Novel Palace
Chapter 269
Estrella chuckled, her voice a playful tease in the quiet room. “I’ve already taken my shower, why would I need to butter you up? Go on, get cleaned up.”
She nudged Jason toward the bathroom. With a boyish grin, Jason cupped Estrella’s face in his hands and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Honey, just wait for me, okay? I’ll be quick, don’t you worry.” With that, he turned on his heel, grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe, and whistled a tune as he made his way to the bathroom.
Estrella stood in the bedroom, arms crossed, a bemused smile playing on her lips as she watched his swaggering exit.
What a character! An entire evening of antics, all for what? Just to end up in bed with her.
Jason took advantage of the opportunity to let her soothe him, and Estrella could see through it when she returned to the private room. Lately, he had been like a puppy eager for a treat, especially after her closing a big case at work today-he might as well have
had his intentions written on his forehead.
Recalling Jason’s mood swings and now the whistling from the bathroom, Estrella couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Men, no matter how tough they are outside, there’s always
a childish side to them at home.
In no time, Jason emerged from the shower, fresh and fragrant, only to find the warm milk on the table already gone and the fruit half-eaten. Estrella, meanwhile, had succumbed to sleep on the bed.
Jason paused mid-dry, then approached Estrella and gently nudged her dangling foot. “Estrella,” he called softly.
“Estrella.”
But no matter how much he called her name, she only seemed to sleep deeper.
Jason felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him-chilled to the core.
That little brat, playing games with him!
With a frustrated toss of the towel, Jason wrapped Estrella in his arms, pinning her wrists. “Estrella, are you messing with me?”
Her eyes still closed, Estrella mumbled, “Jason, I’m so tired.” Then she added, “And a little cold.”
Jason retorted, “Of course you’re cold. You didn’t cover up with a blanket.”
Seeing Estrella so still in his arms, murmuring sleepily, Jason remembered her recent hard work and the stress of the concluded court case. In the end, he couldn’t bear to wake her. Instead, he tenderly carried her back to the center of the bed, tucked her in, and turned off
09:52
the light.
Estrella, nestled in the soft pillows, drifted even deeper into sleep. As for Jason, well, he could stew over his little schemes all he wanted.
She remembered how hard it had been when she wanted to share his bed, and all the tricks she’d tried. Now, she wasn’t about to make it easy for him-she wasn’t even considering remarriage yet.
The next morning, Estrella woke to find Jason already up, giving her a look of resentment. Stretching, she reached for her phone by the pillow and joked, “Oh right, I think I might have ‘slept’ you last night. I owe you a tip.”
Mentioning it only made Jason’s expression darken further. “Estrella,” he said curtly.
That one word from him made Estrella pause. “Wait. No, that’s not right. We didn’t actually…”
Unable to hold back any longer, Jason rolled over and pulled her into his embrace. “You heartless girl, messing with me for fun.”
Caught in Jason’s hold, Estrella couldn’t help but laugh, remembering his bathroom serenade from the night before. “It wasn’t to tease you, I swear. I’m just exhausted. If you want, I can step on the scale to prove how much weight I’ve lost.”
When Estrella finished, Jason kissed her directly on the lips, not letting her speak or resist anymore. After their passionate kiss, Estrella propped herself up on Jason’s chest and gently reminded him, “Stop it, I need to get to Glimmering Lake before noon.” She had promised to join the locals for lunch after receiving their call yesterday.
With reluctance, Jason released her and they both prepared to leave for Glimmering Lake. Estrella had intended just a simple meal, but the villagers had gone all out with a hearty spread. She reassured them, advising them to seek medical care and check-ups when necessary. She promised that ChemiSphere would pay every penny as ordered by the court and that she would personally follow up on the matter.
After lunch, having wrapped up their business at Glimmering Lake, Estrella and Jason headed back downtown. Only upon arriving at Nelson International and seeing Drew and the other two secretaries loading gifts into the car did Estrella remember that Jason was due at her family’s house for dinner that night.
After the secretaries left, Estrella turned to Jason, suggesting, “Maybe you should skip tonight, to avoid any awkwardness.”
Three years ago, things might have been strained, but at least her mother, Autumn, had been cordial with him. But now, even Autumn’s warmth had cooled, and her father was
never a fan. What was the point in Jason’ going?
Jason glanced at her coldly. “Am I that embarrassing to you?”
Estrella stared at him, then sighed. “Fine, do whatever you want.” After all, it wasn’t her
discomfort at stake.
So, at half-past five, while the sky was still tinged with the day’s light, Jason’s car rolled up to the Dorvold family home. Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
No sooner had they stepped through the door than Isaac came running at Estrella with open arms. “Mommy, mommy!” It was as though he hadn’t seen Estrella in years.
Estrella’s heart swelled with joy as she lifted Isaac into her arms. Meanwhile, the housekeeper relieved Jason of his gifts, and Autumn said, “Jason, you don’t have to do this. Just coming over for dinner is
enough. There’s no need to bring all this.”
Jason grinned, a gesture of ‘it’s all good, before turning to Isaac. Isaac cleared his throat and belted out, “Uncle Jason!”
Ever since Isaac caught Jason in a tender moment with Estrella, he had forsaken the title ‘Dad’ for Jason, no matter how tight they got afterwards, sticking to ‘Uncle’ instead.
The vibrant call of ‘Uncle’ echoed, leaving Jason with a bittersweet pang in his chest, oh how he longed for the days when isaac would call him ‘Dad.’ Nevertheless, he scooped Isaac up in his arms, “Son, I’ve got a new toy for you. Let’s go play.”
“Thanks,” Isaac replied with a grin.
Off to the side, Autumn couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the peculiar dynamic, mumb “Son and uncle. What in the world…”
Estrella, unfazed, simply shrugged it off, “Let them be. I’m going to head upstairs to change.”
After a quick outfit swap, Estrella came back down to find Isaac and Jason having the time of their lives, so she settled in to review some documents.
Meanwhile, Autumn was bustling in the kitchen. Although she often claimed she wasn’t Jason’s biggest fan, the dishes Autumn was whipping up were all his favorites