He Never Noticed Me Until I Loved Someone Else novel Chapter 91

Stella realized this level of intimacy was highly inappropriate for a couple on the brink of divorce.

But from the looks of it, she was the one who had initiated the embrace.

When she was a little girl, she used to cuddle a stuffed doll whenever she fell ill.

Her feverish delirium last night must have tricked her into treating Jarrod like a giant teddy bear.

Stella carefully released him, inching backward in an attempt to slip out of bed without waking him.

But the moment she shifted, Jarrod's large hand reached up to press against her forehead, checking to see if her fever had broken.

Confirming she was cool to the touch, he casually pulled her back into his arms and drifted right back to sleep.

Clearly, he wasn't truly awake; the gesture had been pure muscle memory.

Even though she knew he was only taking care of her out of a contractual sense of marital duty, a complicated knot of emotions tightened in her chest.

When a man like Jarrod Fuller deliberately showed you tenderness, few women could resist falling for him.

But Stella was painfully aware that none of it belonged to her. His heart was firmly entirely reserved for Chloe Huxley.

Besides, she had no intention of throwing herself into another doomed romance.

Not wanting to disturb his rest, she decided to wait until he was in a deeper sleep before making her escape.

Perhaps the remnants of her illness were still lingering, because she closed her eyes for just a second and promptly fell asleep again.

When she woke up the second time, the space beside her was empty.

Her body still felt a bit heavy and lethargic, but the fever was completely gone.

After freshening up, she prepared to head downstairs.

"What did you two even fight about to make things this bad? Is there really no room for reconciliation?" Simeon asked.

Stella was blunt. "No. We're getting a divorce. He has no obligation to keep propping up the Quinns."

Displeasure dripped from Simeon's voice. "Mom and George built this company from the ground up. How can you act like this has nothing to do with you?"

"Furthermore, George made it clear. If you want our grandparents' company, SD Apparel, you have to get Jarrod to forgive us and stop targeting the family. Otherwise, you're not getting it."

Simeon's tone softened slightly. "Stella, you know I'm never going to take over the family business. It'll all be handed down to you eventually. Helping the family right now is helping yourself."

Stella found the sentiment absolutely laughable. It was true Simeon wouldn't take over, but there was no way George would hand everything over to her, either.

All she wanted was SD Apparel, and even for that, George was using it to blackmail her.

She ended the call with a heavy sigh. She hadn't cared about familial ties in a long time. All she wanted to protect was the legacy her grandparents had built together.