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.

so he just headed over to lend a

first floor, but the

had

second floor,

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

nearby courtyard and shoved him

out cold.

knocked

originally planned to take just Yolanda, but Leo was so annoyingly persistent, hanging around

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

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

in a chair.

his first instinct was to reach for the

felt something wrong with his

might explode any second. ‘What the hell did they do to me?‘ he wondered, blinking

grimy, beat–up thing, way too shabby for someone like her. She looked so out

skin seemed to almost shimmer under the weak sunlight, and

out, his voice dry and low, and he slowly dragged himself closer

to get her attention, his body heavy and off–balance as he

his back, so he could only nudge her with his

had breathed in so much of the knock–out drug, she was totally

mind. He lowered his gaze, barely keeping himself in check as he fought the urge

muttered, his voice

with someone like Yolanda. How the hell

him?

me they want, or is Yolanda the target?‘ Leo

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

Leo croaked, his voice

alive, trapped in a desert, the heat suffocating him. Getting close to her was the only thing that made it even a little

half–conscious, Yolanda could sense his burning presence against her, frowning in

Chapter 207

was missing and had already sent

at the mountaintop villa. Not seeing Yolanda around,

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

the day, only Ian, Sam, Xavier, and Quinn were tuning in

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

was purely in it for the entertainment–nothing like a bit of chaos

people in their circle, but only four were

they saw 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

be crazy, but he knew better than to go up against the Lawson family. Leo had to be kept

Ian saw the two people on the stream, he could pretty much guess who

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

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

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

about to kick off. Hope

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

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

that could shake the Sinclair family, he couldn’t

family was–and 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

into Joelle–whatever she wanted, he’d move

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

woman was Yolanda, Xavier

Leo actually got tangled up with Yolanda, how the hell were

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

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

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

four people were still watching the

was pretty annoyed–he’d blasted the link out to a bunch

up.

lips fumbling blindly in desperation until he finally bumped into Yolanda’s. Driven by instinct and panic, he pressed a frantic kiss on her

watched the scene, his face darkening. He quickly tore his eyes away and

he almost dropped his phone. He kicked the

are you waiting for? Get

had to stop Leo

jumped into the chat, his fingers

you’d better listen up–don’t do anything you’ll regret. If you mess with Leo, I swear I’ll track you down wherever

one but his grandfather, and the rest of the

he typed

and enjoy the spectacle, Xavier. Watch as your precious little brother gets his first time stolen away,

fired off a whole torrent of curses, but

stream and let out a

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

no tomorrow, Quinn figured the kid was so out

totally screwed now!‘

go up in

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 cursed for eight lifetimes to end up marrying someone as boring as

be surprised if he grabbed a knife and went straight after Andrew. Once that’s done, he’ll make

the 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

chat, then the four of them could just act like this whole mess never happened.

itching to figure out who those other watchers were, but he really didn’t want his own name popping up. Last thing he needed was to get dragged into

the lunatic behind this whole fiasco, had

like this anymore,’ Quinn thought, forcing himself to look

screen.

the window, so it could only catch their movements, not their voices. Leo

shallow as she struggled for air. Finally, through the haze, her mind began to clear. ‘Where am I? Why does everything feel so

only to bump into something scorching hot right next to her. Instinct kicked in–she

grabbed her hand, pressing it against his cheek like it was the only thing

him, chasing away some of that burning heat. ‘Finally… that’s better,‘

matter how desperately she scrambled, she couldn’t get

yelled, her voice trembling with

his last thread of sanity even

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

hands were tied tightly

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

kicked Leo away

quickly realized that Andrew must have

himself as Joelle’s loyal knight, and it looked like he’d been fooled by a few of Joelle’s cryptic lines again, showing up to take out anyone who threatened

was no reasoning with a guy like him. Andrew would gladly lay down his life for Joelle, and

alive

tangled in chains, up onto a chair, both hands straining

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

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

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

He started relentlessly

wait! How could you treat my brother like that? You’ll regret this,

breathed out in relief–things

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

was easily the calmest

stack of papers laid out in front of him, while his

so far: the Andrade 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 the Andrade manor in the middle of the night, so we should be hearing more about that land

out some business stats, considerately asked, “CEO, do you want me

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

himself.

