When Love Comes Late

At Seamarsh Airport, Stella Anderson stood waiting at the waiting area with a large suitcase at her feet.

She glanced at her watch again. It had been thirty minutes since she got off the plane. And yet, her husband whom she had gotten married to a year ago was nowhere in sight.

She fanned herself with her fingers while frowning. She already had a bad impression of someone she had never met.

This was supposed to be their first meeting. How could he be so late?

As she watched people come and go, she couldn't help but recall her hasty marriage.

It had happened a year ago after her grandfather came down with a serious illness.

Stella, who was abroad at the time, rushed home to see him. It was then he made it known that he hoped to see her get married soon.

Stella wanted to say no. But when she remembered how her grandfather adopted her from an orphanage and raised her into the adult she had become, she didn't have the heart to disappoint him.

And so, she got married to the man her grandfather picked for her; a man she had never met.

The groom wasn't present on their wedding day. Someone else stepped in to handle the registration of the marriage.

She didn't know her husband at all. All she knew was his name and that he was a businessman.

To this day, Stella wasn't sure if her compromise was the right choice. Her so-called husband wasn't particularly giving her something to like about him.

She glanced at her watch for like the hundredth time. An additional ten minutes had passed.

Stella sighed exasperatedly. Just as she took out her phone to call her grandfather, a screeching sound pierced the air and almost burst her eardrums.

A silver Aston Martin came to a screeching halt in front of her. The driver's seat window rolled down.

Stella took a step back. Once she saw a familiar face, she blurted out, "Why are you here?"

Behind the wheel was the last person she expected to see now-her cousin, Oliver Palmer.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Oliver clutched his chest as though he was really hurt. After getting out of the car, he pouted. "Your return is so important. We haven't seen each other for a long time. As your cousin, I couldn't resist the urge to come pick you up. But you are so mean to me. It's not fair!"

Stella wasn't surprised or deceived by his poor acting.

She rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth, refusing to speak.

"Hop in, Stella. You must be tired and hungry. I'll treat you to lunch." After grabbing her suitcase with one hand, Oliver placed his other hand on her shoulder and shoved her to the car.

"Wait! I can't go with you." Stella stopped him.

"Why?" Oliver stopped. He scoffed when something occurred to him a moment later. "Is it because of your husband? You still want to wait for him?"

Stella didn't utter a word, but her look said it all.

Oliver snorted. "Don't wait for him anymore. Need I remind you that he has never contacted you since you guys got married? Doesn't that tell you enough?"

Stella was lost for words.

"If he wanted to come pick you up, he would have shown up before I did. How can you trust a man that has ignored your existence for one year?" Oliver added in a more sarcastic tone.

After it sank in, Stella retorted defensively, "But Grandpa said Maverick will come to pick me up."

She thought Maverick would keep his word since he promised her grandfather.

Oliver held the bridge of his nose and sighed helplessly. "Even if you still want to wait for him, you don't have to stand in the sun. Get into the car. It's hot outside."

While the two of them were arguing, a tall figure appeared in the crowd and was heading for them.

Matthew Clark was talking on the phone. "I'm already at the airport. Take your medicine now."

A soft female voice came from the other end of the line. "Remember, Ella is wearing a red dress today. She has long curly hair. Also, her suitcase is black..."

"I have already seen her, Grandma. Now, can you stop worrying?" Matthew's eyes were fixed on the duo meters away. He frowned.

There was a woman who fitted the description his grandmother gave, down to the color of her suitcase.

But she just got into a man's car while he held the door for her.

Matthew's tone suddenly turned cold. "Got to go, Grandma. I'll talk to you later."

Matthew's face darkened. At the same time, an icy glint leaped into his deep-set eyes.

He put away his phone, turned around, and left.

Back in his car, Matthew's grip on the steering wheel grew tighter as he watched the two people in the sports car.

The man handed the woman a bottle of water. As she drank from it, he smoothened her hair dotingly. Although Matthew couldn't see her face, that didn't matter to him anymore.

