Chapter 499

Vincent Astor had returned to the office to handle paperwork, while Benjamin Langley trimmed the garden hedges. Only Martha Clementson and Adrian Roland remained in the kitchen.

"Mr. Roland, you have a gray hair," Martha observed sharply.

Adrian immediately set down his teacup and strode to the mirror for closer inspection. His brow furrowed. "Martha, am I already going gray?"

"Just one strand," Martha replied honestly. "It's perfectly normal at your age. I once worked for an employer in his early twenties who had far more gray hairs than you."

Stella Valentine couldn't help but laugh at this. She glanced at Penny Anderson, who was already doubled over with laughter.

"How did he react?" Stella asked curiously.

Without hesitation, Adrian plucked out the offending strand.

Memories surfaced of Stella teasing him about their age difference. Those three years had felt significant during their youth—especially since she looked younger than her age, often mistaken for a middle schooler during their time in Milan.

Classmates used to whisper behind Adrian's back, calling him "the older bull grazing on young grass." Each time he overheard, his expression darkened like a storm cloud.

Sometimes Stella would deliberately point at him and say "older bull," then at herself with "young grass," sighing dramatically for effect.

Adrian would pull her into a crushing embrace, gritting his teeth. "Too late for regrets. You're stuck with me for life."

Back then, she'd shrug it off. "If you go first, I'll find some other old man to dance with at the park."

His response was always a searing kiss laced with quiet fury. "You wouldn't dare."

Martha gazed at Stella affectionately. "Miss Valentine, women your age are most sought after. I wouldn't be surprised if someone already has feelings for you."

"Who writes love letters these days?" Stella chuckled, shaking her head. "Besides, I barely received any in school."

"Impossible," Martha countered while arranging strawberries. "A girl like you must've had plenty of admirers."

Stella lowered her voice. "I wasn't the class beauty."

Truthfully, most boys had automatically excluded her from their romantic considerations—she'd already belonged to Adrian.

Penny gasped theatrically. "Stella, how stunning was your class beauty then?"

Stella recalled the girl's delicate features, reminiscent of a certain Hong Kong actress.

Martha steered the conversation back. "A woman of your caliber must have many secret admirers. That William asking you to dinner alone was highly inappropriate—clients don't do that."

Stella checked her reflection in the cupboard glass. "Don't I look like a mother of three?"

"William clearly didn't notice," Penny said earnestly. "He's definitely interested in you."

Martha nodded. "Men jump to conclusions too easily. You should recognize your own worth, Miss Valentine."

Stella sighed. "And he has such a beautiful girlfriend too."

Penny suddenly perked up with gossipy enthusiasm. "You said you barely got love letters—but did Mr. Roland ever write you one?"

Stella chose to answer the earlier question. "I never received romantic letters from suitors."

"So there were suitors?" Penny's eyes sparkled. "How did you turn them down?"

Stella's expression turned enigmatic. "...Actually, I'm not entirely sure."

She truly didn't know.

Because Adrian had always handled them.