worry about it–just update me on any news about that land.

he wanted to track down Yolanda, he could do it in

for his brother like a hawk, there’s no

‘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

to face everyone’s blame, and that kind of

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

a single rule: never do

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

assistant had left, quietly picked up his phone

the chain on her ankle, while Leo’s

on, just let me have a drink… Why are you being so cold–hearted, Yolanda? Please, I’m begging

sip. Please… I’m so hot, I

was so quiet, only Yolanda could actually hear

aching as she tried helplessly to yank the chain open, but it didn’t

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

this mess.

his wrists covered in bloody scratches, slowly pushed himself

her.

fluttered as she immediately snapped upright, legs stiff with nervousness. ‘It’s not like I told him to kneel, she thought. ‘Seriously, if he remembers this later and totally freaks out about it,

so badly he could barely make out anything in front of him, lurched

simply couldn’t take both

seeing stars

seriously wondered if Leo was just her personal

get a hold of yourself…” ‘Seriously, does he even hear me?‘ Yolanda thought, frustration written all over her

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

still 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 and

to realize she wasn’t feeling

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

her foot and tried to kick

over, blocking

no clue what just happened; for all they knew, Yolanda and Leo were just getting into

feed, and as soon as he locked down Yolanda’s location, he slapped on his

people were left in the livestream

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

kicked out again, but ended up giving Leo just the chance he’d been waiting

‘Gotcha!‘ Leo thought.

camera was blasted apart by a single shot. Right after, a car came roaring in, smashing straight through the old factory door

could even guess who it belonged

lips had barely brushed hers when suddenly someone seized him by the back

suddenly swept up into a pair of icy arms and carried straight out

a chilling aura, gripping her so tightly it felt like he could crush her right then and there.Titan

Chapter 209

she stared at the man, her eyes rimmed red and full

black pants, and the silver mask on his face

her bones.

with fear as she whispered, “Who… who are

Right now, the only reason she

even process what was happening, she

Chaos. Darkness.

in front of her eyes, like rain–drenched neon

wanting to

let her–his voice was colder than ever, shutting her

voice was icy and emotionless as he

mind was completely lost in chaos; she could barely form a

moment, she even mumbled,

her responded to that title with a couple

she swallowed

out another

pillow

deep inside, she knew he was always in control, not leaving a single mark

fuss, but his lingering

her hazy state, she vaguely heard him murmur

*

Yolanda woke up, she

the ceiling, the sharp smell

were several people in the room–Simone, Ian, Xavier, Charles, Quinn, and

there–Simone Sinclair, Ian, Xavier,

to when she and Leo were locked up together–but judging by the scene, it looked like nothing bad had

he finally tracked down Leo, the kid was totally passed out, his forehead

eventually found down at the base of

and Charles. This time, Andrew was clearly getting

the room, lingering on the group of men. Just then, Simone reached out and

out of us! My crew happened 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,

her eyelashes, but inside, she couldn’t help

I really have

hand was tucked under the covers, and she could vaguely

remember who it was, or even what

‘I’m screwed,’ she thought.

throat was sore, and she could

Lawson boy. Luckily, nothing truly

ghost, like someone who’d barely made

reaching out to muss her hair

spent two whole days searching before finally finding her down at the bottom of the cliff. She’d had a raging fever,

he rushed her to the hospital without

but she’d really been put through the wringer

questions. ‘Did I really have a fever?‘ she wondered. The worry on

her. And if Charles saw her

way he wouldn’t kick up

thoughts a tangled

this time, but

Leo?‘ she asked

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

a sigh of relief. ‘Good thing it wasn’t Leo. If it had been, he’d probably never let me go

been lan?‘ The

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

flicked over to Ian

he caught her eyes, there was a

her. ‘If it’s not Ian… then who the hell is it?‘

Samuel Grant and Quinn Cooper remained in

Charles’s close friend, he was notoriously cold toward

all the overthinking, and she looked even

pulled her into his arms. “I’ve already sent people to look for Andrew. Right now, you need to

back down,

else left the room, leaving Simone behind, still gently nagging at

said softly. “If you hadn’t left Andrew with no way out back then, would he have