Married to a Secret Billionaire (Stella Taylor)

Chapter 76 Proud of Him

Ava walked aimlessly in the corridor, holding her personal belongings in her arms.

Her colleagues cast different looks at her. There was disdain, contempt, and mocking. Some people even itched to applaud.

But there was no sympathy.

While descending the stairs, Stella passed by Ava and paused as she recalled the scene of her being taken away by the police a week ago. She had met Ava in the spot of the stairwell.

In just a week, their roles had reversed, giving her a feeling of being in a different world.

Stella awkwardly nodded, unable to force a smile. She was about to walk past Ava when she suddenly detected the murderous intent in Ava's eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

But besides hatred, there was also a hint of fear in Ava's gaze.

Fear.?

Stella couldn't figure it out for a moment.

By the time she wanted to take another look at Ava, the latter had disappeared around the corner, clutching her belongings.

...

Several men gathered in a private room at a bar, with only a small half-bottle of expensive Dom Pérignon left.

Except for Oliver, the others seemed to dislike this kind of debauchery, especially Liam. However, Oliver was hosting this time, and they had to come.

"Noah, Caleb, feel free to drink!" Oliver said cheerfully, observing the pole dancers on the dance floor below through the window. Then he turned to them with a smile. "I have plenty of alcohol here. You can drink as much as you want! Andrew, you should join us too!"

Andrew appeared somewhat reserved, his face carrying a cold yet polite smile as he glanced at Liam.

"Noah," Oliver walked up to him and patted his shoulder, "why do you always wear a gloomy face? Didn't we already resolve the matter for Stella? The girls here are all top-notch, and you shouldn't miss out. Although you're married, you can still feast your eyes, right?"

As soon as his voice died away, a pair of sharp eyes locked onto him.

Oliver laughed awkwardly, knowing he had spoken carelessly under the influence of alcohol. He slapped himself hard.

"It's getting late." Liam put down his glass, "I should go back."

"What? It's still..." Oliver wanted to argue but was stopped by a glance from Caleb and Andrew.

Noah had become a male version of Cinderella, and he had to return home on time. But Cinderella had to return before midnight, so what about this timing?

"I have a competition the day after tomorrow." Liam walked to the door and glanced back at them. "Remember to come and roll logs for me!"

"What?" Caleb was taken aback. "Are you really going to compete?"

"I've already told her. If I don't compete, I'll be exposed."

"But you haven't played in years!"

Liam's eyes flickered.

Back in the day, boxing was one of the mandatory courses for the Martinez family heirs. He had excelled in it, even winning championships in several international events, standing on the same stage as the world boxing champions without fear.

After the plane crash, he had been trying to regain his physical fitness. Although he had made a remarkable recovery, to become the same as before, he would likely have to undergo long and arduous training. And his old injuries could relapse at any time.

"It's okay." Liam chuckled. "Indeed, I haven't played for many years, but I've been training all along. A small game shouldn't be a problem."

"Will Stella be there too?"

Caleb smiled. "Try not to let her attend. The scene is too bloody for her to handle."

Liam looked sideways at him. "You're mistaken about that."

He had an expression of confidence, and his eyes lit up when Stella was mentioned. "She is not an ordinary woman. She can handle things, and she remains calm in the face of big events!

"I'm planning to arrange a seat for her right in the center of the audience, so she can witness how her man beats others effortlessly!"

She would be proud of him, thinking he was an unparalleled hero.

At that, a different kind of brilliance appeared on Liam's face. The corners of his mouth lifted high, revealing a proud smile.

He opened the door and walked out of the private room, eager to go home.

Oliver watched in a daze before looking helplessly at Andrew and Caleb. "What is wrong with this guy?"

"Get lost!" The other two finally breathed a sigh of relief and dropped their act. They joked and laughed with Oliver.

"If you ask me, you two are the most fake. You like this place, but you pretended to be high and lofty."

"We have no choice!" Andrew laughed. "The atmosphere is depressing whenever that guy is around."

"Let's have a toast!" Oliver raised his glass and thought for a moment. "Let's pray that Noah will be successful in the boxing ring as he is in his love life!"

The private room was lively, while outside, a sneaky figure peeked around before hiding behind a pillar and whispering into the phone, "Mr. Smith, I saw Liam coming out of the bar's private room just now. It seemed like he was having a gathering with a few friends."

"What kind of friends?"

"Well..." the person faltered.

Oliver was a high-level VIP in the bar, and his private room was highly private. No one could see inside.

"Forget it!" Eric grew impatient. "Did you hear them say anything?"

"No." The person gritted his teeth. "But when Liam came out of the private room, I vaguely heard something about a boxing match."

Eric hung up the phone, thought for a moment, and then had someone investigate all the recent boxing matches in Eldoria.

In the afternoon, Stella took her break and came to the mental wellness center. The nurse greeted her with a smile. "Visiting your mother again?"

"Yes," Stella replied with a gentle smile. "How has she been recently?"

"All her indicators are normal, but she doesn't speak much. She's awake now. You can go in and see her!"

The enthusiastic nurse led Stella to the ward.

The doors of the rooms here were made of special materials, with a room door and an iron door, and there were dedicated caregivers standing guard at the entrance.

Stella remembered when her mother first had an episode when she was a child. She didn't know what to do and ended up bringing her mother here with the help of neighbors.

At that time, when she saw the prison-like doors, she thought she would never see her mother again and broke down crying helplessly.

"Peggy!" The nurse opened the door, walked over with a smile, and handed a hot towel to the woman in the wheelchair to wipe her hands. "Peggy, you're so blessed. Your daughter has come to see you again! Stella placed the daily necessities she had bought for her mother on the table. The nurse said goodbye to her and went out.

Only the mother and daughter remained in the room.

Stella grabbed a comb and used it to comb the hair for her mother.

Her mother used to have delicate features and a head of shiny hair. Even though she was ill, her appearance hadn't been too damaged. Ordinary people at her age probably didn't look as good as her. Stella smiled and used a beautiful hairpin she had just bought to pin up her mother's stray hair.

"Mom, take a look." She handed her mother the mirror. "I've styled your hair like a princess. Do you like it?"

Peggy's vacant eyes suddenly moved, and she looked at herself in the mirror. After a long time, she slowly raised her head and stared at Stella.

"You are... Stella?"