Chapter 342 Agreement
Stella's face went blank, and she instantly realized why their relationship had never gone anywhere.
From the start, Charles had only seen her as a stand-in.
She felt hurt, but quickly pulled herself together.
The most important thing now was to win his heart. It didn't matter if she was a substitute; with time, he would come around.
With that thought, Stella swallowed hard, cupped Charles' face, and leaned in to kiss him.
"Charles, I love you."
But as soon as the words left her mouth, Charles' eyes cleared, and he snapped back to reality.
"What are you doing here?"
He stood up, his expression cold, as if the affectionate man from moments ago had vanished.
Stella hadn't expected him to sober up so suddenly, and embarrassment washed over her.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned her head to hide her awkwardness.
"You drank too much. I got a call and was worried you'd feel unwell, so I came to take care of you."
"You can leave now." Charles cut her off coldly.
Stella panicked and reached out to grab him, but he stepped away.
"I-I didn't mean to. I just couldn't help myself, and you were the one who hugged me first."
Charles frowned, rubbing his temples, and said in a low voice, "I was drunk and mistook you for someone else."
Stella bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears as all her accumulated grievances burst forth.
"I'm your fiancée. Who did you mistake me for? You've never touched me. Is there something I'm not doing right?"
"You're doing fine." Charles looked up, his tone indifferent.
"We got engaged for mutual benefit. I can give you what you want. You just need to stay by my side. As for feelings, I can't give you that."
Stella bit her lip harder. She had indeed gained everything, becoming the future "Mrs. Percy", a position everyone envied.
But she hadn't expected that after all this time together, despite her constant tenderness and care, Charles had never developed feelings for her.
Unwilling to give up, she asked, "Do you not like me at all?"
"No." Charles answered quickly, looking into her tear-filled eyes as if seeing someone else through them.
"You look a lot like her. You should be grateful for that face."
He spoke coldly, but his hand reached out to wipe away a tear from her cheek.
Stella forced a smile, feeling as if a knife had stabbed through her heart, making it hard to breathe.
From that moment on, she began to pay attention to the woman named Diana.
Even though Diana was dead, her place in Charles' heart was unshakable.
Seeing Charles' lack of reaction to the idea of marriage, Stella poured a glass of water and walked over.
"Charles, you've been in meetings all afternoon. Take a break. The food will get cold."
Charles turned off his computer screen, his tone distant. "What do you want?"
Stella's eyes were full of emotion.
"Nothing much. I just haven't seen you in a while and wanted to check on you."
Charles looked at her, saying nothing.
Stella felt nervous under his gaze and quickly changed her tune.
"Actually, there is something, but I've already taken care of it."
"Good. What do you want?"
Charles' eyes were indifferent, not wanting to chat further.
Stella's smile faltered, her nails digging into her palm.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and said, "My parents want to invite you to dinner."
"Why?"
"There's been some gossip lately. If you're too busy, we can skip it."
She only said half of what she meant, watching Charles' reaction closely.
Sure enough, Charles paused and looked at her.
"What gossip?"
"The media's been speculating that we're getting married soon."
Stella felt a bit guilty.
"Getting married?"
Stella's heart pounded. She knew Charles couldn't give her love, but she still wanted the title of "Mrs. Percy".
Otherwise, what was her youth worth?
As long as she was tied to the Percy Group, she could have everything she wanted. She couldn't give up what she had now.
"Yeah." Stella nodded, explaining, "Everyone knows about our engagement, and we've been together for three years. The media often uses our wedding news to attract attention."
Charles closed his file and stood up.
"Let them talk."
"So, what do you mean?" Stella twisted her dress, almost tearing the fabric.
Charles walked up to her, looking at her coldly.
"Do you really want to marry me?"
"Yes!" Stella didn't hesitate, quickly expressing her love. "Charles, you know I love you. Of course, I want to marry you."
Charles' heart wavered slightly at her declaration, as if he saw the person he had longed for over the past five years.
But Stella wasn't her.
If it were Diana, she would probably sneer, "Mr. Percy, do you think you're so charming? You think you can just remarry me?"
She was always so defiant, never willing to give in.
Stella noticed his change in expression and quickly realized he was thinking of Diana again.
A wave of resentment and jealousy surged in her heart. 'That Diana, even in death, she won't let anyone have peace!'
Three years. She had tried for three years and still couldn't get into Charles' heart.
Sometimes Stella even hated that she looked like Diana, but she hated Diana even more.
The worst part was that Diana was dead, leaving Stella with no outlet for her anger, forcing her to endure it.
"I can give you the title of Mrs. Percy and hold a wedding, but beyond that, I won't give you anything, including a marriage certificate. You can leave anytime you want."
Charles looked away, his tone flat.
"If you agree, I'll have Nolan arrange it soon."
Stella was stunned. She was surprised Charles agreed to the wedding so easily but didn't understand why there wouldn't be a marriage certificate.
"But if we only have a wedding, how am I different from a mistress?" Stella asked, unwilling to accept it, her voice tinged with bitterness.
Charles' expression remained indifferent.
"You want the title of Mrs. Percy. I agreed, so I'll give it to you. But I only have one wife."
Seeing her tears, he didn't react. He glanced at the time and continued, "You can go home and think it over. I'll respect your decision."
"As for dinner with your parents, I'll have Nolan book a restaurant for tomorrow night. You can leave now. The driver is waiting downstairs."
Stella wiped her tears, all her words reduced to a simple, "Okay."
After she left, the office fell silent again.
Not long after, Nolan knocked and entered.
"Mr. Percy!" He looked anxious, his tie askew.
Seeing his urgency, Charles looked up and asked, "What is it?"
"Three hundred million dollars has been moved from your personal account!"
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