Novel Square
Chapter 194
Immediately, she approached and steadied his arm.
Jason instinctively pulled his arm away and looked over at Drew, who immediately shot him an innocent look, signaling that he hadn’t been the one to tell Holly. Drew was clueless as to why Holly was even there.
Seeing their exchange, Holly chuckled, “Don’t be mad at Drew. It wasn’t him who told me. A friend mentioned seeing you around, so I decided to come over.” She then offered, “Let me drive you home.” Without waiting for a response, Holly helped Jason into the car.
The vehicle started up, and Holly, gripping the steering wheel, turned to Jason and asked softly, “Feeling down?”
Over the past few years, Nelson International had been thriving, and Jason had earned the title of Outstanding Young Professional several times. Everyone was aware of his capabilities; he shouldn’t be in this state.
At Holly’s question, Jason glanced at her and said flatly, “Estrella’s back.”
Hearing this, Holly’s grip on the wheel faltered for a moment. That explained it. She had come to pick him up, and he had agreed without hesitation, all because he wanted to tell
her Estrella was back.
After a moment of reflection, Holly smiled and said, “Estrella’s back, huh? Then why aren’t you happy?”
Jason remained silent. He had been happy at first, but Estrella’s behavior earlier had dashed any joy he might have felt.
The rest of the drive passed in silence. Holly dropped Jason off at Sandalwood Oasis without another word exchanged. He didn’t speak again until he was safely inside his home. Watching Jason disappear into the house, Holly suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if the little that she had managed to hold on to was no longer hers.
In the past, Jason rarely came home, but since Estrella left, he had started to return every night.
Holly lingered outside Sandalwood Oasis for a long time, until the light in the master bedroom on the second floor turned on. With a resigned smile, she finally started up her car and drove away. After years of recuperation, Holly’s health had improved significantly. She could now travel and drive independently.
Upstairs in the master bedroom, Jason looked through the bookshelf, desperately searching for any trace of the life he and Estrella had shared. However, after a long search, he found nothing. No wedding photos, not even any of Estrella’s personal belongings. When she had left Sandalwood Oasis, she had taken everything with her.
08:2
Sitting at the desk Estrella often worked at late into the night, Jason opened a few
drawers and eventually found their marriage certificate tucked away in the corner of the second drawer. He dusted it off, remembering how he had carelessly tossed it in there when they first got it.
Staring at the registration photo brought a flood of memories. It wasn’t until Marie knocked on the door to offer a late-night snack that Jason put the certificate away.
Despite his attempt to hide it, Marie noticed the marriage certificate in his hand and said, “Mr. Jason, you must be missing Ms. Estrella. Why don’t you go see her? Spouses shouldn’t stay mad at each other. You and Ms. Estrella even grew up together.”
Jason didn’t mention Estrella’s return. He simply declined the snack and told Marie to rest.
The next morning, Jason arrived at the company with a hangover. Soon after, Drew knocked and entered Jason’s office, though he looked uneasy. Seeing Drew’s pale face, Jason said curtly, “Get to the point.”
HDrew cautiously approached and handed him a document, whispering, “Ms. Estrella has filed for divorce. This is the court summons.”
After Drew finished reporting, Jason angrily threw the papers across the room. Estrella was indeed in a hurry. She had failed yesterday, and now she had gone straight to filing Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.
for divorce.
Drew shivered at Jason’s rage. Both of these figures were intimidating, and neither was easy to deal with. Swallowing nervously, he asked, “Mr. Jason, what should we do now? Ms. Estrella…”
Before he could finish, Jason snapped, “What to do? Tell the court to leave her petition hanging. Just ignore it.”
Although he could delay the process, Estrella’s ruthless petition weighed heavily on Jason’s mind. After 26 years of knowing each other, she wanted to take it to court? To make it public?
While Jason resented Estrella’s lack of consideration, he never considered the times she
had tried to please him, and how rarely he had reciprocated.
“I understand, Mr. Jason,” Although Drew promised Jason, he felt that Estrella would have her own way of handling things. Moreover, after being away for three years, she must have thought her decision through.
Clang! After Drew gently closed the door and departed, Jason rubbed his temples, his frustration evident. His gaze shifted from the door to the summons on his desk. His hangover headache intensified.
When Estrella was away, he longed for her return. Now that she was back, it was nothing but a headache. In any case, she was never easy to handle, always the one who drained his energy and stirred his emotions the most.
After staring at the summons for a while, Jason tore it up and threw it in the trash. He hadn’t divorced her three years ago, and he wasn’t about to now.
Still, there were times when he wanted to do something for Estrella, only to find he was powerless.
That afternoon, as Estrella left the courthouse, she found Jason’s car had firmly blocked hers.
Estrella casually stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sleek trousers, her eyes locked on Jason with an unwavering gaze. Jason, upon noticing her stance, climbed out of the car with an icy expression and said coolly, “We bumped into each other the day before yesterday, and today, the subpoena arrives at my office. Estrella, you sure know how to get things done swiftly and efficiently.”
He was still trying to wrap his head around the whirlwind of events from their recent
encounter. One moment she was talking about divorce and the next, the subpoena was delivered straight to his workplace. The whole situation sat with Jason like a rock in his shoe.
Estrella let out a light chuckle, “Thanks for the compliment.”
She knew his sarcasm all too well and couldn’t be bothered to engage in a war of words.
He had the nerve to accuse her of being heartless. Where was his compassion when he left her in a loveless marriage? When he dismissed her, never giving her the respect she deserved, did he ever consider his own coldness?
But all that was water under the bridge. Estrella refused to stoop to bringing up the past, lest he think she hadn’t moved on.
Her indifferent attitude only served to infuriate Jason. In a swift motion, his hand shot out, gripping the back of her neck and yanking her towards him with such force that it
bordered on the edge of roughness.