After She She Stopped Loving Him

Chapter 614: The Nerve

Nnenna didn’t even need to glance at it to know it was his phone number. So he’s actually serious? What a weird guy, she thought, blinking at him.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the treatment," Darius announced, standing with theatrical flair. But not before flashing one last smile at the nanny by the door, and then letting his gTitan 205

To be honest, Yolanda felt she ought to call Ian and tell him to quit messing around–this was his job, and he needed to stick to an actor’s basic principles. If he wanted any future in showbiz, he had to handle all that came with it.

If he was planning to survive in the entertainment world, he’d just have to put up with it.

But why, of all people, did it have to be Joelle?

Simone was still saying something, but Yolanda tuned her out completely–her mind was elsewhere.

After hanging up, she got in her car. She’d planned to drop by Starlight, since the people blocking the entrance had finally cleared out. She’d already called the crew to fix the shattered glass doors.

Right at that moment, her phone lit up with a call from Charles.

Charles’s voice came through: “Aunt Simone’s putting together a hiking trip. Want to come blow off some steam?”

Ian had mentioned in passing that he’d probably show up too.

Simone would definitely invite a whole crew, and with things at Starlight finally calming down, Yolanda figured she might as well join the fun.

“Count me in,” Yolanda replied easily.

She hadn’t expected so many people–turns out, this wasn’t just any old hike. There was a full–blown resort at the top, and getting there meant a three–hour trek from the foot of the mountain, starting at 2 in the morning. If you made it to the summit in time, you’d catch the sunrise.

Yolanda did a quick walk–through at Starlight. As night settled in, her phone lit up with a message from Ian.

[You joining the hike?]

Then Leo reached out with a text of his own.

[Hey, you hiking or not? Just asking–no big deal.]

Yolanda ignored Leo and shot back a quick reply to Ian: [Yeah, I’m in.]

She enjoyed a hot shower, then, at one in the morning, jumped into Charles’s car and headed out to the base of the mountain.

When they got there, the whole area was brightly lit, and a crew of staff were already hanging around. They’d take the cable car up ahead of everyone to get breakfast ready at the top.

This mountain was privately owned. Normally, anyone could hike it, but when they closed the place off, it was strictly VIPs only.

Yolanda stepped out in black athletic gear, backpack slung over her shoulders, only to spot Joelle sporting matching black gear and the same backpack vibe.

Joelle was Oscar’s guest, and besides him, there were a few other famous directors in attendance, Simone included.

The rest of the crew were young elites who lived for this kind of thrill–mountain climbing was basically the hottest trend in their circle.

Charles, rarely seen in athletic gear, cast a glance at lan, who was standing next to Simone. He couldn’t help but frown, a slight crease forming between his brows.

Ian wasn’t looking at anyone, his mask covering most of his face, with only his indifferent eyes showing. He seemed completely silent and kept to himself.

Just as everyone was about to head out, Xavier and Quinn Cooper showed up, their voices ringing across the crowd.

Wow, so everyone’s going hiking and nobody bothered to call us? Lucky we got here before you left!” Xavier joked loudly.

Xavier yanked Leo over, remembering how his little brother had blurted to the Lawson family yesterday that he might be into someone. The whole family was hyped, demanding Xavier dig out this secret crush. With Leo suddenly way too keen on this hike, Xavier figured the girl he liked had to be among tonight’s crew.

He swept his eyes over the eight or nine women gathered there–first Yolanda was off the list, then Simone, both ruled out because, come on, they were on a totally different level, practically family.

After that, his gaze started sizing up the remaining six, lingering a bit longer as he tried to sniff out any clues.

Quentin showed up too–his eyes locked on Joelle from the very moment he arrived. It was old news that he used to have a crush on her; nobody even bothers to keep it under wraps anymore.

“These love triangles are just the same old story–boring,‘ Yolanda thought, totally uninterested. She fell in step behind Simone, ready to get this hike going.

There were five trails leading up the mountain, and with so many people here, everyone just broke off into little squads with their usual crew, planning to stick together for the climb.

Yolanda wasn’t really familiar with most of these folks, so she hung by Simone’s side, seriously picking her brain about the film business.

Charles was about to head over to Yolanda when Quentin called out, “Joelle, is your wrist still giving you trouble?”

Charles glanced in their direction, remembering that Joelle had only just been snatched by that lunatic Andrew yesterday. ‘And now she’s here climbing a mountain… She must’ve come for me,‘ he thought.

He frowned, staying put.

Sure enough, Joelle approached him, careful to keep a respectful distance. “Charles, which trail are you taking

-left or right?”

Charles glimpsed Yolanda and Simone taking the middle trail, and a flicker of irritation showed in his eyes- he hated being left out, even if he’d never admit it.

Still, he hid it perfectly, keeping his expression smooth and unreadable.

