Chapter 701

Chapter 701:
Stella turned on the faucet, watching the water run over her hands, and gave a faint nod. “Yeah. Hard to believe, right? I could barely wrap my head around it.”
She’d been on the verge of accepting him. There had been so many misunderstandings between her and William over time. First, she thought he was into men. Then she figured he was just using her as a shield from other women.
And then, after that night when he finally laid his feelings bare, she’d been ready to give it a real shot. But then came the truth—painful, sharp, undeniable. A buried past neither of them could erase. That truth stood between them like a wall too high to climb.
Josie opened her mouth, wanting to say something—anything—but no words came out. What was there to say? Comfort her? Tell her she could still try with William? Neither felt right.
Finally, Josie exhaled and pulled Stella into a hug, gently patting her back. “Stel, you’ve endured a lot.”
Stella stiffened.
It felt like Josie could see straight through her—past the calm front she always wore—right into that mess of pain and vulnerability she’d tried so hard to keep buried.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she leaned into Josie’s arms, letting herself fall apart for just a moment.
When Josie finally pulled back, she gave Stella’s arm a gentle squeeze and said, “In a few days, Amanda Ruiz from Oshos is throwing a birthday bash here in Choria. You remember—she’s one of our biggest clients.”
Of course Stella remembered Amanda.
Stella’s jewelry brand had been a hit overseas and had only recently broken into the domestic market. Back then, Amanda was always first in line to buy Stella’s new collections—sometimes buying them out entirely.
As the designer, Stella never appeared publicly. Josie handled all the client mingling and networking. During the holidays, Stella sent gifts to keep those connections warm. She even had a VIP client list—personally compiled by Josie—of everyone who had spent over a million on her pieces.
Stella had studied that list, researched every name, and memorized the key details. But she hadn’t expected Amanda to throw a birthday party in Choria this year.
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“She’s not from Choria, is she?”
Stella remembered Amanda being born and raised in Oshos. Last she checked, the woman had only been to Choria once—on vacation. So what changed?
“Word is, she’s trying to find a good match for her daughter,” Josie said. “Her daughter’s not a fan of Oshos and has actually been living in Choria for the past six months.”
Stella was stunned. Someone that influential had been in Choria all this time, and she hadn’t heard a thing?
With William and Rutherford both circling her almost daily, how had neither of them mentioned Amanda? Anyone who could casually drop a million bucks on jewelry wasn’t someone you missed.
Josie gave her a look. “Stel, if you’re thinking about making a splash here at home, this could be your moment. Might be time to go public with your identity.”
It wasn’t the first time this had come up. Stella had heard gossip before—at events, from competitors—about why she always stayed so low profile. Back then, she had no interest in being seen.
.
.
.