Chapter 2

Once again, the air went still. The entire crowd was stunned, including the viewers watching the livestream, because everyone recognized the man Stella was kissing and embracing as Rowan Mansfield, the heir to the prestigious Mansfield family in Londale.

Rowan was born with a face that looked like it had been crafted by angels. He came off as nonchalant and flippant, but in truth, he was cold and ruthless. He was so high-born that he was untouchable. Everyone knew he was dangerous, but they couldn't help falling for him nonetheless.

At that moment, the noise on the red carpet died down to a hush. Only the cameras were flashing nonstop. In contrast to the silence on the red carpet, the online comments were like a torrential storm.

"Has Skanky Stella lost her mind?" someone demanded.

"Ahhh! What the hell is she doing? How dare she kiss my Mr. Mansfield!"

"Is she so desperate to go viral? First, she slaps Celina on camera, and now she's forcefully kissing Mr. Mansfield? She must have read too many cheesy novels if she thinks doing this will make her famous!"

"Everyone knows Rowan has no interest in women! Not even someone like Celina can catch his eye! Who does Stella think she is? Does she have a death wish?"

"I heard she and Rowan have never gotten along since they were children. Grab your popcorn, everyone, because we're in for quite the drama!"

"I don't care! She kissed my hubby, damn it! Why can't she just drop dead?"

"Relax. Rowan won't let her off easy. Just kick back and enjoy the show!"

The viewers aside, even Erin—Stella's good friend and manager—was so shocked that her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

Erin was one of the few who knew about Stella and Rowan's history. They had known each other since childhood, but they weren't close. On the contrary, they were on such bad terms that anywhere Rowan appeared, Stella would deem the air so polluted that she would disinfect it with air freshener.

Their sour relationship was because Stella had been crushing on Randy Morse since she was a child. But Randy disliked Rowan, who was superior and adored by everyone, and Stella disliked Rowan because of Randy.

So, what the hell was going on now?

At that moment, Erin and the netizens shared the same thought—Stella was so desperate for fame that she'd gone mad!

Nearby, Celina cupped her cheek and stared at Stella with wide eyes. However, wicked amusement flashed in her eyes. Stella must have lost her mind if she'd worked up the nerve to piss Rowan off! Wasn't she even the slightest bit worried that the ruthless man would kill her?

The bodyguards escorting Rowan were also at a loss as they exchanged looks. After all, they had seen the kiss from up close. They'd actually made to stop Stella when she charged at Rowan earlier, but Rowan had signaled them to stand down with a single look.

What in the world was happening now? Had Stella changed strategies and decided to use her good looks to ensnare Rowan and further her wicked ploys? Or had she hidden poison in her mouth and was now giving Rowan a kiss of death?

But no one was as shocked as Rowan.

When he saw Stella charging toward him, he thought she wanted to slap him. With a barely noticeable sneer on his face, he told his bodyguards to stand down. He was curious about what the disgraced young lady, who had been thrown out of her family, would do.

Was she going to such lengths for Randy? What an idiot!

The contemptuous thought had just crossed Rowan's mind when a pair of arms snaked around his waist, and Stella's sweet, feminine scent filled his nose.

He tensed, wondering if she had meant to strangle him but ended up wrapping her arms around his waist instead. Was she that dense?

Rowan lowered his gaze. He was about to mock Stella when she suddenly looked up and pressed her soft lips against his without a hitch.

A roaring filled Rowan's ears as he wondered stiffly if she had meant to bite his neck but ended up biting his lips instead.

His throat bobbed. Just as he thought he should point out to her that she was biting him in the wrong place, he tasted salt. He then heard Stella whisper hoarsely, "Rowan, I love you…"

She spoke so softly that the breeze could have drowned out her words. Rowan felt his heart tighten. He narrowed his eyes as he gripped her cheeks and shoved her away.

His gesture had the viewers screaming.

"He's going to slap her! He's going to slap her!"

"Slap her hard, damn it! Make her pay for what she did to Celina!"

