Do You Like Me?

When they got home, Stella went straight to her room and shut the door. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the car.

Mathews had held her hand the whole ride. His grip had been firm, warm, almost comforting. But the way he pulled her closer… the way he told her to stay… what did it mean?

She had too many questions and no answers. But one thing was clear, she needed to talk to him. Sooner rather than later.

Feeling hot for no reason, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the cold shower, letting the water cool her down. But even under the icy stream, her mind kept going back to him. His face, the way his eyes looked when he pulled her close—it was different from before.

She exhaled, shaking off the thought.

After drying off, she put on a simple but elegant outfit. Manang Delia had mentioned that the Windsors were hosting some guests tonight. Business partners celebrating a company expansion. Since she'd have to dress nicely anyway, she figured she might as well do it now.

With some time to spare before dinner, she stepped outside to the garden. The warm glow of the lights mixed with the last bit of sunlight, making the whole place look golden. Butterflies fluttered around the flowers, their wings catching the soft light. It was a peaceful sight.

But inside, she didn't feel at peace at all.

Because of Mathews.

And no matter how much she tried to push the feeling away, she knew she couldn't ignore it forever.

Lost in thought, Stella barely noticed the faint sound of footsteps behind her. But as soon as she did, unease settled in her chest.

She turned, expecting to see Mathews.

But it wasn't him.

A man she didn't recognize stood a few steps away. He was tall and well-built. He wasn't dressed too formally, a dark coat draped over his shoulders, paired with a fitted black turtleneck and well-tailored pants.

"Who…?" The question barely left her lips before he gave a small, knowing smile.

"I didn't mean to startle you" he said smoothly, his voice deep and calm. "I was just taking a walk before dinner"

The man studied her for a moment before speaking. "This is the first time I've seen you here" he said. "I always come to this garden whenever we have dinner with the Windsors"

Stella hesitated. She wanted to explain, but the words felt awkward. Saying she was Mathews' stepsister out loud felt… strange.

Before she could figure out what to say, the man gave a small nod. "Leon" he introduced himself. "And you?"

"Stella" she replied.

Leon smiled, his tone easygoing. "Nice to meet you, Stella"

She expected an awkward silence, but surprisingly, Leon was a smooth talker. He was quick to start a conversation, steering it toward the garden. "You seem comfortable here," he noted. "Do you come here often?"

Stella glanced at the glowing lanterns and the fluttering butterflies. "Yeah" she admitted. "It's peaceful"

Leon hummed in agreement and was about to say something when a voice interrupted him.

"Knew I'd find you here"

It was Mathews. He walked toward them casually, but his gaze was fixed on Stella.

"Yep, just having a nice conversation with this pretty lady here" Leon replied with a smirk.

The two exchanged a brief hug, patting each other's backs.

Stella could tell they were familiar with each other.

Mathews didn't react to Leon's comment about her. Instead, he simply told him that his parents were looking for him. It turned out Leon was the son of the Windsors' business partners and would be the one to take over their company in the future. No wonder he and Mathews had known each other for a long time.

Leon excused himself and headed inside, but before leaving, he turned to Stella with a small smile.

"It was nice talking to you. Hope we can chat again, Stella"

Then he walked away.

Mathews, however, stayed behind. She had a feeling he wasn't planning to leave—and that was good. She needed answers before dinner, or she wouldn't be able to focus at all.

This was her chance to get some clarity on Mathews' actions. She wouldn't let him play with her whenever he felt like it.

"What did you two talk about?" he asked, looking straight at him, referring to Leon.

"And why do you care?" she replied with another question.

Mathews held her gaze for a long moment before turning to leave again, but Stella wasn't about to let him walk away.

"What's with you, Mathews?"

He stopped in his tracks.

"I'm confused about the way you act" she added, forcing herself to speak louder so he would hear her clearly.

Now he was silent? Just moments ago, he had been eager to know what she and Leon talked about. She didn't want to fool herself, but from the way he looked at her, it almost seemed like… he was jealous.

It was time to settle this. Whatever Mathews was doing—it wasn't normal.

"Do you like me?"