When Love Comes Late

By now, “desperate” didn’t even begin to describe how she felt.

By the time she reached Prosper Bay, her heart was pounding with a mix of dread and anxiety.

As she stepped out of the car, she saw Miley waiting for her at the gate.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

In that moment, she let the walls she had carefully constructed around herself crumble.

Miley rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her friend in a tight, comforting embrace.

“Any news?” Miley asked, her voice gentle, as if afraid to shatter the fragile hope Stella clung to.

Stella shook her head, her eyes red and swollen, unable to form the words that stuck in her throat.

Miley, feeling her friend’s pain as if it were her own, gently patted her back.

“It’s going to be okay.

Neville has sent some people in Sothrea to investigate, and he’s gone there himself.

We’ll hear something soon, I promise.

”

Stella nodded weakly, her body moving on autopilot as Miley led her inside the villa.

Neither could sleep; they sat in the dimly lit living room, the hours ticking by in agonizing silence.

Every time the phone buzzed, they jumped, but it was never the news they needed.

By the early morning hours, the report had been updated again—the death toll had risen by one more, and the deceased was a man from their country, Zeklecand.

The image of the dead flashed across the news channel, the face indistinct beneath a blurred overlay, yet Stella’s eyes locked onto the familiar JA watch clasped around the man’s wrist.

Her heart sank; it was unmistakably Matthew’s-the same watch she had packed into his suitcase before he left for his business trip.

Stella’s complexion drained of color, her body rigid with tension.

Miley, noticing the sudden change, grasped Stella’s hand with a reassuring squeeze.

“Don’t leap to conclusions, Stella.

All we know is that the man was from our country.

That’s it.

Try to stay calm.

”

She had never seen Stella so devoid of hope, as if her soul had been siphoned away, leaving behind a mere shell.

Miley reached for the remote, intending to shut off the TV and end this torment.

Breaking free from Miley’s gentle hold, Stella stood abruptly, her voice laced with determination.

“I’m going to Sothrea.

”

“No, you can’t,” Miley responded instantly, her concern palpable.

“Calm down.

It was a terrorist attack.

The police haven’t even uncovered the motive.

Terrorists could be roaming the streets at any moment.

It’s too risky to go now-you could be walking into danger.

”

“I must go,” Stella insisted, her resolve unyielding.

Miley pleaded with her, saying, “What if something happens to you? How could I ever explain that to your mother or the Clark family?”

Tears streamed down Stella’s cheeks as the weight of her fears pressed down on her.

Since the moment she’d considered that Matthew might be involved, a suffocating pressure had gripped her, making each breath a struggle.

Unable to contain her own emotions, Miley cried alongside.

“Please, calm down.

Matthew never travels without his bodyguards.

Plus, he has connections in Sothrea, and Fernando is with him, too.

I’m certain he’s safe.

Let’s just wait for him here, okay?”