Quentin sidled up to Joelle, whispering, “Joelle, let’s take the right trail–it’s way easier.”

Joelle ignored him, her eyes fixed on Charles, clearly waiting for his answer.

Charles headed straight for the middle trail, and Joelle tried to catch up, but she tripped hard–hadn’t even started climbing and her ankle was already swollen from the fall.

Quentin rushed over, his voice full of concern. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Joelle took a deep breath and said seriously, “Quentin, I’ve rejected you more times than I can count. Don’t put me on the spot. I can get to the hospital on my own.”

With that, she limped to her feet, didn’t even look at Charles, and made her way back to her own car.

Quentin hurried up after her. “You don’t even have a manager with you–who’s gonna get you to the hospital?”

Leo watched the whole thing, then elbowed Charles. “You not gonna help her out? Looks like her ankle’s in pretty bad shape.”

7

A

Xavier was right there, catching Leo’s comment. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Wait, seriously?‘ Xavier wondered. ‘Is Leo into Joelle too?‘

“He’s been keeping tabs on her from the start. Now with Charles here, maybe he’s too shy to offer a ride himself? Xavier guessed, more confused than ever.

‘Has he had his eye on her this whole time, just waiting for a moment to do something?‘ he thought, picking up the tension.

Xavier’s mood soured. “There are already more than enough guys chasing after Joelle, and Leo–man, he’s no Casanova. With that many rivals, he doesn’t stand much chance,‘

Charles wasn’t planning to help out, but after Leo nudged him and saw Joelle still shutting Quentin down, he finally gave in and walked over.

“Let me drive you,” he said.

Joelle gave him a grateful–even slightly guilty–look. “Won’t you miss out on the hike because of me?”

“Hospital’s just a half–hour from here. I’ll drop you off and get back before anyone even notices.” Charles replied.

“Thanks, Charles. I really appreciate it,” Joelle said.

9:35 Sat Oct 25

Chapter 203

Quentin’s face fell, all the light gone from his eyes.

156 vouchers

Navier was turning it over in his mind: Wait, isn’t Charles basically with Yolanda now? As long as that’s still a thing, Leo actTitan 206

Chapter 206

Yolanda followed Simone, her backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Aunt Simone, the short drama scene is really booming right now. Should we consider having our talent without scripts try their hand at it?” Yolanda asked.

Simone was about to respond when Ian suddenly spoke up.

“Ms. Grant.” Ian called out.

“Yeah?” Yolanda looked over.

She turned to face him, noticing he seemed unusually quiet tonight.

“Can I talk to you about Ms. Sinclair’s new script?” Ian asked.

Simone hadn’t forgotten Ian was turning down the role, so she gave Yolanda a thoughtful, sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“Try and talk some sense into him, will you? If Mr. Rowe didn’t have such a soft spot for him, this kind of golden opportunity wouldn’t even land in his lap. His popularity is soaring, but his list of credits is way too short. After Zack’s show finishes up, mine is coming next, and if he adds this film to the mix, he’ll become an A–list star practically overnight,” Simone urged.

Yolanda could hear the urgency in Simone’s voice. In truth, Simone really liked Ian–he was talented, worked hard, kept his head down, and always acted with respect. Honestly, what manager didn’t wish for talent like him?

“I’ll talk to him, Aunt Simone,” Yolanda promised.

Simone knew they needed some privacy, so she called out to the rest and led them off ahead.

Yolanda walked over to a nearby little pavilion and sat down, motioning for Ian to join her. “Come sit down.”

The benches here were designed in an interesting way–some were higher, some lower. She chose the taller

one.

Jan walked over and sat on the lower bench at her feet. He took her backpack, opened it, and started transferring the contents into his own bag.

Yolanda watched him, and even without a word from lan, she could tell he was still stewing over something. ‘He’s totally sulking again, she thought.

With a teasing grin, she propped one leg playfully across his lap.

Ian froze, hands mid–motion, giving her a sideways look. “Careful, Grant. Your man’s about to show

catch us.”

up and

Yolanda couldn’t help but laugh, leaning back with an easy swagger. “Still holding a grudge, huh?” she teased.

“Like I’ve got any right to be mad? You told me to chill out. If I keep being clueless, you’ll probably kick me to

the curb,” Ian shot back.

With his head bowed and a gentle look on his face, Ian tucked her sunscreen spray into his own bag, left her backpack empty, and finally zipped it up.

Yolanda’s hair was slicked up in a high ponytail, her black sportswear making her skin look almost porcelain pale. Her jet–black hair looked sharp against her fair face, and her eyes sparkled even brighter than the night sky around them.

“Ian, I don’t want you to take this script.”

