He Gave Her Strawberries, Gave Me Hives (Ford and Sylvia) novel Chapter 119

Chapter 21

Listening to the dial tone buzzing in his ear, Felix stood frozen, his knuckles white as he gripped the phone.

An unprecedented feeling of humiliation and helplessness, of being utterly rejected and shut out, washed over him like an icy tide, completely submerging him.

For the first time, he tasted, with such clarity, what it meant to be too late for regrets.

After being so decisively rejected by Archer over the phone, Felix, far from giving up, was instead spurred into a stronger, almost paranoid obsession.

He could not accept that Stella had truly left his world for good and fallen into the arms of another man.

He found out that Stella was soon to hold an important solo piano concert in the country. This seemed like his last

chance.

On the night of the concert, the hall was packed.

Felix sat in a dark corner of the audience, watching the woman shining brightly under the spotlight on stage.

The notes that flowed from her fingertips were at times powerful, at times gentle, filled with strength and emotion. This was no longer the Stella of the past who played only for him. She belonged to this grand stage, to all who

admired her talent.

The performance ended to thunderous, unceasing applause. Stella took several curtain calls, her face tired but smiling with satisfaction.

Felix immediately stood up, holding a bouquet of a rare flower variety that had once been Stella’s favorite, which he had gone to great lengths to have flown in. He hurried towards the backstage entrance.

He had deliberately worn a suit she had once praised, trying to recall her past preferences, attempting to recapture a shadow of their past.

At the backstage entrance, he successfully intercepted Stella, who had just removed her makeup and was about to

leave.

She was in simple casual clothes, her face showing the fatigue from the performance, but her eyes were still clear and calm.

“Stella.” Felix stepped forward and offered her the flowers, his voice carrying a cautious plea he didn’t even

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He Gave Her Strawberries, Gave Me Hives. I Gave Them Both A One–Way Ticket To BANKRUPTCY.

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Chapter 21

recognize himself. “Congratulations, the performance was a huge success. Can we…. find a place to talk?

Stella stopped, her calm gaze falling on his face, then flicking to the vibrant bouquet in his hands. Her expression showed no emotion, only a faint distance.

“Mr. Vance,” she began, her voice cool, a polite refusal, “if this is about future collaborations or copyright matters related to the concert, please contact my agent. If it’s a personal matter…”

She paused, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint but clearly mocking smile, her eyes falling on the flowers again.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Besides,” she raised her eyes to meet Felix’s frozen face and said, clearly and deliberately, “I stopped liking these flowers a long time ago. People’s tastes change.”

With those words, Felix’s heart sank like a stone!

The bouquet in his hands suddenly felt as heavy as lead, he could barely hold it.

So… all he remembered were her past preferences.

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