chapter2260

Longing for the moment to stretch on, Stella reached up, attempting to unbutton Matthew's shirt. But after a few clumsy tries, she fumbled and sighed, her frustration plain.

"Why can't I get this right… What do I do?"

"Hey, don't stress," Matthew murmured, his voice thick with emotion. Taking Stella's hand, he gently helped her, showing her how to work the buttons.

In a flash of passion, Matthew held Stella close, and they shared an intimate embrace. The room seemed to swirl with warmth, the air charged with something palpable and sweet.

They moved from the sofa to the bedroom, and from there to the bathroom, wrapped up in each other like nothing else existed. After they had washed away the remnants of the night in the bathroom, Matthew carried Stella back to bed, where the irresistible pull of emotion took hold yet again.

By the time the clock struck three, Stella was spent, her body drained, her eyelids far too heavy to fight. Sleep claimed her swiftly.

Matthew watched her for a moment, her breath steady and deep. He finally let her be, rolling off with a contented sigh, though faint marks lingered on his back — marks Stella had left in the heat of the moment.

In the dim light, he studied Stella, his gaze intense. There was something hauntingly familiar about the evening's events, yet his mind offered no explanation. No memory of how, or why, it all felt like déjà vu.

A shadow crossed Matthew's expression. Slipping out of bed, he dressed in silence. Heading toward the wardrobe, he opened it, intending to grab something before leaving. But something caught his eye — a document tucked away inside. The date on it startled him. It was from a year after he and Stella had registered their marriage.

The next day, a soft, steady drizzle fell outside, enveloping the world in a gentle mist.

Stella felt a dull ache throughout her body, her head throbbing painfully from the excesses of last night's drinking. She struggled to open her eyes, momentarily disoriented as the world around her swirled into focus.

Blinking, Stella slowly registered that she was in her own bed, a wave of confusion washing over her. Then, sensing something was amiss, she cautiously lifted the quilt to take a look underneath. What she saw took her completely by surprise.

She was not fully dressed and couldn't fathom why. Panic surged through Stella as she shot up, her heart racing. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the figure of a man on the sofa, and a chill ran down her spine.