About what?" I feigned innocence, though I knew exactly what h

e meant. "Why not start with your relationship with the manager of the Ro

uge Club?" he suggested.

"He's the club's legal representative, but he also manages a caféI own,"

I tried to explain, knowing how weak it sounded. "Try again," Adam's voice was soft but firm, I turned to look out the window, watching the city lights blur pa

st. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"The truth might be refreshing," he suggested. "Like explaining wh

y you visit the Rouge Club at least three times a month, yet reg

ular patrons have hardly ever seen you."

I whipped my head around to face him. "How could you possibly

know that?"

"I make it my business to know things," Adam replied simply. "Yo

u have a private room there, don't you? Interesting,considering Ro

uge doesn't offer private spaces to just anyone."

I remained silent, weighing my options. Clearly, there was no poin

t in continuing the charade. "Fine," I sighed. "Yes, Rouge is mine-mine and Sam's. We just wa

nted to make some extra money without anyone knowing our ide

ntities."

In the dim light of the car, I couldn't read Adam's expression,but

I thought I saw a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "Extra money," he repeated, a small smile playing on his lips. "Is your pocket money sufficient?" he asked casually. To my surprise, he didn't question why I had concealed my ownership

but instead asked an unexpected question. "Just barely." I replied, thinking about the lab expenses,though I h

ad no intention of explaining that. "You've hardly used the black card I gave you."

Not entirely true. I thought. recalling the times I had used it to v

erify the authenticity of expensive skincare products. "I'm not accustomed to spending other people's money," I said.im

mediately regretting my choice of words. Adam's brow furrowed. "Other people's?" His voice turned cold."Is

n't it normal for a wife to use her husband's money?"

Seeing that I didn't respond, he narrowed his eyes.

′′𝑀 is it that

you just don't want to spend my money?"

"It's not like that," I hurried to explain. "Even when I was engage

d to Brian, I never spent his money."

The temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees, and

Adam's voice became icy. "Stella, do you see me as the same as

Brian?"

Before I could answer, he pulled me onto his lap and kissed me with

surprising intensity. Adam's soft lips pressed down with a chill unique to

winter. The ferocity of it left my mind blank.

I was acutely aware thatTyler was still in the driver's seat. I tried to pull away, but Adam only tightened his grip on my waist, deepening the kiss. When he finally released me, his eyes were a storm of emotions. "Stella. I am your husband," he said in a low voice. "What does

Brian matter?"

His teeth grazed my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine.I noticed

Tyler pressing a button to raise the partition between us. "It's not about comparison," I quickly said. "I just don't spend any

one's money."

Adam's expression grew darker. I realized he was genuinely upset. "That's not what I meant," I said, placing my hand on his chest. "I'll use your card tomorrow, I promise."

"I thought nightclub owners didn't spend other people's money?"H

is tone remained cold.

I leaned closer, resting my head on his shoulder. "You're not'othe

r people'; you're my husband."

Those two words-"my husband"-had an immediate effect.The tension in

his shoulders eased, and the shadow in his eyes seemed to lift a little. Sensing the shift in atmosphere, my fingers gently traced his

jawline, feeling the slight stubble that added a rugged charm."Ada

m." I whispered, my breath warm against his neck, "you mean m

ore to me than anyone."

His arms encircled me, pulling me closer. I could feel his heartbe

at, steady and strong against my chest,calming the turmoil within

me. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply as if drawing

strength from my presence. "Stella," he murmured, his voice much softer now, "I don't want

to be compared to anyone. I just want to be your one and only. "

I lifted my head, looking directly into his eyes, our faces inches a

part.d

only."

His eyes searched my face, as if seeking confirmation. In that mo

ment, the world outside the car seemed to disappear. It was just

the two of us, tightly embraced, a closeness that spoke louder t

han words. Adam's hand moved to the back of my neck, his fingers threading

through my hair. He pulled me into another kiss,this one tender yet

passionate. It was a kiss that promised understanding, forgiveness, and

a love that could weather any storm. When our lips parted, I rested my forehead against his,feeling our breaths mingle. "I love you," I whispered, the words a soothi

ng balm to our souls. "I love you too," he replied, his voice gentle as a caress.

In that moment, all jealousy and misunderstandings melted away,

leaving only the undeniable bond between us. The car continued

to move forward, but we were lost in our own world.a world fi

lled with love and intimacy.