Chapter 265

Stella Valentine lowered her lashes, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress.

Adrian Roland's expression darkened instantly, his jawline tightening. The temperature in the car seemed to plummet, the air turning thick with tension.

"Eyes on the road," he said coldly.

Caught off guard, Stella quickly turned to stare at the blurring scenery outside.

Houston had changed so much. The school route once lined with cotton trees was now unrecognizable. Back then, Adrian would always come for her at dawn on his black mountain bike to avoid the family driver.

With no backseat, she'd perch on the crossbar. The crisp scent of him mixed with morning breeze became the most vivid memory of her youth.

"They replaced all the cotton trees with banyans," she murmured.

"Too messy for the streets," Adrian replied tersely. "About the donor match—we have results."

Stella whipped her head around. "You found one?"

"Is that all you care about?" His laugh was bitter. "I thought you'd at least spare a second for those trees."

"This isn't the time." Her fists clenched. "What's the verdict?"

"Citywide screening—zero matches." His brows furrowed. "Even relatives rarely match, let alone strangers."

The hope drained from her as she slumped against the seat. Outside, banyan roots swayed like grasping fingers failing to catch time itself.

"Why insist on saving that boy?" he suddenly asked. "Don't pretend it's charity."

The silence stretched.

"Him again." Adrian's gaze sharpened. "Every time you go quiet, it's about Mr. Alistair."

"We shared a bedroom but nothing happened." The words tumbled out before she could stop them. She bit her lip. "Not that I owe you explanations."

Tires screeched violently.

Stella instinctively shielded Ethan and Luna. Once certain they were unharmed, she glared at Adrian. "Could you drive safely?"

"Months together and no intimacy?" He barked a laugh. "Either he's impotent or doesn't love you."

"Shut up!" Her entire body trembled. "Mr. Alistair respects my boundaries, unlike some—"

The unfinished sentence hung heavily between them.

Adrian's eyes darkened. "When did we become like this?"

"Fate's cruel joke." She turned away.

"Never forgiving me?"

"Life's too short for grudges." She watched the traffic flow outside. "You have a career, a family. Move forward."

A horn blared behind them. Adrian restarted the engine, the silence now absolute.

Only at the Houston Grand Hotel entrance did he speak. "Visit Grandpa on Saturday."

"Sunday?"

"Got plans?" His voice turned icy. "With Victor Valence?"

When she didn't answer and reached for the door, his burning hand seized her wrist. His voice was Arctic. "Remember whose woman you are."

She wrenched free and strode inside without looking back. The glass doors reflected his stormy expression and the children's bewildered eyes.