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?”

Yolanda leaned in close and 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 and personal with her on screen.”

The thing about 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 her space, tail practically wagging.

“Ms. Grant, honestly, before I came tonight, I was thinking… If you really made me work with her, I’d just vanish. You wouldn’t see me anywhere near you,” Ian muttered.

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

Yolanda reached up and gave his hair a little tousle. “Let’s go. We’ll miss the sunrise if we don’t move.”

Ian 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 space between them.

Leo sauntered over, all smug and casual, before firing off a snarky remark. “Well, well, you two again. Guess I took a whole lap just to bump into you both. What’s up with all the sneaking around?”

Yolanda was fed up with Leo and his prickly sarcasm. She definitely wasn’t about to let him sniff out what was going on between her and Ian. ‘Not a chance,‘ she thought.

She buried her head and pushed forward, but Leo stuck to them like some soggy, creepy ghoul, matching their steps just out of spite.

For a second, Yolanda figured he was just taking his sweet time.

Then she caught on–speed up, he sped up; slow down, he slowed down. The guy was totally glued to them.

He was seriously like a shadow that just wouldn’t go away.

Yolanda took a deep breath, spun around, and shot him a look. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Leo glanced over at Ian and mentally scoffed, ‘Talk about extra. Who the hell wears a mask hiking?‘

“What, this path yours or something?” Leo shot back.

Yolanda wasn’t about to waste her breath on him. Thankfully, they’d reached the top. The lights from the mountain lodge glowed nearby, and everyone who’d made it was already waiting on the grass for the sunrise.

Leo let out another cold snort as he walked past lan, shooting him a glare that could cut glass.

Yolanda needed to hit the restroom and just handed her bag off to lan. “Go snag us a good spot for the sunrise -I’ll catch up in a sec.”

Saying no more, she strode off toward the lodge.

lan stood there clutching her bag, was just about to take a step after her when Simone’s voice rang out.

“lan, come help us move a table,” Simone called out.

Leo’s eyes lit up, and he swaggered toward the lodge, tossing a cocky line over his shoulder. “Superstar, you better get moving. If you’re late, there won’t be any seats left for you.”

He shot inside in a flash, obviously not wanting to get caught and forced by Simone to help out.

The tables were for breakfast later, and the staff was already hustling around, getting everything set up.

he just headed over

the first floor, but the door was

frowned–where had

second floor, then the third,

first floor, he pulled out his phone, ready to call her, but before he could dial, someone cracked him hard on the

courtyard and shoved him into the trunk,

out cold.

been knocked

Leo was so annoyingly persistent, hanging around looking for people,

Looking around, he 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 door, steel bars over the windows, and a camera dangling from one of the window frames. That

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

in a chair.

his first instinct was to reach for the chain around her

felt something wrong

skin prickling with heat as if he might explode any second. ‘What the hell did they do to me?‘ he wondered, blinking

thing, way too

she was impossibly striking. Her pale skin seemed to almost shimmer under the weak sunlight, and her athletic outfit traced every curve. Leo found himself dumbfounded,

Hey, Yolanda?” Leo called out, his voice dry and low, and he slowly dragged himself closer to

and off–balance as he moved step

were tied behind his back, so he

breathed in so much of the knock–out

could barely think straight, her scent clouding his mind. He lowered his gaze, barely keeping himself in check as he fought the urge to give in

wake up,” he muttered, his

never with someone like Yolanda. How

him?

this? Is it me they want, or is Yolanda

was killing Leo–every step closer made it worse, until he just gave in and pressed his face right into her

Leo croaked, his voice barely audible,

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

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

Chapter 207

was missing and had already sent the Crimson

Charles had just arrived at the mountaintop villa. Not seeing Yolanda

hit him up with the stream link, Charles just removed him from his contacts without

the end of the day, only Ian, Sam, Xavier, and

wouldn’t have sent them something like this if it wasn’t serious. Xavier, hanging out at the hospital with Joelle, just clicked in out of

entertainment–nothing like a

people

four were all insiders, and as long as they saw Leo hooking up with Yolanda on the live stream, Yolanda’s reputation would be trashed for good. Once he felt the

