Chapter 505
An hour later, at the highest–security banquet hall in Clusia, the atmosphere was tense and quiet.
Black–suited security personnel were everywhere, giving the space an air of authority and top–level vigilance,
When the Translation Bureau staff arrived, Arthur and Ostara’s guests had not yet arrived.
Amir made some arrangements, and after Stella nodded, she seemed quite at ease as she took her seat. The only thing left to do now was wait for Arthur and the guests to arrive.
About half an hour later, Arthur, with his commanding presence and his guests from Ostara, entered through the door, all smiles.
All the staff present stood up immediately and turned to face the entrance as the two of them walked in.
It was the first time in eleven years that Stella had seen Arthur again. This time, her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it might leap right out of her throat.
Stella gripped her notebook tightly as if she might tear a hole through it any second.
But in such a formal setting, Stella knew better than to let her emotions show. She forced herself to control the overwhelming urge inside and focused on steadying her breath as she waited for Arthur to walk past her.
Stella wasn’t sure if, after all these years, Arthur would still recognize the girl who had once shared a neighborhood with him and been his junior.
In her eyes, Arthur was as striking as ever, with a presence that commanded attention. Now, with his new position, he seemed even more brilliant and impossible to ignore.
Indeed, Stella was the interpreter for Arthur today, facilitating the meeting between Clusia and Ostara.
After shaking hands with the leaders of Ostara, Arthur began walking toward her.
As he approached, Stella felt her heart begin to race again, her calm quickly slipping away. She tried to maintain her composure, but it was harder than she expected.
This time, however, Arthur was different, his face expressionless, stern, and calm.
He didn’t seem to care about the people around him, much less acknowledge Stella, as he walked to a nearby sofa and sat down with authority.
Stella knew what kind of situation this was. Actually, she wasn’t expecting much. She refocused her attention and readied herself to act as Arthur’s interpreter once again.
The entire event went smoothly, but throughout the proceedings, Stella found herself somewhat distracted.
Afterward, the interpreters followed the group out.
After watching the Ostara guests get into their cars and leave, Arthur spoke briefly to his assistant and prepared to head back to the Betrico Central Mansions.
“Arthur, wait a minute.” Stella’s voice called out, and she took a couple of steps forward.
Arthur indeed stopped, turning his head to look at the woman who had called him. “Who are you?”
Stella froze at his response.
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Chapter 303
His assistant Mateo spoke up. “Mr. Jarrett, this is your interprete from carlier.”
Arthur nodded. “We’ve met.”
Stella, caught off guard, bit her lip nervously and spoke. “I’m Stella Walton. Do you remember me?”
“Stella? Are you from the Walton family?” Arthur asked.
That question struck Stella like a blow. She couldn’t believe it. Arthur had completely forgotten who she was, not even recognizing she was of the Walton family.
Arthur was about to speak again but Mateo interrupted. “Mr. Jarrett, we don’t have much time. We need to leave.”
Arthur nodded. Without sparing another glance at Stella, he turned and led the group away.
*****
The weekend arrived, and summer was in full swing.
The weather outside looked scorching hot first thing in the morning, a taste of the summer heat.
Today was the day Cherise and Morris had planned for their private beach date.
Cherise returned from her run, dripping with sweat, and looked at the luggage that had already been prepared and Morris, who was standing nearby. “So early?
“Didn’t we agree to leave at 9? It’s only 7 now. How did you already pack everything while I was out for a run?”
Morris crossed his arms and smiled. “Of course. I don’t want to miss a single trip with you, Cherise. There’s no rush. Take your time, I’ll wait as long as you need.”
Cherise crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “Mr. Chivers, do you have something planned? Or are you about to surprise me again, like last time when you proposed at Saphira?”
Morris chuckled lightly. He didn’t want to hide anything from her and felt that this was something they needed to prepare together before the wedding.
Morris spoke frankly. “The wedding is about a month away. One of the most important parts before the wedding is the wedding photoshoot. Mrs. Chivers, would you be interested in that?”
Cherise raised an eyebrow. She had thought about taking wedding photos but she hadn’t expected Morris to have already arranged it. She nodded knowingly.
*****
Several hours later, on a secluded island, with blue skies, white clouds, the ocean, the beach, and seagulls, everything was perfectly relaxed.
It was clear that their wedding photoshoot would be in the form of a destination shoot.
It was just the two of them, no assistants, no Steven, Leo, or Hugh, no makeup artists or photographers, just them, and no one else.
All that was there was a drone, capturing their beautiful journey together.
This was the wish that Morris had extracted from Cherise in their previous conversations.
Cherise had hoped for a beach trip with Morris, just the two of them, without any interruptions from anyone else.
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And here they were, with nothing but each other.
At the only seven–star hotel on the island, in the presidential suite, Morris sat by the floor–to–ceiling windows, gazing at the
vast ocean view outside.
It was supposed to be a secluded island, but from up here, he could see that the beach wasn’t exactly empty.
Morris had swapped his usual serious suit for a more relaxed outfit, a simple, plain gray T–shirt and black cotton–linen beach shorts, paired with a high–quality black pair of sandals.
While gazing at the beach, he glanced over at the walk–in closet, waiting for Cherise, who was changing clothes.
With a soft click, Cherise stepped out of the fitting room.
At the sound, Morris turned his head, his eyes widening slightly
Cherise was wearing a swimsuit that perfectly accentuated her figure. The swimsuit was a vibrant orange, matching the scorching summer weather outside, making her skin appear even more radiant.
She had thrown on a sheer cover–up, but due to the translucent fabric, along with her long, slender legs, arms, and graceful neck exposed beneath, her already stunning figure appeared even more alluring, almost teasing.
Morris instinctively reached for his forehead, momentarily distracted. He glanced back toward the people playing on the beach, suddenly realizing he hadn’t packed this outfit for her.
“Ready to go?” Cherise asked from behind him.
Morris turned, nodding, his expression neutral. “Cherise, that swimsuit looks great on you, but I don’t remember packing it in your luggage.”
Cherise checked herself in the mirror by the wall. “I think it’s perfect. I really like it, and it’s just right for the beach.
“I went to Taylor Vogue the other day, and Xenia gave it to me. I’ve been keeping it in my bag and didn’t take it out.”
