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?”

gave his earlobe a playful pinch. “If you did, the female lead wouldn’t be Joelle. Honestly, I can’t handle you getting all close

guy around her finger. Just a second ago, Ian was sulking like a sad puppy,

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

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

a little tousle. “Let’s go. We’ll miss

life, grabbing her hand and pulling her up the path. But halfway there, Yolanda caught footsteps behind them, so she

smug and casual, before firing off a snarky remark. “Well, well, you two again. Guess I took a whole lap just to bump into

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

but Leo stuck to them like some soggy, creepy ghoul, matching their steps just out of

Yolanda figured he was just taking

up; slow down, he

was seriously like a shadow that just

a deep breath, spun around, and shot him a

over at Ian and mentally scoffed, ‘Talk about extra.

path yours or something?” Leo shot

Thankfully, they’d reached the top. The lights from the mountain

past lan, shooting him a glare that could cut

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

she strode

there clutching her bag, was just about to take a step after

help us move a table,”

shoulder. “Superstar, you better get moving. If you’re late, there won’t be any

in a flash, obviously not wanting to get caught and

were for breakfast later, and the staff was already hustling around, getting

he just headed over to

the door was wide open and the place

had

second floor, then the third, still

but before he could

the nearby courtyard and shoved him into the trunk, where Yolanda

out cold.

knocked

Yolanda, but Leo was so annoyingly persistent, hanging around looking for people, that he finally just decided to drag

Sunlight spilled in from outside, but inside it was stripped completely bare–just piles of scattered bricks on the ground,

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

in a chair.

reach for the chain around her ankle and

something wrong

if he might explode any

sprawled across the only chair in the place–a grimy, beat–up thing, way too shabby for

skin seemed to almost shimmer under the weak

Yolanda?” Leo called out, his voice dry and low, and

body heavy and off–balance as he moved step by

behind his back, so he could only

in so much of the knock–out drug, she

straight, her scent clouding his mind. He lowered his gaze, barely keeping himself in

muttered, his voice

someone like Yolanda. How

him?

is actually behind this? Is it me they want, or is Yolanda the target?‘ Leo thought,

Leo–every step closer made it worse, until he just gave in and pressed his face

his voice barely

in a desert, the heat suffocating him. Getting close to her was the only thing that made

sense his burning presence against her, frowning in discomfort as she

Chapter 207

already sent the Crimson

the mountaintop villa. Not seeing Yolanda around,

total lunatic, so the moment Andrew hit him up with

day, only Ian, Sam, Xavier, and Quinn

it wasn’t serious. Xavier, hanging out at the hospital with

entertainment–nothing like a bit of chaos to

over thirty people in

long as they saw Leo hooking up with Yolanda on the live stream, Yolanda’s reputation would be trashed for good.

than to go up

stream, he could pretty

team. “Find out where that signal’s coming from.

of shady tricks overseas, and his signal was blocked off from the outside world. Cracking it was going

the admin

to kick off.

just be Charles getting humiliated–the entire Sinclair family would be dragged down with him. And when it

it through all these years of Charles hating

to anything that could shake the Sinclair family, he couldn’t afford

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

Joelle–whatever she wanted, he’d move heaven and earth

this disgusting live stream. He didn’t waste a second before barking out

woman was Yolanda, Xavier totally

with Yolanda, how the hell were they supposed

obvious Leo had been drugged–who the hell would come up with a

was completely out of it–all he knew was there was something cold and sugary right in front

treat into his mouth, but with his hands tied behind his back, it was hopeless. ‘Why can’t I

same four people were

blasted the link out to a bunch of people,

up.

