When Love Comes Late

Upon hearing this, Sanford turned to Stella, looked at her for a moment, and suddenly moved his hand toward her hair.

However, before his fingers could touch it, his wrist was firmly seized by someone.

The three individuals at the table were briefly startled and instinctively glanced upward.

Matthew, standing behind Sanford, wore a stern expression.

He grasped Sanford’s wrist with a firm grip and pushed it away.

He sharply said, “Mr.

Quimby, show some decency.

Stella is married.

Publicly touching her is improper and could tarnish her reputation.”

Stella’s countenance shifted subtly upon seeing Matthew, her heart tightening with unease.

She struggled to comprehend Matthew’s intent.

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Library

Was he emphasizing his role as her spouse?

Sanford, on the other hand, merely smiled with indifference.

He casually rubbed his wrist and inquired, “Mr.

Clark, is there a misunderstanding? I merely noticed a speck of lint in Stella’s hair and sought to assist her.

How could that jeopardize her reputation?”

Matthew, upon hearing this, turned to Stella and indeed saw a minuscule white speck in her hair.

The lint was so small it was nearly imperceptible unless scrutinized closely, highlighting Sanford’s attentiveness to Stella.

This realization made Matthew quite uneasy.

Stella responded by brushing her hair herself, disregarding Matthew’s presence.

Instead, she expressed gratitude to Sanford.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

“Thank you.

It might have appeared when I was at the hospital earlier.”

Matthew’s expression tightened at the mention of “hospital,” his voice tinged with concern.

“Are you unwell?”

Stella found the question somewhat ironic but primarily felt a profound sadness.

Previously, Matthew had shown greater concern for her mother’s treatment than she did, yet now he seemed to have entirely forgotten about her mother’s condition.

She couldn’t understand why this selective memory loss would cause him to forget such crucial memories.

Or perhaps she was overestimating herself, and those memories held less importance for Matthew than she assumed?

Bella, observing the scene, finally accepted that Matthew indeed suffered from selective memory loss.

Noting the strained atmosphere, Bella stepped in to clarify, “It’s not Stella who needed medical care at the hospital; it was me.”

Matthew visibly relaxed upon learning that Stella was well.

He had only vague recollections of Bella, knowing she was Stella’s mother.

Bella observed the unfamiliarity in Matthew’s eyes with a hint of resignation but still offered, “If you’re free, why not join us for a meal?”

She then addressed Sanford, asking politely, “Mr.

Quimby, would you mind?”

Sanford did not respond directly.

Instead, he cast a sardonic glance at Matthew and remarked, “Mr.

Clark seems rather busy.

Surely he wouldn’t come all this way just for a meal?”

He then turned to Stella, adding, “Moreover, Stella might prefer not to dine with him.

I’ll defer to Stella’s wishes.”

Sanford’s tone carried a suggestive undertone, and his gaze toward Stella was affectionate.