Novel Square
Chapter 189
Jason couldn’t peel his eyes away from Estrella, his gaze glued to her as if his life. depended on it. It felt like centuries had passed since they last saw each other, not just a few years.
At the other end of the hallway, Estrella noticed Jason frozen in his tracks, his face a canvas of surprise. She quickly composed herself and walked towards him at a
measured pace.
When she stopped in front of him, she greeted him with ease, “Long time no see, Jason.” Long time, indeed. It had been so long that she had nearly forgotten him, unable to recall
his features in her mind.
Right after she left Ravenwood, Jason had tried to reach out to her, but she had dodged him at every turn. Eventually, he stopped trying and that was the end of their encounters until this unexpected moment.
The surprise meeting only confirmed to Estrella that she had moved on from the past. Seeing Jason again stirred no emotions within her. After all, she had a son now. What did it matter what had happened before?
Jason finally snapped out of his daze at Estrella’s greeting, “You’re back?” he asked, quickly adding, “When did you get back?”
“A few days ago,” she replied.
Jason knew without asking that everyone probably knew of her return except for him, much like when she was pregnant and everyone knew but him.
“And you’re out for dinner with friends?” he inquired further.
“Yeah, just catching up with some old colleagues from the firm,” Estrella answered.
As Jason was about to say something else, Estrella cut in, “I should get back to the private room. Don’t let me keep you.”
With Estrella saying that, Jason could only respond with a reluctant ‘okay.’ As Estrella brushed past him, Jason turned around and watched her leave. Even after Estrella’s figure disappeared from his sight, Jason’s gaze lingered, still fixed on the corridor.
He had imagined countless scenarios of their reunion, how Estrella might resent him, blame him, or settle old scores. Yet, when they actually met, she brought up none of it—it was as if nothing had ever happened between them.
But then again, when had Estrella ever made a big deal out of anything with him? It was always trivial to her. Otherwise, why would she disappear for three years without a word? With a self-mocking smile, he returned to his private room.
08:36
Meanwhile, at the door of another suite, Estrella was about to enter when Logan
appeared, pulling her aside. “Estrella, perfect timing. I wanted to discuss something with you,” Logan said, stopping her in her tracks.
“Estrella, don’t take our earlier conversation as a joke. We’ve worked together for two years, and we know you’re not one for small talk and prefer to bury yourself in cases. Opening your own firm could be overwhelming. If you’re staying, consider coming back to Justice Guardians LLP, not just as an attorney but as a partner.”
“Your return would boost the reputation of Justice Guardians LLP, which is why we’re extending the partnership offer. We wouldn’t shortchange you,” Logan assured her earnestly.
“I’ll give it serious thought, Logan,” Estrella promised, moved by Logan’s sincerity.
A partnership was a goal many lawyers worked years to achieve, and Logan was offering
it generously. It was a fitting role if she decided to stay in Ravenwood, and after all, she
had started her career at Justice Guardians LLP.
After Estrella agreed to consider the offer, they returned to the private room, and soon the NôvelDrama.Org content.
dinner was over.
Standing outside the hotel, waiting for Arden to pick her up, a cold breeze made Estrella pull her collar tighter around her neck.
“Let me give you a lift,” Jason’s voice came from beside her.
Estrella, arms crossed over her chest, glanced at the sleek black car that had rolled up, its passenger window down, with Jason looking at her nonchalantly.
Estrella said, under Jason’s unwavering gaze. “My colleague is on his way.”
Jason’s expression darkened slightly, but he persisted, “Estrella, I won’t do anything. After all, we’ve known each other since we were kids. It’s only right for me to offer you a ride.”
His car was blocking the hotel’s entrance and, knowing Jason’s relentless nature, Estrella sighed and reluctantly sat in the passenger seat. She knew him for over twenty years. He was the kind who wouldn’t rest until he got what he wanted, so she saw no point in arguing over such a trivial matter.
Once inside, she called Arden, telling him she ran into an old friend and would catch a ride with them. Beside her, Jason noticed the chill that had accompanied Estrella into the car and turned up the heat.
With the call finished, Estrella busied herself with her phone, treating the ride as if she were in a cab, while Jason drove through the night, both enveloped in the silence that had settled between them.
Despite three years apart, the past disappointment of being stood up, the fall at
Sandalwood Oasis, and the week-long hospital stay without a visit from Jason, Estrella’s
08:36 3
emotions remained stable when she met him again. She refrained from bringing up the past with Jason.
Gripping the steering wheel, Jason glanced at Estrella, noticing her attention was fixed on her smartphone. A pang of something hit him. He remembered a time when they were close, so close that there was never a shortage of conversation, when she’d report every little thing that happened to her.
Turning his gaze back to Estrella, Jason asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”