He was boiling on the inside.

Suddenly, he laughed at himself.

Why did he even find this surprising? He should have known this a long time ago.

His so-called wife had been away from the city for a whole year after their marriage. They had never met or gotten to know each other over the phone. It was understandable for her to get herself a boyfriend.

Matthew set his lips into a grim line. He took out his phone and typed a message.

As soon as he hit send, he started his car and zoomed off at a high speed.

----

Later that afternoon, Stella got dressed in a simple and elegant light-colored business suit and went to Prosperity Group.

Prosperity Group was one of the leading companies in Seamarsh. The employees were, in one way or the other, elites in the city.

Stella walked into the magnificent building that housed the headquarters of the group. With her excellent resume, she had gotten a job as the senior private PR professional to the CEO, Matthew.

The director of the public relations department, Luna James, led Stella to meet Matthew.

Unbeknown to Stella, the man she was going to be working for was actually her husband, Maverick.

Matthew had zero trust in people. He used his real name when his marriage was being signed. Only those closest to him knew his real name-Maverick Clark.

Stella and Luna took the elevator to the top floor.

On the way, Luna was very enthusiastic. She kept telling Stella about the company. "The CEO's office takes up the entire top floor. It's out of bounds for most of the employees. Only those who report directly to him or have something extremely important can go there."

Stella listened quietly.

She wanted to learn all she could about her new boss, so she appreciated this new lecture.

Luna suddenly paused. Then, she turned to Stella and asked casually, "I heard you previously worked in one of Prosperity Group's branches overseas. Why did you suddenly get transferred to the headquarters? Did you know Mr. Clark before?"

Curiosity shone in Luna's eyes. It was crystal clear she wanted to find this out for gossip's sake.

Never in the history of Prosperity Group had anyone been employed or transferred without undergoing any interview. In fact, the process of becoming an employee here was longer than most.

Stella broke that record.

There had been speculations amongst the other employees that Stella wasn't an ordinary person. As a result, Luna wanted to know why the CEO himself got Stella transferred.

It was no news that most of those who tried to gain this job failed at the resume submission stage. This was because Matthew had strict requirements.

At this moment, Luna's prying question drew a frown from Stella. She disliked anyone who tried to stick their nose into other people's business.

She glanced at Luna's work ID and said coldly, "Last I checked, PR professionals are supposed to have a high EQ. They usually have their head in the game at work."

She just said that Luna was stepping out of line.

As soon as Stella finished speaking, the elevator came to a halt on the top floor.

Stella walked out without looking at her companion.

Luna's face darkened at this.

Gritting her teeth, she glared at Stella's back as she walked out of the elevator.

Who did this newcomer think she was? How dare she use such a tone when talking to her?

The two of them waited outside the office.

Luna took a look at her watch and went to a corner to make a phone call. When she returned, she told Stella, "Mr. Clark is still on the way. We need to wait a little longer."

Stella nodded in understanding.

No one said a word for a few seconds. Suddenly, Luna piped up in a casual tone, "Wanna know why Mr. Clark is running late?"

Still mad at Stella for shutting her up, Luna wanted to set the records straight. She intended to make Stella get down from her high horse.

Stella didn't give a hoot about what her boss did outside of the office. As a result, she responded with only silence.

Refusing to take the hint, Luna said in an annoying voice, "You see, his wife just got back today. He put aside all his work for today just so he could go pick her up at the airport. He's such a sweet husband!"

With dreamy eyes, Luna crossed her arms over her chest and added with regret and admiration, "It's such a pity that he got married so early. His wife is one lucky lady. I wonder what she's like."

These words suddenly reminded Stella of what happened to her earlier today.

It appeared that some women were lucky to have good husbands. Her boss, Mathew, seemed better than Maverick.

After she waited at the airport for almost an hour, Maverick sent her a short message saying that he couldn't make it because he was busy.

