Chapter 10 I’ve Heard Some News #2
Lucius lowered the photograph and held her gaze for another moment, the faintest smirk tugging at his mouth.
Then he carefully returned it to the shelf.
He gave her one last knowing look before finally turning toward the exit.
As he walked out of the apartment, Stella watched him disappear through the door.
Only then did she release the breath she had been holding.
Her shoulders sagged with relief, and she pressed a hand against her chest.
She hadn't even realized how tense she had been until he was finally gone.
‘God, why does he have to be so fucking infuriating?’
She drew in another deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
***
A few hours later, Stella arrived at the café.
Ana was standing behind the counter, preparing a cup of coffee. There were only a few customers inside at that hour, and the other employees were more than capable of handling the morning rush.
The moment Ana spotted Stella walking in, her face brightened.
“There you are!” she exclaimed, flashing her a welcoming smile. “I've been waiting for you.”
Stella smiled back as she set her bag down.
“Good morning.”
She headed to the back to put away her things before returning to the counter.
“Are you tired?” she asked, looking at Ana. “When did you come in? There were plenty of employees here to handle the morning crowd.”
“I’m fine.” Ana waved her off. “I was just getting bored at home. Mason has gone on a business trip, so I had nothing to do. I thought I'd come here for a while.”
She picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip, her eyes gleaming with sudden interest.
Then she leaned slightly toward Stella.
“You know what? I've heard some news.”
Stella raised an eyebrow.
“News?”
Ana nodded, taking another sip of her coffee as a mischievous smile spread across her face.
Stella looked at her, raising her eyebrows.
“What are you talking about?”
Ana's expression brightened with interest.
“Last night, Mason went to a business party. You know, how people get together, have a few drinks, and end up talking about everyone's business?” She leaned closer to Stella, lowering her voice. “Some of Lucius’s friends were there, and Mason overheard something interesting.”
Stella picked up her coffee, watching her expectantly.
“What did he hear?”
“They were saying that Lucius has invested in Licius for a woman he likes.”
Stella's hand paused halfway to her mouth.
Ana tilted her head, her smile turning knowing.
“Is it because of you? Are you that woman, Stella?”
Stella's expression shifted slightly.
“For three years, I was with him, and he never showed the slightest interest in my work.” She set her cup on the counter, her brows drawing together as she tried to make sense of it.
“Whenever I told him about the business, he barely paid attention. So I don’t understand why he would suddenly want to invest in it. ”
She fell silent, turning the information over in her mind.
Then another thought struck her.
“Catherine’s family is also involved in the food industry.”
The realization wiped the smile from Ana's face.
“Oh, God. You don't think he invested because of Catherine, do you?”
Stella's brows furrowed.
“How could that possibly be related to her? I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense.”
Before Ana could respond, Stella's phone began to ring.
She glanced at the screen.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't have answered a call so early in the morning, but she recognized the number as belonging to one of her business partners.
She picked up the phone from the counter and brought it to her ear.
“Hello, Mr. Jenkins.”
“Miss Gibson,” the man replied. “We've made a decision, and we believe this is going to be the best course of action for the business.”
Stella straightened.
“What decision?”
“We’ve decided to hand over the management and operational control of all Licius branches in Manhattan to Miss Catherine’s Winters’s Corporation.”
“What?!”
Several customers glanced in Stella’s direction.
Realizing how loudly she'd spoken, she immediately lowered her voice, though the anger in it remained unmistakable.
“What the hell are you talking about? I'm the owner of Licius! I oversee Manhattan. Who gave you permission to hand over control of my business to someone else?”
“Miss Gibson, I knew you would be upset, which is why we didn't take this decision lightly.” Mr. Jenkins sounded increasingly uncomfortable. “But you have to understand the situation. The largest investment we've ever received came from Mr. Frost.”
Stella's fingers tightened around her phone.
“And?”
“And everyone knows that Mr. Frost’s mother has been introducing Ms. Winters as his girlfriend around the city.” He paused briefly. “Please understand, Miss Gibson. We don't want to offend Mr. Frost by refusing Miss Winters's request.”
Stella's jaw tightened.
“What request?”
“She personally called and asked to take over the Manhattan operations. Several partners agreed because they don't want to have any problems with Mr. Frost.”
Stella's anger surged so violently that she could barely keep herself from shouting.
Lucius had invested in her business, and now he was using his influence to hand it on a silver platter to Catherine?
She swallowed hard, forcing the fury burning in her throat back down.
Mr. Jenkins continued, his voice placating.
“Please, Miss Gibson, try to remain calm. Everything will be fine. This is only temporary. It's not as though the arrangement will be permanent.”
“Temporary?” Stella repeated, her voice dangerously quiet.