Chapter 425

Adrian Roland's spine stiffened instantly.

Stella Valentine sighed softly. "Let's do this. I'll return what you owe me, and we'll be even. A fresh start, okay?"

Memories from age twelve flooded back. In seventh grade, she'd worn a white blouse with a plaid skirt uniform, her hair in a high ponytail. Her amethyst eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Adrian, this is your sister," his mother had introduced.

He'd scoffed at the memory. From that very first glance, he'd never seen her as a sister.

Teenage Stella had been a radiant sunbeam, impossible to look away from.

"Brother Adrian." Her voice rang clear and bright, utterly unselfconscious.

Brother Adrian...

The term felt like it belonged to another lifetime.

Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, forcing down the surge of emotion. He had no response.

Stella seemed unfazed. She focused on wrapping a towel around his dripping hair, then carefully wiped his legs. Avoiding the wounds, she dabbed only the edges.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Adrian remained statue-still. Stella pressed her lips together and kept working. No reaction meant no pain, she reasoned.

"Master Adrian! Are you alright? The doctor said no water on the wounds!" Benjamin Langley's frantic knocking startled them.

Stella scrambled to wipe water splashes from her clothes. "Don't worry, Benjamin. I've got this."

The old man's relieved chuckle came through the door. "Good, good. With our little star here, I can rest easy. The children are asleep, so I'll turn in too."

He'd always known—if Stella returned, the young master could endure anything. Their biggest mistake these past six months was not bringing her back sooner.

As Benjamin's footsteps faded, Adrian opened his mouth to speak. Stella beat him to it. "This is my towel. Yours is hanging over there. And...you haven't finished washing."

The air froze.

Both adults, former lovers—the implication needed no explanation.

Yet strangely, after the initial awkwardness, the tension between them eased slightly.

"Like this towel? It's yours." Stella waved the pink star-patterned towel playfully.

Adrian's mouth twitched. "Pass."

He grabbed his own towel and briskly dried off. Certain areas required privacy.

"Done," he said curtly.

"Kicking me out again?" Stella understood perfectly. Steam had flushed her cheeks pink, her damp eyes making it impossible to stay harsh.

Adrian covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm tired."

These useless legs reminded him constantly—Stella's affection was fleeting. To her, he'd always been just a plaything.

She bit her lip until it paled. "I'll leave after getting you to bed. Doctor's orders—no unnecessary standing."

She removed the plastic wrap from his legs, patted him dry with a bath towel, then helped him up like moving heavy furniture.

Adrian swayed, gripping her slender shoulders for balance. Those delicate shoulders supported him steadily as they inched forward.

"Good thing we didn't bring the wheelchair in. The electronics would've gotten wet," Stella chattered nervously, eyeing the sophisticated mobility device.

Adrian stayed silent. He'd almost fallen into their old rhythm of banter. Just in time, he caught himself.

Back in the bedroom, he didn't turn around. "Satisfied now?"

Stella studied his dry skin. "Finish what you start. I'll go after you're settled."

Instantly, she regretted her tone—it sounded like obligatory duty. Thankfully Adrian didn't seem to notice, his gaze fixed on the nightstand—