blindly in desperation until he finally bumped into Yolanda’s. Driven by instinct and

moment as he watched the scene, his face darkening. He quickly tore his eyes away

freaked out he almost dropped his phone. He kicked the guy next

you waiting for? Get

stop Leo

chat, his fingers flying in

anything you’ll regret. If you mess

nuts–he feared no one but his grandfather, and the

typed

Xavier. Watch as your precious little brother gets his first time stolen

off a whole torrent of curses, but the system

stream and let out a

thought, ‘I was just curious about what kind of dirty crap that psycho Andrew was sharing, but I

figured the kid was so out of his mind he probably didn’t

now!‘ Quinn muttered

to go

too uptight, like, even the slimiest pond eel had more energy and excitement than she did. He’d joke that Charles must’ve been cursed for eight lifetimes to end up marrying

grabbed a knife and went straight after Andrew. Once that’s done, he’ll make sure Yolanda pays too, no doubt about it.

hell is even

four people watching right now, and Xavier was obviously one of them. ‘Xavier’s here, but who the hell are the other

act like this whole mess never happened. Just don’t mention

those other watchers were, but he really didn’t want his own name popping up. Last thing he needed was to

whole fiasco, had

can’t even look at Leo like this anymore,’ Quinn thought, forcing himself

screen.

making out with Yolanda for what felt like forever–seven, maybe eight minutes. The camera was set up by the window, so it could only catch their

shallow as she struggled for air. Finally, through the haze, her mind

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

his fever and need, instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand, pressing it against his cheek like

away some of that burning heat. ‘Finally… that’s better,‘ Leo thought, relaxing into

awake and tried to get up, but the moment she moved, her ankle jerked back–chained tight. No matter how desperately she scrambled, she couldn’t get more than a step away before

get a grip!” Yolanda yelled, her voice

his lashes at her righteous tone, clinging to his last thread of sanity even as every cell in his body screamed with pain

wouldn’t be acting like this,‘ Leo thought bitterly. ‘She’d be falling over herself to help him,

were tied tightly behind his

no idea she was being live–streamed, so she was completely unaware of

Leo away and glanced

realized that Andrew must have been the

like he’d been fooled by a few of Joelle’s cryptic lines again, showing up to take out

Andrew would gladly lay down his life

staying alive was her only

up onto a chair, both hands straining as she tried

chain wrapped around her ankle fit so snug, it might as well have been tailored

the ground when Leo, looking crushed and miserable, inched toward her. He rubbed his tear–streaked face against her foot, curled up small as if trying to

all these years, Yolanda had only ever seen him act like a pompous jerk, always thinking he was above her.

stand it anymore. He started relentlessly spamming the

treat my brother like that? You’ll regret this, I

scene and finally breathed out in relief–things

like her. She’d never taken to Leo, so she’d always kept him

Samuel was easily

laid out in front of him, while his assistant stood respectfully

problem with it. No one’s figured out what it is yet. Cedric rushed over to the Andrade manor in the middle of the night, so we should be hearing more about that land

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

screen with the phone just lying there, the

himself.

sounding completely unbothered. “Don’t worry about it–just update

Crimson Gallery. If he wanted to track down

a hawk, there’s no way this livestream could drag on

wraps, the

face everyone’s blame, and that

might stand a chance. At the end of the day, though, it all depends on whether

by a single rule: never

Grant Family still climbing the ranks–there

had left, quietly picked up

ankle, while Leo’s cheek rested

he croaked, “Come on, just let me have a

I’m so hot,

mumbling was so quiet, only

numb and aching as she tried helplessly to yank the chain open, but it

sagged against the chair, hoping someone else

this mess.

covered in bloody scratches, slowly pushed himself up from

her.

told him to kneel, she thought. ‘Seriously, if he remembers this later and totally freaks out about it, please just don’t let him

make

both their

with him, seeing stars as her world spun from

seriously wondered if Leo

hold of yourself…” ‘Seriously, does he even hear

she could finish, the chair tipped 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 motionless on the floor, neither of

get closer, pawing at the ground like a desperate animal rooting through dirt–the more he struggled, the more flustered and miserable he

started to realize she wasn’t

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

foot and tried

had flipped over, blocking most of

on their screens had no clue what just happened; for all they knew, Yolanda and Leo were just getting into another heated

live feed, and as soon as he locked down Yolanda’s location,

three people were left

foggy, like her whole body was crawling with ants. Still, she was sure that Leo was

kicked out again, but ended up giving Leo

‘Gotcha!‘ Leo thought.