Ian went still for a second, eyes lowered, the barest hint of a smile flickering on his lips. “Really?”

pinch. “If you did, the female lead wouldn’t be Joelle. Honestly, I can’t handle you

Yolanda–she could wrap any guy around her finger. Just a second ago, Ian was sulking like a sad puppy, and now he was all up in

thinking… If you really made me work with her, I’d just vanish. You wouldn’t see me anywhere near you,” Ian

went full puppy mode, resting his chin on her shoulder, lashes down, back all hunched–looking like the saddest, most pitiful guy in the

tousle. “Let’s go. We’ll miss the sunrise if

practically bounced back to life, grabbing her hand and pulling her up the path. But halfway there, Yolanda caught footsteps behind them, so she quickly dropped his hand and opened up some

“Well, well, you two again. Guess I

was fed up with Leo and his prickly sarcasm. She definitely wasn’t about to let him sniff out what was going

to them like some soggy, creepy ghoul, matching

figured he was just

on–speed up, he sped up; slow down, he slowed down. The guy

was seriously like a shadow that just wouldn’t

and shot him a look. “Don’t you have anything

mentally scoffed, ‘Talk about extra. Who

or something?”

they’d reached the top. The lights from the mountain lodge glowed nearby, and everyone who’d made it was already waiting

out another cold snort as he walked past lan, shooting

needed to hit the restroom and just handed her bag off to lan. “Go snag us a good spot for

no more, she strode off

bag, was just about to

come help us move a table,” Simone called

over his shoulder. “Superstar, you better get moving. If you’re

not wanting to get caught and

tables were for breakfast later, and the staff was

turn Simone down, so he just headed

headed for the restroom on the first floor, but the door was

had

second floor, then the

her, but before he could dial, someone cracked him hard on the back of the head.

nearby courtyard and shoved him into

out cold.

knocked out

take just Yolanda, but Leo was so annoyingly persistent, hanging around looking for

realized he was locked in some rundown, abandoned factory. Sunlight spilled in from outside, but inside it was stripped completely bare–just piles of scattered bricks on the ground, a single locked

corner of his eye, he noticed someone behind him. Turning around, he

in a chair.

instinct was to reach for the

felt something wrong with his

as if he might explode

in the place–a grimy, beat–up thing, way too shabby for

shimmer under the weak sunlight, and her athletic outfit traced every curve. Leo found himself dumbfounded, unable to look

called out, his voice dry and

his body heavy and off–balance

so he could only nudge her

had breathed in so much of the

lowered his gaze, barely keeping himself

he muttered, his

kidnapped before, but never with someone like Yolanda. How

him?

actually behind this? Is it me they

worse, until he just gave in and pressed his face right into her neck,

voice barely audible, rough

a desert, the heat suffocating him. Getting close to her was

presence against her, frowning in discomfort as she instinctively

Chapter 207

and had already sent the Crimson Gallery crew out

just arrived at the mountaintop villa. Not seeing Yolanda around,

a total lunatic, so the moment Andrew hit him up with the stream link, Charles

Ian, Sam,

Andrew wouldn’t have sent them something like this if it wasn’t serious. Xavier, hanging out at the

it for the entertainment–nothing like a bit of chaos to keep

had sent the link out to over thirty people

Leo hooking up with Yolanda on the live stream, Yolanda’s reputation would be trashed for good. Once he felt the timing was right, he’d just take her out, no

to go up against the Lawson family.

saw the two people on the stream, he could pretty much guess who was behind this

talking to his team. “Find out where that signal’s coming from. I need an address

up all sorts of shady tricks overseas, and his signal was

was running the show as the admin of the stream and sent out

real fun’s about to kick off. Hope

a reason. If the whole city of Beloris caught wind of Yolanda’s mess, it wouldn’t just be Charles getting humiliated–the entire Sinclair family would be dragged down with him. And when it came to screwing up like that,

made it through all these years of Charles hating his guts was thanks to his old man

when it came to anything that could shake the Sinclair

beloved. The scandal wouldn’t touch the Sinclairs one bit. Charles would probably kick Yolanda to the curb and, who knows, maybe all

move heaven

He didn’t waste a second before barking out

realized the woman was Yolanda, Xavier totally freaked

got tangled up with Yolanda, how

obvious Leo had been drugged–who the hell

completely out of it–all he knew was there was something cold and

his mouth, but with his hands tied behind his back, it was hopeless. ‘Why can’t I reach it? I need it,

same four people were still watching the

blasted the link out to a bunch

up.

