Estrella’s motion of swapping her shoes halted abruptly. She hadn’t felt any headache initially, but
Marie’s words seemed to bring on an instant throb.
After a brief pause, she replied, “Got it.”
The day Estrella had argued with Jason, she had contemplated leaving Sandalwood Oasis. But the
thought of her mother, Autumn, coming after her with tears streaming down her face, snot and all,
made her stay put
Fear was a stranger to Estrella in most cases, except when it came to Autumn’s tears. Besides,
Landon’s three-year deadline was down to the last four months. She had endured over two years. She
could grit her teeth and get through a few more months. Maybe Jason wouldn’t come back after all.
Out of her expect, Jason had returned today.
Estrella slipped into her shoes as if her legs were filled with lead at the thought of Jason upstairs-she
couldn’t bring herself to climb those steps. Still, she eventually mustered
the will to ascend.
Upon entering her room, Jason turned around from the bay window. Their eyes met, and Estrella tried
to muster a casual smile. “Back again, huh?”
Estrella’s resilience was not just the envy of many women but also of many men. Yet, even as she
greeted Jason as if nothing was wrong, her spirit wasn’t as buoyant as before, not even as it had been
a few months ago. She felt weary, reluctant to deal with him but unwilling to let things grow too tense.
At the very least, she had to keep up appearances.Hands buried in his pockets, Jason eyed Estrella indifferently and asked, “Who wa dropping you off just
now?”
His words hung in the air, and Estrella paused mid-motion, her phone halfway to the Finally, she looked
at him and said, with a hint of amusement in her voice. “You’ve bee gone for days and have the nerve
to check up on me?”
Estrella often couldn’t fathom where Jason got the audacity to act so high and mighty. She hadn’t
planned to question his whereabouts, but his tone was simply too irritating.
Jason stepped closer, his gaze fixed on her. “Estrella, I’m asking you a question. Don’t change the
subject.”
Estrella’s smile faded as she responded indifferently, “With a question like that, whoever you think it
was is who it was.”
To those who didn’t trust her, a thousand explanations wouldn’t suffice. Those who did would never
have asked such a thing, to begin with.
11:33
She suspected Jason was just looking for an excuse to end their marriage early.
Her nonchalance made Jason’s expression darken. Before he could retort, she cut in, “Jason, if you’ve
got something on your mind, let’s talk about it. This constant nitpicking is getting old. It’s exhausting.”He was the one who stayed away, the one who refused to commit to their marriage, the one who
insisted on contraceptives. Estrella was truly tired. She was so tired that she didn’t want to fight with
Jason anymore. She didn’t even want to argue.
Her job was demanding enough, taxing her mind. Who would want to waste energy on trivial matters
every single day? If they could make it work, fine. If not, then so be it.
Besides, there were so many other things to do in this world and so many interests to pursue. Who the
hell wanted to spend all their time fixating on love affairs and family dramas?
Estrella’s weary gaze seemed to douse the flames of Jason’s anger, and he seemed to realize what
she was thinking. She was fed up, tired, and unwilling to even fight with him
anymore.
Jason just stood there, watching her for a long while, until he finally left the master bedroom.
Once he was gone, Estrella exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Phew! She took a deep breath and headed to
the bathroom to change.
noveldramaFor now, she wanted Jason to stay away and not bother her so she could focus on wrapping up the
Lexi case. She would be more than grateful for that.
In the adjacent study, Jason called Drew as soon as he walked in. “Check on what Estrella’s been up to
lately.”
“Right away, Mr. Jason,” came the prompt reply from Drew, who set about his task immediately.
Jason’s face was still clouded with displeasure, especially when he recalled Estrella’s
scornful look.Shortly after, Drew’s call came in. “Mr. Jason, Ms. Estrella’s been working on a case for a high school
classmate’s family. She’s been running between the hospital, law firm, and district attorney’s office non-
stop.”
“Also, tonight, she dined with some local leaders. It was Mr. Gordon who drove Ms. Estrella home.
They were probably discussing some old housing demolition dispute in the district.”
Drew knew Jason might’ve been concerned about who had brought Estrella home tonight. It was the
only evening she had an engagement, and coincidentally, he returned to Ravenwood.
11.02
After getting the information, Jason thanked Drew and hung up.
Gordon, the man Drew mentioned, was an old family friend. Jason had known him since childhood. He
had grown up alongside Estrella and was well acquainted with both their fathers. Gordon had a son
who was several years their junior, just starting his freshman year of college.
Knowing that Estrella was escorted home by a trusted elder, Jason felt relieved.
Thinking back on his earlier interrogation of Estrella and her sarcastic gaze, he massaged his temples.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Estrella, but that fight had been so fierce, and the memory of the fire she
set years ago lingered, making him insecure. Plus, everyone knew that Estrella married him because of
some fortune-teller’s words.
After some time alone in the study, Jason returned to the bedroom to find Estrella had already washed
up and fallen asleep on the bed. Approaching her, he gently rearranged the hair on her face, ponderingwhether agreeing to this marriage had been a mistake.
Perhaps it was time to let go and give each other freedom.
The thought of letting go and having no connection with Estrella in the future was unbearable for him.
The mere idea of her marrying someone else and being with someone else made him unwilling to step
aside.
The next morning, Estrella emerged from her bedroom to find Jason coming out from the room across
the hall. She was initially surprised, then casually greeted him with a “Good morning!” She couldn’t be
bothered to tease him as she usually would. Speaking to him first was simply a gesture of her
magnanimity.
“Yeah,” Jason replied indifferently.
As they made their way downstairs, Jason headed toward the dining room, and Estrella grabbed
something quick to eat and left.
Upon seeing this, Marie followed Estrella to the door to explain, “Ms. Estrella, Mr. Jason was asking
about you as soon as he got back yesterday! Oh, and Mr. Jason has been away on a business trip
recently.”
“I see,” Estrella responded coolly.
Inside, she found it bitterly ironic. Despite being his wife, she needed to hear about his whereabouts
and doings via the housekeeper. The state of their marriage couldn’t get any more ridiculous.
Jason glanced back at her, noting her reluctance to even sit at the same table for a meal. With a snap
of frustration, he put down his utensils, no longer in the mood to eat.In the afternoon, Estrella was heading back from the district attorney’s office when her mother, Kristin,
called her. “Estrella, don’t forget about Grandma’s birthday today! Make
11:33
sure you leave work early and come over with Jason.”