Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 42: Isn’t This Way Too Ambiguous?!

The other end of the phone fell into silence.

Shane Donovan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, outside was the dazzling night view of Kenton, countless lights flickering in his deep eyes.

He subconsciously moved his lips, wanting to say something.

However, just then—

’Click.’

The bathroom door lock made a soft sound.

Shane Donovan abruptly returned to his senses and quickly turned his head.

He saw Stella Sterling stepping out from the steam-filled bathroom in her cotton pajamas, with a towel wrapping her wet long hair.

Her fair cheeks were flushed with steam, her eyes like glass washed in water, carrying a bit of post-wash laziness and... allure.

She looked up, meeting the gaze of Shane Donovan who had just turned around.

The words at Shane Donovan’s lips were instantly swallowed back.

He spoke to the other end faintly, "Hanging up."

Then, before Evan Hughes on the other end could protest "hello, hello, hello", he directly hung up the phone.

"You’re finished with your shower?" He looked at Stella, his expression as usual, as if the earlier call was just ordinary work communication.

"Mm." Stella nodded, awkwardly glancing at the sofa, "President Donovan, the sofa is a bit small, you... really okay with it?"

Shane Donovan put away his phone, took steps toward the bathroom, "It’s fine. You should rest early."

As he passed by Stella, he caught a whiff of the youthful fragrance mingled with steam from her.

His Adam’s apple slightly moved, his steps uninterrupted, he directly entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Stella watched the bathroom door close, gently patted her still warm face.

She walked to the bed and sat down, picked up the hairdryer, the buzzing sound overshadowing the faint water sounds from the bathroom, yet couldn’t cover up the odd feeling in her heart.

She always felt that Shane Donovan’s call just now... seemed somewhat strange.

And what happened between him five years ago with Jasper Hawthorne...

What exactly happened?

The sound of the hairdryer continued in her ear, Stella shook her head, deciding not to think about those tangled messes.

The pressing task was to deal with the present lawsuit and... face her big brother in Riveria.

Tonight, she should sleep well.

As for Shane Donovan...

Stella glanced at the sofa which was evidently too narrow for him—well.

He would have to be inconvenienced for one night.

...

As Stella was lost in her thoughts, the water sounds in the bathroom stopped.

Shortly after, Shane Donovan came out wearing the hotel’s white bathrobe.

The robe’s belt was meticulously tied, the collar securely folded, revealing only a hint of cold, white clavicle.

His wet black hair was casually brushed back, showing a full forehead and clear hairline, with a few stray strands hanging over his forehead, lacking his usual sharp sternness, and adding some casual laziness.

Water droplets rolled along his sharply defined jawline, sliding past his Adam’s apple, disappearing into the bathrobe collar...

Stella instinctively looked away, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat.

"I’m done." Shane Donovan’s voice carried a bit of post-shower huskiness, lower than usual.

"Oh, alright." Stella stood up, somewhat at a loss, pointing to the sofa, "Um... you really... want to sleep there? Won’t it be too uncomfortable?"

Shane Donovan walked to the sofa, measured it with his hand, in a calm tone, "It’s alright."

He looked up at her, "I can’t let you sleep on the sofa."

Stella opened her mouth, wanting to say she could sleep on the floor, but seeing Shane Donovan already calmly seated on the sofa, swallowed back her words.

Sleeping on the floor seemed... even stranger.

"Well... goodnight."

"Goodnight." Shane Donovan responded, picking up his phone from the coffee table, seemingly prepared to handle some work.

Seeing this, Stella didn’t want to interrupt any longer, quietly walked to the big bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down.

She turned off her side’s bedside lamp, leaving only a floor lamp beside Shane Donovan’s sofa casting a warm gentle glow.

The room fell into a peculiar quiet.

Only the two’s gentle breathing, and the faint sounds of Shane Donovan occasionally sliding his phone.

Stella, her back facing the sofa direction, curled her body, trying hard to fall asleep quickly.

However, her mind was unusually alert.

Not far behind her was Shane Donovan, even with some distance between them, she seemed to feel the strong presence he emitted.

Fresh, with a post-shower steam male scent.

And just earlier when he came out of the bathroom...

Stella pulled up the covers, covering half her face, attempting to dispel those chaotic images.

She forced herself to count sheep.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...

Unknowing how many sheep later, she quietly turned over, wanting to see if Shane Donovan was asleep.

Under the dim light, Shane Donovan was still leaning against the sofa, the phone’s light sketching his sharp profile.

His gaze was lowered, long and thick lashes casting a shadow below his eyes, focused intently.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up at her.

Eyes met.

Stella felt like she was busted for wrongdoing, her heart leaped fiercely, hurriedly closed her eyes, pretending to be sleeping.

Shane Donovan looked at her stiff pretending-to-sleep silhouette, the corner of his lips barely noticeable curved.

He put down his phone, turned off the nearby floor lamp.

The room instantly plunged into darkness.

In the dark, senses became notably sharp.

Stella could clearly hear her heartbeat, and also the extremely slight fabric rubbing sound from Shane Donovan’s direction.

He seemed to... adjusted his posture.

The sofa was indeed not very comfortable?

With his tall stature...

The guilt emerged again.

In silence and darkness, time passed slowly.

Not sure how much later, Stella finally felt a bit sleepiness, her consciousness beginning to blur.

As she was about to drift into slumber, suddenly she heard a muffled cough forcibly suppressed.

It came from the sofa direction.

She instantly awoke, held her breath and listened intently.

A few seconds later, another suppressed light cough was heard.

Did he catch a cold?

Was it because of the chill?

Stella’s heart twisted.

She hesitated time and again, but still spoke up softly amid the darkness, "President Donovan... are you okay? Did you catch a chill?"

After a few seconds of silence, Shane Donovan’s low voice with apparent nasal sound came, "I’m fine, did I bother you?"

"No." Stella quickly replied, "I haven’t fallen asleep yet."

She paused, summoned her courage, "Um, the sofa’s too small... why don’t... you come to the bed to sleep?"

Upon saying this, her cheeks instantly burned red, fortunately unseen in the darkness.

Oh my gosh! What was she saying?!

Inviting a man to bed?!

Though this ’go to bed’ wasn’t that ’go to bed’, but...

This was just too ambiguous!