He Never Noticed Me Until I Loved Someone Else novel Chapter 316

He had never wanted Stella to blame herself. He only wanted her to bare her true feelings, even if it meant screaming at him or resenting him.

Jarrod simply dropped to one knee in front of her, grabbing her hands once again. "Stella, I'm not apologizing because you helped Serena and Chloe tonight. I'm apologizing because I finally realized how my own arrogance forced you to suffer in this marriage."

"That prenuptial agreement wasn't specifically targeted at you, but it undeniably hurt you. It forced you to view yourself as nothing more than a 'tool' from day one. I never saw you that way. From the very first moment I laid eyes on you, I never had any intention of divorcing you."

Jarrod's dark eyes were bottomless, his voice steeped in absolute gravity. "The last few times I brought up divorce, I was just lashing out in anger. I wanted you to yield, even if it was just begging me once not to go through with it."

"I know it was incredibly childish, and I refuse to keep pretending anymore. Stella, can we please just put this divorce on hold?"

After asking, he quickly added, "I won't force you to move back to The Sterling Residences, and I won't interfere with your life. I just want you to seriously think it over."

Stella stared into his intense, dark eyes. There was no trace of his usual superiority—only raw, desperate sincerity.

Stella's heart skipped a beat. She averted her gaze and whispered, "I'll think about it."

Jarrod froze. She hadn't flat-out rejected him. Did that mean he actually held a place in her heart?

The realization sent a thrilling jolt of hope rushing through his veins.

He tightened his grip on her hands, his eyes practically shimmering as he looked at her. "Thank you, Stella."

The way he said her name sent an electric shiver straight to the tips of her ears.

They were so close she could feel his breath and the undeniable heat radiating off his body.

The atmosphere thickened into something deeply intimate. Afraid of where this might lead if he stayed any longer, Stella quickly cleared her throat. "It's really late. You should go."

As much as Jarrod desperately wanted to stay, he knew her walls had only just begun to crack. He wasn't about to push his luck and ruin the fragile peace between them.

He stood up reluctantly. "Walk me to the door."

But Summer knew exactly what she meant, and immediately called her.

"Lucca and I don't represent every relationship out there. Don't stress yourself out over things that haven't even happened yet. No one can predict the future, but even if it doesn't work out in the end, experiencing real love is a reward in itself."

Hearing that lifted a massive weight off Stella's chest.

She then asked Summer how her preparations for moving abroad were going.

"My visa just got approved," Summer replied. "I booked a flight for the morning after next."

"What flight?"

Right at that moment, Stella distinctly heard Lucca's voice echoing through the phone.