Andrew might be crazy, but he knew better than to go up against the Lawson family.

saw the two people on the stream, he could pretty much

car, talking to his team. “Find out where that signal’s coming from.

shady tricks overseas, and his signal was blocked

the show as the admin of the stream and sent out an

real fun’s about to kick off. Hope you all enjoy

If the whole city of Beloris caught wind of Yolanda’s mess, it wouldn’t just be Charles getting humiliated–the entire Sinclair

reason he’d made it through all these years of Charles hating his guts was thanks to his old man backing

when it came to anything that could shake

powerful the Sinclair family was–and they knew Yolanda wasn’t exactly beloved. The scandal wouldn’t touch the Sinclairs one bit.

move heaven and earth

was utterly furious seeing his brother dragged into this disgusting live stream. He didn’t waste a second before barking out orders for his guys to find Leo,

woman was Yolanda, Xavier

with Yolanda, how the

the hell would come

there was something cold and

his mouth, but with his hands tied

people were still watching the

pretty annoyed–he’d blasted the link out to a bunch of people, and only

up.

into Yolanda’s. Driven by instinct and panic, he pressed a frantic kiss on her

his face darkening. He quickly tore his eyes

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

you waiting for? Get moving! Find

Leo before it was too

the chat,

anything you’ll regret. If you mess with Leo, I swear I’ll track

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

he typed into the

and enjoy the spectacle, Xavier. Watch as

a whole torrent of curses, but the system instantly

watched the stream and let out a

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

there was no tomorrow, Quinn figured the kid was so

now!‘ Quinn muttered to

about to go up in flames!‘

too uptight, like, even the slimiest pond eel had more energy and excitement than

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 doubt about it. His

the hell is even going on?‘ Quinn

call Charles–there were only four people watching right now, and Xavier was obviously

four of them could just act like this whole mess never happened. Just don’t mention a word about it to Leo later–especially since he wasn’t all

really didn’t want his own name popping up. Last thing he needed was to get dragged into this mess

whole fiasco, had no

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

screen.

The camera was set up by the window, so it could

quick and shallow as she struggled for air. Finally, through the

her aching forehead, only to bump into something scorching hot right next

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

soothing coolness from her palm washed over him, chasing away some of that burning

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

get a grip!” Yolanda yelled, her voice

last thread of sanity even as every cell in his body screamed with pain

be acting like this,‘ Leo thought bitterly. ‘She’d be falling over herself

were tied tightly behind his back–he coulTitan

being live–streamed, so she was completely unaware of Xavier’s frantic reactions on the

Leo away and

quickly realized that Andrew must have been the one behind

as Joelle’s loyal knight, and it looked like he’d been fooled by a few of Joelle’s

like him. Andrew would gladly lay down his life for Joelle, and there was

now, staying alive was her

chains, up onto a chair, both hands straining as she

ankle fit so snug, it might as well have

foot was still on the ground when Leo, looking crushed and miserable, inched toward her. He rubbed his tear–streaked face against

honest, after all these years, Yolanda had only ever seen him act like a pompous jerk, always thinking he was above her. This was the first time she’d

anymore. He started

How could you treat my brother like

watched the scene and finally breathed out in

tell when someone didn’t like her. She’d never taken to Leo, so she’d always kept him at arm’s length all

four, Samuel was easily the calmest

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

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 the Andrade manor in the middle of the night, so

The assistant, guessing he was checking out some business stats,

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

himself.

pressed the power button and flipped his phone face down, sounding completely unbothered. “Don’t worry about it–just update me on any news about that land. And get someone

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

with Xavier looking out for his brother like a hawk, there’s no way this livestream