Rowan lowered his gaze and stared at Stella. Tears streaked her pretty face, and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. With a blink and a flutter of those long lashes, her tears fell like rivulets.

Rowan's brows furrowed. Just as everyone held their breaths and waited for him to slap Stella, he pursed his lips and curled his slender fingers around her face. He brushed the tears from her cheek, scoffing as he asked in a cold, crisp voice, "What are you crying for? You look like hell."

Everyone gaped at him.

For some reason, what should have been an outright insult came off as affectionate teasing. What was happening? Shouldn't Rowan, who had no interest in women, slap Stella for accosting and taking advantage of him?

The crowd exchanged looks as the camera lights flashed relentlessly. Comments poured in like a tidal wave as the viewer number kept climbing. At some point, the livestream crashed.

One of the netizens wrote in alarm, "Oh no! The livestream crashed, damn it!"

"Stupid platform! Fix the livestream right now! I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't see Rowan slapping that skank!"

The world seemed to fade away for Stella at that moment. She saw only Rowan. She bit her lip and, unable to control her tears, mumbled in a hoarse voice, "I miss you. I'm only crying because I miss you…"

Her arms were still wrapped around his waist, and she tightened her hold as if afraid he might disappear.

She stared at him with misty eyes. "I miss you so much, Rowan. I mean it."

Rowan fell speechless. She called him by his first name, but he couldn't help wondering if she meant to say "Randy" instead. Had she made a mistake?

He paused for a moment and suddenly looked around. Everyone who had been staring in their direction, waiting for the next kernel of gossip, immediately looked away and suddenly grew very interested in their surroundings.

Clutching Stella's slender arms, Rowan tried to pry them off his waist so he could take her to the car, where they could talk. However, Stella panicked at this and quickly tightened her arms around him even more, sobbing, "Please don't go, Rowan. Please don't leave me. I'll be good and listen to you, I promise…"

Rowan's hands froze on her arms. Exasperation colored his handsome face. "I'm not leaving you, but can we get into the car first?"

Stella did not believe him. She eyed him tearfully. "I'm scared that you'll disappear if I let go."

All of this was like a dream—one so wonderful that she couldn't bear to let go.

Rowan's gaze softened. "What do I have to do for you to let go of me?"

Stella's tearful eyes lit up. "Kiss me," she said softly and carefully. "Kiss me so that I know you're real, Rowan. Please?"

She hadn't kissed him long enough to know that he was real before he shoved her away. She wanted to kiss him and feel the warmth of his lips. She didn't want to recall how cold his lips had been when he pressed them to her ear and begged her to love him.

Rowan's lips pressed into a thin line as his dark gaze trailed from her eyes to her red lips. She had only ever run that pretty mouth of hers to get under his skin, her words often cold and heartless.

What had come over her today and made her say such sweet things to him? Had she decided to employ the honey trap? Was she seducing him in front of the audience to collect evidence of his being bewitched by her beauty and mock him for it later?

Rowan narrowed his eyes slowly as his lips curled. Unfortunately for Stella, he had never been afraid of a honey trap, not even as a child!

With that in mind, he remained composed and chuckled. His slender fingers cupped her cheek as he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers.

All he could think about at that moment was how soft and sweet Stella's lips were. As such, she was the one on the losing end for choosing to use the honey trap on him!

The livestream was back on just as Rowan lowered his head to kiss Stella. The camera was pointed at the handsome man in the silver-gray suit kissing the beautiful young lady in his arms.

Stella's pink tulle ball gown fluttered gently in the breeze, grazing Rowan's silver-gray trousers. The crystals on her gown shimmered like starlight. It was a picture-perfect moment straight out of a fairytale—a prince kissing his princess.

The anxious netizens who didn't take a good look at the scene began to flood the livestream with comments. "Has he slapped her yet?"

Those who got a good look at the kiss could only sigh in despair. "Yeah, he slapped her with a kiss on the mouth."