What a ridiculous excuse! Could he be busier than the CEO of Prosperity Group?

Suddenly, the elevator tinkled.

Luna quickly smoothened her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair. After putting on a smile, she pulled Stella.

The elevator doors opened slowly.

A man who was clad in a bespoke suit walked to them with one hand in his pocket.

He had long legs which made him take giant strides. His shoulders were broad, but his waist was slightly narrow. His angular features were like those of a muscular and hot model.

Stella estimated that he was more than six feet tall.

The noble aura that he exuded was very strong. Stella was unable to take her eyes off him.

"Good day, Mr. Clark."

Luna's voice interrupted Stella's observation.

With a little bow, Stella introduced herself. "Hello, Mr. Clark. I'm the PR professional transferred from the overseas branch company. My name is Stella Anderson."

At that name, Matthew raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The name rang a bell. However, he couldn't tell where he had heard it from.

His eyebrows furrowed with subtle confusion. The next second, he gestured to a door. "Let's talk in my office."

With that, he walked into the office.

Stella followed him in without hesitation.

--

Sitting at his desk, Matthew scanned through the file in his hand.

He had specifically chosen Stella to be his personal PR officer because she had achieved great feats in the branch company last year. Her records showed that she helped the company get out of several situations that could have harmed its reputation.

More importantly...

Matthew turned to the last page of her resume and narrowed his eyes.

"You can design?"

His deep voice broke the weighty silence in the office.

This was the last thing Stella thought he would ask her. After getting over the surprise, she nodded. "A little."

Matthew raised his eyes, glanced at her calm face, and continued to inquire, "You are a PR professional. What has design got to do with your work? Why did you feel the need to put design drafts in your resume?"

Stella came well-prepared for this question.

She sat up straight and replied confidently, "Prosperity Group is trying to occupy the clothing industry. As a PR professional, my job includes marketing the brand image. That's why I made a few design drafts that could be put to good use."

Matthew nodded thoughtfully.

He closed the file and dumped it in a corner of his desk. Afterward, he turned to Luna and ordered, "Get her settled in. Then assign a task to her."

Luna was surprised.

Was that all Matthew had to say?

Although Luna wasn't pleased at all, she replied politely, "Yes, Mr. Clark."

Stella heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out of the office.

She loosened her clenched fists, and her palms were already sweating.

At the thought of the CEO's cold and stern face, Stella grew nervous again. She had a gut feeling that working under him would be harder than she thought.

Luna led Stella to the public relations department. She then introduced her to the other employees. "Listen up, guys! This is Stella Anderson, your new colleague."

With a polite smile, Stella said, "Nice to meet you all. It's an honor to be part of this department. I hope we can get along well."

The others were shocked by Stella's rapid onboarding. They whispered to each other.

"Is she the PR officer who was transferred here to work for Mr. Clark personally? She looks pretty. I wonder if she's a beauty with brains or just an empty skull."

"Come on. You should know that Mr. Clark has an eye for the best talents. I bet she's good at what she does."

"I'm so jealous of her. She gets to work closely with Mr. Clark. What a lucky girl!"

Stella heard it all. However, her smile remained the same and she didn't say anything.

On the other hand, Luna's face became a shade redder. She frowned at Stella.

These comments fanned the flames of her dissatisfaction.

It was widely known that Matthew put potential employees through a vigorous interview process. But earlier, she had witnessed how lenient he was with Stella.

Luna eyed Stella from head to toe. She was certain that this newcomer was just a numbskull.

Out of spite, she vowed to make Stella suffer.

Luna's conniving mind got to work immediately. She decided to give Stella the most difficult task on ground.

"Here you go. This is your first task as ordered by Mr. Clark. Currently, everyone is on the verge of completing the projects they have been working on. The only task left is concerning the choice of background music for the company's upcoming anniversary party." As Luna held the necessary document, her tone was natural. "Your job is to communicate with the other party and make sure the background music is confirmed ASAP."

