Chapter 156 - Step Up His Game

"What are you sorry for silly? I should be the one to apologise. I know you don't know everything about me, and it's hard for you. But we have the rest of our lives to get to know each other better." He rubbed her back softly.

"I made you talk about the past." Stella replied to him in a meek voice. 

Adam could feel the wetness of her tears in the crook of his neck. He softly patted the top of her. "You made me play again. That is what matters more."  

"I love you." Stella muttered under her breath.

"I love you too baby girl. Now stop with the crying. You know seeing you like this hurts me so much." Adam added as he tightened his hold around her. 

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"They are good." Blake spoke up as he made his way back to the couch. He was worried about them, so as soon as Adam walked out, he made his way to the window which was facing the garden. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but judging from their hugging bodies lying on the grass, he could tell that everything was fine. 

"I told you that they will be fine." Lillian added as she scrolled through her mobile phone. "You always overthink."

"Sorry for worrying about my best friend and his girlfriend, who for the record, is like a little sister for me." Blake glared at her. 

"Okay, okay." She added, still not looking up his phone. 

"I just can't see either of them sad." Blake spoke up before turning his attention towards his twin sister. 

"How did you two end up together?" He questioned her. "You never told me that." 

"Actually, we…." Katherine was about to reply him but Scott interrupted her. 

"I ran into her into her at Sparkle. Spilled her coffee over her white blouse, and then one thing led to another." Scott replied as he pulled her closer to himself. 

"She doesn't drink coffee when she's in Sparkle for the very same reason. Just saying." Blake shrugged as his lips tugged up slightly in a playful smirk. 

Scott looked at Katherine who was trying to control the laughter which was threatening to break through her pursed lips. She looked up at him and winked. "You should have let me talk."  

"Next time, you are doing the talking." He whispered softly before kissing the tip of her nose. 

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Next morning, 

After getting all freshened up and dressed in a pair of black jean shorts with a loose white sweatshirt, Stella walked out of her room and headed towards the garden. A maid had come earlier to inform her that the breakfast will be served outside in the main garden when she was busy blow-drying her hair. Adam was nowhere to be found when she woke up, but as always there was a note left for her, informing her that he would meet her on the breakfast table. 

After spending another hour at the hut, they had returned to the main mansion for their dinner, retiring to sleep afterwards.

"Good morning everyone." Stella greeted them. Almost everyone was present at the table except for the man who had written her the note. 

"Where's Adam?" She asked, looking at everyone.

"He is busy with a video conference." Blake replied to him, making her frown. 

Although the breakfast was already served, she decided to wait for him. It's not like she could eat anyways knowing that he was attending a video conference, that too on a weekend. She decided to finally pay attention to the exterior of the mansion. 

Under the bright sunlight, the white walls of the mansion stood tall and broad. Two white pillars supported the archway which led to the main entrance where a huge dark brown wooden door can be seen. Vines of Bougainvillea 'California Gold' climbed up the two pillars. The Vines were adorned with clusters of warm yellow, papery bracts, adding a tinge of a tinge of a golden hue to their plain white surroundings. 

The golden plate with family name engraved in it, was right next to the huge door, bedazzling under the bright daylight. 

The main garden had a dome shaped marble canopy where they were sitting. The dark wood round table occupied by five people at the moment could easily fit twenty people. There were different kinds of trees and shrubs bearing flowers planted around the periphery. It had a jogging track, the same one they walked down to last night, but it was divided into different directions, one of which led to the hut. 

Stella wondered how many workers this place needed for keeping it this clean and where were they as she had only encountered with a maid, the one who had come to inform her. 

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize the chair next to her was pushed back and someone sat on it. 

"Good morning, sunshine." Adam greeted her, placing a light kiss on the crown of her head.

His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to her right to face him. 

"Good morning." She beamed at him. "How did the conference go?" She asked him as she picked up the tray of croissants. 

"Let me." He took the tray from her and continued. "It went okay. I will fill you in after breakfast." 

"So, do you like it here?" Adam asked her as he placed a stuffed croissant on her plate. 

"It's beautiful Adam." She replied.

"I will show you the rest of it after our breakfast. If you like it enough, we can come over once or twice in a month in the future." He added as he served two for himself.

Stella could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at the mention of future. In the little span of time, they had grown impossibly close to each other. Now, when she thought about it, she couldn't help but blush as nervousness began to spread through her body.

"Sure." It was the only thing she managed to speak under his burning gaze. 

Adam pursed his lips, trying to stifle his smile. He knew what was going through her mind. And to think of it, he needed to step up his game.