Chapter 52
Neville raised an eyebrow, ready to say more, but Stella cut him off. “Mr. Connolly, you can head home now. I need a word alone with Haynes.”
Neville nodded lightly, acknowledging the situation. “Okay, call me if you need anything.”
As Neville exited, Haynes’ expression turned stormy, his chiseled features hardening into a mask of icy disdain. “Stella,” he said, his voice dripping with venom, “we’re not even divorced yet, and you’re already throwing yourself at someone else?”
Of course. This man never missed an opportunity to twist the knife.
Stella responded indifferently, “Someone’s phone was unreachable, and after I got rushed to the hospital, the doctors urged me to call my family over. I had no choice but to call someone I could rely on for help.”
Abby was the first person she reached out to. But after Stella had a car accident the day before and couldn’t pick up Marvin. So, when Stella woke up, she had no choice but to call Neville and explain the situation. Not long after, Neville showed up with Marvin to visit her. They didn’t leave until Abby arrived later. Abby had stayed with Stella all night, and come morning, Stella insisted she head home for some rest.
Stella looked up at Haynes. “Or was I supposed to wait for the hospital to toss me out on the street?”
Haynes’ Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, choosing to remain silent. When Stella had no one to turn to, he had been at the hospital, tirelessly attending to Rachel’s needs.
Stella picked up the food Neville had brought her and ate slowly, deliberately. The hospital room fell into a brief silence.
It wasn’t until Stella finished her meal that Haynes broke the quiet. “You and Rachel… how did you end up colliding?”
“You should ask Ms. Pearce that question, not me,” Stella replied, steady and unflustered. “I’ve said it before. Her car came out of nowhere and hit me.”
Haynes’ gaze was as deep as the night. “But the eyewitnesses I spoke to claimed you darted into the road without slowing down.”
As expected, it wasn’t just a coincidence. Rachel had planned this.
Stella lifted her eyes to meet Haynes’. “Have they found the surveillance footage from the accident yet?”
Haynes shook his head. “Not yet.”
Stella wasn’t surprised in the least. Rachel had meticulously planned everything, leaving no room for simple mistakes.
“So, Mr. O’Brien,” Stella said evenly, “do you believe I intentionally crashed into Ms. Pearce?”
“Intentional or not, you rushed out without slowing down. According to the eyewitnesses, you’re at fault for this accident,” Haynes replied.
“And?” Stella prompted.
Haynes said, “Right now, public opinion is escalating. If you publicly apologize to Rachel, we can end this whole thing.”
Stella raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. She chuckled, “Just an apology, huh? With Ms. Pearce injured so badly, I thought you’d at least demand I serve time behind bars.”
Haynes’ expression remained cold. “Rachel’s injuries aren’t critical. I’ll handle her side of things. Once you apologize, I’ll quell the media storm.”
Stella’s brow furrowed slightly, “So, Mr. O’Brien, you’ll just let the public backlash run its course if I refuse to apologize, right?”
Haynes looked down at her. “Stella, I owe Rachel a resolution to this accident.”
An apology to smooth over the chaos – such a trivial punishment wasn’t much of a penalty.
Stella’s heart remained steady, and her emotions unruffled. “I didn’t crash into Rachel. Rachel crashed into me. If anyone should apologize, it should be Rachel.”
Haynes seemed stunned by Stella’s stubbornness in the face of overwhelming
evidence. He frowned deeply. “You claim Rachel hit you first. I’ve had it investigated, and the evidence is clear. Are you still going to deny it?”