Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 41: I’m Not Leaving Tonight...

"I don’t believe it," Stella Sterling resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Come on—having a secret crush for ten years?

Ten years ago, how old was she even back then?

Moreover, it doesn’t make sense logically.

After all, he is Shane Donovan...

The Crown Prince of The Donovan Family in the Kaelon Circle.

He’s been outstanding all his life, with countless admirers lined up all the way to Crestfall’s Silvanus...

Could someone like that have a secret crush on someone for ten years?

How could it be possible?

"President Donovan, even if you’re making up a story, at least make it believable, okay?"

Shane Donovan let out a light laugh, walked over to the single sofa by the window and sat down, legs crossed, lazily sitting there, "It’s fine if you don’t believe it."

Stella didn’t take it seriously, turned around to start tidying up the piles of case files on the table, refocusing on the main task.

"What’s your plan next?" Shane Donovan asked.

"The evidence chain is broken, the waiter retracted their statement, Jasper Hawthorne won’t let this go easily..." Stella frowned, "I have a flight back to Riveria tomorrow."

The situation here in Kenton is temporarily at a standstill, staying here isn’t meaningful.

Besides, there’s a pile of work at the law firm, and also...

Her elder brother Aidan Sterling rushed to Riveria, she needs to go back to handle it.

Shane Donovan nodded slightly, not asking more, "Do you need me to book the ticket for you?"

"No need, Finn Lockwood already booked it for me." Stella shook her head.

They chatted a bit more about potential case breakthroughs and follow-up strategies, Shane Donovan gave some very pertinent suggestions, which Stella noted down one by one.

Time passed unconsciously, and the sky outside was completely dark.

Stella walked to the door, cautiously peering through the peephole to look outside—Jasper Hawthorne was still standing there!

He leaned against the wall opposite, head down, his shadow stretching long under the hallway light, showing no intention of leaving.

Stella’s heart sank abruptly.

Is he planning to stay until dawn?

"He’s still there." Stella retracted into the room, frowning deeply.

If Shane Donovan went out now, their previous act would’ve been for nothing.

Shane Donovan walked over to her, also looking through the peephole at the stone-sculpture-like Jasper Hawthorne, his eyes slightly darkening.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at Stella, his tone calm: "I’m not leaving tonight..."

"What?" Stella was taken aback.

Shane Donovan looked at her bewildered face, a very faint smile flashing in his eyes, he pointed at the somewhat spacious single sofa in the corner of the room, "I can sleep there."

"How can that be?" Stella refused instinctively.

—She booked a room with a single bed, there’s only one bed!

Besides, to let a big guy like Shane Donovan curl up on the sofa for a night?

Just thinking about it made her feel guilty.

Not to mention whether it’s comfortable or not, this...this doesn’t seem right?

But letting him sleep on the bed?

That’s even more impossible!

Being alone in one room was awkward enough, sharing a bed? Absolutely not!

Stella felt her head was about to explode.

Why did she impulsively put herself in such a dilemma?

"I don’t mind..." Shane Donovan’s tone was indifferent, "Do you want...all your efforts to go to waste?"

The last four words were said meaningfully, his gaze sweeping towards the direction of the door.

Stella followed his gaze, thinking of the stubborn Jasper Hawthorne outside, the rejection that had been on her lips swallowed back down.

Shane Donovan was right, if he left now, her using him as a shield earlier would be pointless, and Jasper Hawthorne would undoubtedly continue to entangle.

Choosing the lesser of two evils...

"...Then...sorry to trouble President Donovan."

Shane Donovan didn’t say more, took off his coat and hung it on the rack, naturally sitting down on the sofa, took out his phone seemingly to handle work, leaving space for Stella.

Seeing his calm and collected demeanor, Stella herself felt even more uneasy.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm, picking up her change of clothes, "Then...I’ll go freshen up first."

"Alright." Shane Donovan didn’t even lift his head, focused on the phone screen.

Stella practically fled into the bathroom.

With the bathroom door closed, leaning against the cold tiles, Stella exhaled a long breath.

Her heartbeat was still somewhat erratic.

Being in the same room with Shane Donovan...

Forget it, forget it!

She shook her head, turning on the shower.

Soon, the sound of flowing water filled the bathroom...

...

Outside the bathroom, Shane Donovan was indeed handling work, but his attention wasn’t entirely on the screen.

The gentle sound of water from the bathroom felt like the finest feathers, continuously teasing his nerves.

He forced himself to fix his attention on the phone screen, but in his mind, images from that night when she was clinging to him, drunk, softly floating in.

His Adam’s apple involuntarily moved once.

Just then, his phone vibrated, the name ’Evan Hughes’ flashing on the screen.

Shane Donovan frowned slightly, glanced at the tightly closed bathroom door, and walked to the window to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Young Master Donovan! Big news!"

Evan Hughes’ voice carried an unmistakable tone of schadenfreude, "The Sterling Cripple has hit Riveria! Just this afternoon, directly barged into your little lawyer’s law firm!"

Shane Donovan’s frown was barely noticeable, "I know." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"You know? How do you know?" Evan Hughes was taken aback, then realized suddenly, "Oh right, I forgot you have sources..."

He then changed the subject with a mischievous chuckle, "So, how about it? Have you taken advantage of the situation to secure the win?"

Shane Donovan ignored his teasing, his tone flat, "Speak about the real issue."

"This is the real issue!" Evan Hughes exclaimed, "Aidan Sterling is no pushover, if he personally came, he surely intends to take your little lawyer back! You better keep a close watch, don’t let the cooked duck fly away!"

Shane Donovan gazed at the splendid night view of Kenton beyond the window, his eyes deep, "She is not a duck."

"Aww, I was just using a metaphor!"

Evan Hughes chuckled, then his tone turned gossipy, "Oh, speaking of this, I suddenly remembered something..."

"What is it?" Shane Donovan’s voice turned chilled.

He paused, as if struggling to recall, "Five years ago, did you sneak over to Kenton once? After coming back, you had a high fever, and were delirious..."

Shane Donovan’s grip on the phone tightened slightly, without a response.

Evan Hughes, however, got more excited as he spoke, "Yes, yes! I remembered! The few days you had the fever, I just went to visit you, and heard you muttering nonsense in bed, repeatedly saying just a few lines—’Why does she like that kind of person?’, ’She’s so good, why wouldn’t he like her?’"

"Young Master Donovan," Evan Hughes lowered his voice, filled with playful sarcasm, "The ’she’ you talked about back then...could it have been Stella Sterling?"