chapter1734

The moment she heard Leonard's name, Stella frowned reflexively.

She turned her head and, sure enough, saw Leonard pushing the door open and walking in.

Abby's expression tensed when she saw him, too.

"Star, should I call Jake and Harold over?"

Before Joshua left, he had stationed Jake and Harold there, telling Stella she could call them if she needed anything.

Stella shook her head slightly. "Not for now. If anything happens to me, Joshua will find out immediately and rush back. Besides, if I can't even handle a small matter like this, I might as well just give up."

Though Stella's reasoning was sound, Abby was still worried.

She knew Leonard had feelings for Stella, but in Abby's eyes, Leonard was not a normal person. She was terrified he would suddenly snap.

Stella gave her a reassuring look and said softly, "You and Wilbur wait for me outside."

This only made Abby more anxious. "But..."

"If he wanted to hurt me, even Wilbur might not be able to stop him," Stella said. "Don't worry, he won't do anything rash."

Abby knew she wouldn't be much help if she stayed. It was better to wait outside and keep an eye on things. If Leonard made any sudden moves, she could at least call for help.

"Let Wilbur stay," Abby suggested. "He can handle himself, at least."

Stella nodded slightly. "Alright."

As Abby was leaving, Leonard walked right up to Stella.

Just like last time, his eyes saw no one else, completely ignoring Wilbur's presence.

His voice was hoarse. "Stella, why didn't you come back?"

Stella's expression was indifferent. "There's no reason. I didn't want to, so I didn't. It was never my home to begin with."

Leonard's voice dropped. "Stella, I won't hurt you. I won't do anything to you. I just want to see you from a distance."

He knew she was wary of him, so he was trying his best to control himself and not disturb her. Just being able to see her every day was enough to satisfy him.

He knew he shouldn't have let Aurora move in; it would only make Stella misunderstand their relationship and push her further away. But he was just so desperate to see her.

He couldn't find any other way to break the stalemate between them, so he resorted to a self-destructive solution.

When Stella didn't respond, Leonard continued, "Stella, there's nothing between Aurora and me. I won't help her hurt you again, nor will I allow her to do anything to harm you. If you don't want to see me, I won't appear before you again."

He paused, his raspy voice laced with a hint of humble pleading. "Can you come back?"

For a split second, a cold dread settled in the pit of Stella's stomach.

He couldn't have actually fallen for her. Could he?

If that was the case, it was utterly terrifying.

Stella wasn't Aurora; she had no interest in using a man's feelings to achieve her goals. Though she loathed Leonard, she found the idea of emotional revenge even mor unacceptable, especially a method that involved making him fall in love

with her.

It wasn't because she had high morals, but because it disgusted her. She found it

truly difficult to feign affection for someone she detested.

Right now meeting Leonard's

obsessive, dark gaze, Stella felt

nothing but fear was a feeling she

hadn't even experienced when he

kidnapped her and personally

destroyed her hand.

Back then, when he ruined her hand, it was simply an act of cruelty.