Chapter 281

Stella Valentine rubbed her temples, forcing herself to focus. The unread email in her inbox stood out prominently. She clicked it open, and her brows immediately furrowed.

The attachments were filled with densely packed design sketches that made her dizzy. She quickly counted—at least twenty rejected drafts.

"The budget..." She couldn't help but sigh. The client wanted a diamond bracelet but offered a price that couldn't even cover the cost of a platinum chain.

Brilliant Star Group was already in turmoil, and every order was crucial. Victor Lefèvre's recent stunt had only made things worse.

This deal had to be done, even at a loss.

"Young Master, the old master asked me to bring pear soup."

Benjamin Langley's voice came from outside the door. Stella closed her laptop and opened it to find the elderly man holding a celadon bowl filled with crystal-clear snow fungus and pear soup.

"Adrian is showering," she said, taking the bowl. "Should I have him come down later?"

Benjamin's eyes lit up, his tone teasing. "Oh~ Showering? Did I interrupt something?"

"No!" Stella's ears burned. "I was working, and there's only one laptop..."

Benjamin chuckled knowingly, shoving the bowl into her hands. "Of course, just work. Drink the soup while it's hot. I'll go tend to the old master. Don't worry about the children—Luna's already asleep, and Ethan is watching over her."

"Ethan has always been so responsible." Stella cradled the bowl, warmth seeping into her fingertips.

"Oh," Benjamin added before turning away, "your mother called. She said she’s staying with Aunt Qin for a few days."

"Aunt Qin?"

"Yes. She said your line was busy." Benjamin winked. "Make sure the Young Master drinks the soup. It won’t be as effective once it cools."

Stella closed the door and set the bowl on the table. Outside, tree branches swayed violently—she hadn’t noticed how strong the wind had become.

Thud!

A loud crash came from the bathroom.

"Adrian?" She hurried to the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"

"...Fine." His voice was strained.

"What happened?"

"...Can you call Benjamin?"

She turned to open the door but found it stuck. After several attempts, her palms grew sweaty with frustration.

"The door won’t open!" She rushed back to the bathroom. "What do you need? I'll get it for you."

"...I can’t move."

Through the frosted glass, she saw his shadow slumped on the floor.

"Is the weather changing?" His voice was laced with pain.

Only then did Stella notice the howling wind outside. "Yes, it’s really strong."

"Every time the weather shifts... my arm..." His words dissolved into labored breathing.

Her eyes stung with worry. "Let me help you up. You can’t stay on the floor."

"...I’m not dressed." His voice was hoarse. "Stella, I don’t want to trouble you..."

Her heart clenched as if squeezed by an invisible hand. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the bathroom door.

Steam billowed out. Squinting, she saw Adrian curled up on the tiles.

"Grab onto me!" She crouched down, draping his arm over her shoulders. "Push up—slowly..."

"You..."

"Don’t talk!" She shut her eyes tightly. "Which way is the bedroom?"

"Right ahead... two o’clock."

Gritting her teeth, her slender frame bore his weight as they inched forward step by step.