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

be left to face everyone’s blame, and that kind of pressure could grind

At the end of the day, though, it all depends on whether she’s got enough charisma

rule: never do anything reckless or

Family still climbing the ranks–there

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

while Leo’s cheek rested against the foot she

“Come on, just let me have a drink…

hot,

so quiet, only Yolanda

as she tried helplessly

go and sagged against the chair, hoping someone else would

this mess.

scratches, slowly pushed himself up

her.

she immediately snapped upright, legs stiff with nervousness. ‘It’s not like I told him to kneel,

barely make out anything in

couldn’t take both their

him, seeing stars as her world spun from

Leo was just her personal

struggled to get up, saying, “Leo, come on, get a hold of yourself…” ‘Seriously, does he even hear

On the live feed, all anyone could see now was Yolanda and

out of it, restlessly trying to get closer, pawing at the ground like a desperate animal rooting through dirt–the more he struggled, the more flustered

Yolanda late–she started to realize she wasn’t feeling right

just a tiny bit, but with that delayed onset, the discomfort only got

and

flipped over, blocking most

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

cut the live feed, and as soon as he locked down Yolanda’s location, he slapped on his mask and was out

were left

body was crawling with ants. Still, she was sure that Leo was the one with her

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

‘Gotcha!‘ Leo thought.

camera was blasted apart by a single shot. Right after, a car came

license plates–nobody could even guess

the back of the neck

whole body flushed red, was suddenly swept up into a pair of icy arms

a chilling aura, gripping her so tightly it felt like

Chapter 209

stared at the man, her

silver mask on his face looked so cold, it sent a chill deep

her bones.

voice trembled with fear as she whispered, “Who…

a thing. Right now, the only reason she could even make a sound was because the fear of the unknown gripped her

what was happening, she

Chaos. Darkness.

kept tilting and spinning in front of her

she reached out, wanting

let her–his voice was colder than ever, shutting

and emotionless as he ordered,

mind was completely lost in chaos; she could barely

moment, she even

to that title with

swallowed

let out another

the pillow and stopped calling out any

was always in control,

kicked up a fuss, but his lingering kiss finally

state, she vaguely heard him murmur

*

up, she was in a

up at the ceiling, the sharp

room–Simone,

Xavier,

to when she and Leo were locked up together–but judging

ago, when he finally tracked down Leo, the kid

had probably been taken by Andrew and tortured, and she was eventually found down at the

beef between Andrew and Charles. This time, Andrew was clearly getting back at Charles on

on the group of men. Just

to be filming nearby, so I rushed over. Yolanda, you almost lost your life this time–the fever only just broke! And Andrew’s gone missing, seriously, what

eyelashes, but inside, she couldn’t help

have a fever?‘ she

hand was tucked under the covers, and she could vaguely

her head had been so foggy at the time that she couldn’t remember who it was, or even what

‘I’m screwed,’ she thought.

she could

and you got dragged into his mess for no reason. He even locked you up with the Lawson boy. Luckily, nothing truly awful happened. The Lawson boy is still knocked out–when his brother found him, there

looked pale as a ghost, like someone who’d barely made it

was sitting at her bedside, reaching out

finally finding her down at the bottom of the

beat and he rushed her to the hospital

down, but she’d really been put through

head was spinning with questions. ‘Did I really have a

must have been burning up when they found her. And if Charles saw her looking like she’d just been with

no way he wouldn’t kick up a huge fuss

swallowed nervously, her thoughts a

a man this time, but she

it Leo?‘

off and sneered, “Lucky for you, nothing happened between you and my brother. If it had,

had been, he’d probably never let me go for the rest of my life,‘ she

it have been lan?‘ The question gnawed at

shrouded in mystery, and Yolanda never wanted to dig too deep. Maybe he had some kind

flicked over to

quietly off to the side, and when he caught her eyes, there

her. ‘If it’s not

and Quinn Cooper remained

her well, but as Charles’s close

overthinking, and

sent people to look for Andrew. Right now,

slowly lay back down, and closed

the room,

hard with this,” Simone said softly. “If you hadn’t left Andrew with no way out back then, would he have been clinging to you like this for so long? Once you