Stella frowned and asked, "Is there anything else I must know?"

The choice of background music was one of the simplest aspects that went into a banquet preparation. As such, it was odd that it was still not done.

Luna was hell-bent on making Stella suffer, so she didn't bother explaining. She just threw the document to Stella and said, "The client involved will come later. You'll know all about it when you guys meet."

With that, she went straight to her desk.

Stella shrugged instead of asking any more questions.

For some peace and quiet, she went into the meeting room while flipping through the document.

The second the door was shut, a discussion broke out in the office again.

"This newcomer is doomed. Henry is not an easy person to work with. Not only is he picky, he's also a pervert. I shudder at the thought of what he would do to her."

"You are not alone. Anyway, I wish her good luck."

--

In the meeting room, Stella studied all there was to know about the task and the client she would be meeting.

The client was a pianist named Henry Scott.

The company's management was interested in using his piano piece at the 30th anniversary party which was just around the corner. For some unknown reason, they were yet to reach an agreement.

She had just finished the last page of the document when the door of the meeting room was pushed open.

A man wearing a pair of jeans and a casual shirt with rolled-up sleeves came in.

Stella stood up immediately and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Scott. Thanks for coming. I'm Stella Anderson and I will be responsible for discussing the cooperation concerning the use of your piece for the upcoming anniversary banquet. Please, have a seat."

"Okay," Henry replied and pulled out the chair beside Stella.

With his arms folded over his chest, he reclined in the chair and stared at her.

Stella avoided his gaze.

As she sat down, she moved the chair away a little bit. Then, she began in a professional tone. "You are yet to reach an agreement with us for the use of your piano piece. Is there a reason for that? If you have any reservations about it, do tell. I assure you that we will satisfy you as long as it's within our power."

Henry remained mute as his eyes wandered all over her.

An icy warning trickled up Stella's spine. She felt uncomfortable under his stare, but she still smiled. "I'm aware that you are currently preparing to go on a nationwide tour soon. I promise that this won't affect your preparations. On the contrary, we will spare some time to publicize your tour at the banquet as a token of our appreciation. What do you think?"

Henry rubbed his chin for a while before saying, "I have to say that you make quite an attractive offer." He gave her a side look and then smiled.

Stella held out the prepared contract. "Please read through the contract. If you have a problem with any of the clauses, I can have it modified immediately."

Without taking the document, Henry leaned back and put his hands at the back of his head. "Reading is so much work. Worse yet, the contract looks so bulky. I don't want to go through it."

Hearing this, Stella was in a dilemma.

"How about you move closer and read it to me?" Henry's eyes glistened with interest as he looked at her.

Stella pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

Having worked in the PR industry for many years, she had come across all kinds of clients who requested strange things.

Reading a contract aloud didn't seem that much of a big deal.

With that in mind, Stella moved a little closer while still making sure she was a safe distance from him. She then cleared her throat and began reading.

Her eyes were on the document, but she could feel his burning stare wandering all over her body.

It gave her the heebie-jeebies.

Nonetheless, Stella straightened up and tried to concentrate on what she was reading.

Suddenly, Henry leaned over sharply.

Stella ducked out of instinct.

Smiling smugly, he leaned even closer.

"What a beautiful necklace you have got there. It goes well with your radiant skin."

As he spoke, he reached out with the intention of touching her neck.

It took Stella great restraint not to slap his hand away. Instead, she leaned back further and glared at him as her disgust grew stronger.

"If you like this necklace, I will help you order one and send it to your company after the meeting. Can we get back to the agenda now?"

Henry's hand froze in the air and he sneered, "I thought Prosperity Group wanted to work with me. But it turns out I was wrong. I'm a very busy man, so I shouldn't be wasting my precious time talking with insincere people."

He raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a hint of threat.

All of a sudden, the door was pushed open.

"The cooperation is canceled!"

With an expressionless face, Matthew walked in. He stood in front of Stella and faced Henry.