sweating bullets, his lips fumbling blindly in desperation until he finally bumped into Yolanda’s. Driven by instinct and

hand stalled for a moment as he watched the scene, his face darkening. He quickly tore his eyes away and barked at his people,

so freaked out he almost dropped his phone. He kicked

hell are you waiting for? Get

to stop Leo before it

chat, his

regret. If you mess with Leo,

grandfather, and the rest of the world didn’t even register

he typed into

that–Xavier’s here. Sit back and enjoy the spectacle, Xavier. Watch as your precious little brother gets his first time stolen

of curses, but the system

and

was just curious about what kind of dirty crap that psycho Andrew was sharing, but I never thought it’d

with Yolanda like there was no tomorrow, Quinn figured the kid was so out of his mind he probably didn’t even know who he was

totally screwed now!‘ Quinn muttered

about to go up in flames!‘

absolutely hated Yolanda–he was always ragging on her, saying she was way too uptight, like, even the slimiest pond eel had more energy and excitement than she did. He’d joke that Charles must’ve been

snaps out of it and realizes he was all over Yolanda like that,‘ Quinn thought, ‘he’s gonna go ballistic–wouldn’t be surprised if he grabbed a knife and went straight after Andrew. Once that’s done, he’ll make sure Yolanda pays too, no

hell is even going on?‘ Quinn muttered

just pick up the phone and call Charles–there were only four people watching right now, and Xavier was obviously one of them. ‘Xavier’s here, but who the

just act like this whole mess never happened. Just don’t mention a word about it to Leo later–especially since

want his own

now, Andrew, the lunatic behind this whole fiasco, had no idea

I can’t even look at Leo like this anymore,’ Quinn thought, forcing himself to look away from

screen.

what felt like forever–seven, maybe eight minutes. The camera was set up by the window, so it could only catch their movements, not

her whole body was overheating, her breaths coming quick and shallow as she struggled for air. Finally, through the haze, her mind began to clear. ‘Where am I? Why does everything feel

raised a hand to press against her aching forehead, only to bump into something scorching hot right next to her. Instinct kicked in–she shoved it away without

and grabbed her hand, pressing it against his cheek like it

away some of that burning heat.

get up, but the moment she moved, her ankle jerked back–chained tight. No matter how desperately she scrambled, she couldn’t

her voice trembling with fear

of sanity

bitterly. ‘She’d be falling over herself to help him, even giving him

tightly behind his

was completely unaware of Xavier’s frantic reactions on the other side of the

away and

Andrew must have been the one

Joelle’s loyal knight, and it looked like he’d been fooled by a few of Joelle’s cryptic lines again, showing

with a guy like him. Andrew would gladly lay down his

alive was her

her leg, still tangled in chains, up onto a chair, both hands straining

fit so snug, it might as well have been tailored for her–it was useless, she

her. He rubbed his tear–streaked face against her foot, curled up small as if trying to hide from the world, his sobs

act like a pompous jerk, always thinking he was above her. This was the first time

it anymore. He started

could you treat my brother

out

quiet type, but she could always tell when someone didn’t like her. She’d never taken to Leo, so

four, Samuel was easily the calmest of

front of him, while his assistant stood respectfully at his desk,

manor managed to snag that piece of land, but apparently there’s some sort of problem with it. No one’s figured out what it is yet. Cedric rushed over to

he was checking out some business stats, considerately asked, “CEO, do you want me to bring over

hassle for him to check the screen with the phone just lying there, the assistant thought

himself.

phone face down, sounding completely unbothered. “Don’t worry about it–just update me on any news about that land. And

the Crimson Gallery. If he wanted to track down Yolanda, he could

like a hawk, there’s no way this livestream could

thinking, ‘The longer we keep these tangled relationships under wraps, the safer we are. If this mess blows up, the Grant Family’s definitely getting dragged into the

face everyone’s blame, and that kind of pressure could

At the end

by a single rule: never do anything reckless or

that responsibility weighing on him–and the Grant Family still climbing the ranks–there were just too many

lowered his gaze, and once his assistant had left, quietly picked up his phone to check the livestream

while Leo’s cheek rested against the foot she kept on.

just let me have a drink… Why are you being so

hot, I feel like I’m

mumbling was so quiet, only Yolanda

numb and aching as she tried helplessly to

let go and sagged against the chair, hoping someone else would show up and

this mess.

wrists covered in bloody scratches, slowly pushed himself up from the floor and knelt down

her.

told him to kneel, she thought. ‘Seriously, if he remembers this

dazed and burning up so badly he could barely make out anything in front of him, lurched forward in

both their

stars as her world spun

wondered if Leo was just her

get up, saying, “Leo, come on, get a hold of yourself…” ‘Seriously,

sideways, and the overturned seat ended up blocking the camera by the window. On the live feed, all anyone could see now was Yolanda and Leo lying

restlessly trying to get closer, pawing at the ground like a desperate animal rooting

to realize

in her system was just a tiny bit, but with that delayed onset, the discomfort

and tried

chair had flipped over, blocking most of the camera’s

their screens had no clue what just happened; for all they knew, Yolanda and Leo were

he locked down Yolanda’s

were left in the

with ants. Still, she was sure that Leo

kicked out again, but ended up giving Leo just the chance

‘Gotcha!‘ Leo thought.