Chapter 1239 Stella Gets Jealous
After leaving the hotel, Stella spotted the Maybach parked outside and rushed over excitedly, pulling open the rear door.
"Thank you for—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Randy in the driver's seat. Without hesitation, she closed the back door and slipped into the passenger seat, her eyes bright with excitement as she looked at him.
"Randy! What are you doing here? I thought you were sending someone else to pick me up."
Randy started the engine, and the Maybach glided smoothly onto the road. Keeping his eyes on traffic, he replied, "I didn't trust you to handle things on your own—you're too scatterbrained. Since the wedding planner's office isn't far from here, I figured I'd come myself."
"Oh!" Though Randy spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Stella couldn't contain her joy.
"Haven't had breakfast yet, have you?" Randy asked.
Until he mentioned it, Stella hadn't realized how hungry she was. Her stomach immediately responded with a loud rumble, and she stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Actually, no! But it's almost lunchtime now anyway, isn't it?"
Randy nodded and pulled up in front of a Cantonese restaurant next to the wedding planner's office. "Let's eat first. This is going to take a while anyway. We'll order, and I'll call Charles to have them join us."
Stella was touched by how well Randy knew her—he knew she was hungry and remembered her love for Cantonese cuisine. She eagerly jumped out of the car.
The restaurant was nearly empty at this early hour. Randy chose a private dining room, and Charles and Hannah arrived shortly after.
Charles looked at Stella with exasperation. "You're seriously slowing us down. Tomorrow you're staying home with Hannah while we handle the rest. Randy can't keep babysitting you—he has other responsibilities."
Stella pouted and glared at Charles, but he continued, "All the decisions Hannah needed to make are done anyway. Everything else can be delegated. At least with you there, she won't be bored at home alone."
Hannah reached across the table and squeezed Stella's hand. "Perfect timing, actually. I don't want to be running around everywhere anymore—the baby's getting heavy, and all this traveling is exhausting. Having you there means I won't be lonely."
Seeing Hannah's enthusiasm, Stella swallowed her complaints. "So when do you think you'll finish today?"
"Nothing too complicated," Randy explained. "We need to finalize the ceremony timeline with the wedding planner, review the speeches and video content, plus handle some miscellaneous details. Two hours at most. Then we'll head to the venue to arrange the seating chart. Should be done by five or six."
Stella had been hoping Randy would spend the evening with her, but hearing how busy he'd be until late afternoon, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
After lunch, the four of them returned to the wedding planner's office. Once they finished there, Randy and Charles headed to the venue while dropping Hannah and Stella back at Sunshine Manor.
Without Randy beside her, Stella felt like something essential was missing. She moped around listlessly, unable to summon enthusiasm for anything.
Hannah sat propped up in bed, scrolling through wedding photos on her tablet while Stella sprawled beside her, absently flicking a small roly-poly toy back and forth.
"Hannah, why is Randy so involved in your wedding? It seems like there's always something else to do." 'And no time for me,' she thought.
Hannah continued browsing through their photos with a casual smile. "Charles said he wants Randy to get hands-on experience so he won't be completely lost when his own time comes."
Hannah's words hit Stella like a lightning bolt. She spun around to face Hannah. "Randy's getting married? Does he have a girlfriend? Why don't I know about this?"
Hannah looked up, surprised by her reaction, then returned to the photos. "No, nothing like that. It's just being prepared, you know? He's the same age as Charles, and Charles is already married. It's bound to happen eventually."
Hannah's words deflated Stella completely. She slumped like a wilted flower, practically drooping with disappointment.
"You're right. Charles is married, so Randy can't be far behind."
Hannah nodded, chatting casually. "Exactly. Actually, Randy was supposed to get married last year. If his bride hadn't disappeared at the last minute, they'd probably have a baby by now."
Stella's eyes widened in shock. "Randy almost got married last year?"
Hannah looked up, genuinely surprised. "He's your cousin—you didn't know?"
"I... I had no idea! No one ever told me." Stella's voice turned bitter and sharp. "Why didn't it happen? Where did the bride go? Randy never said a word about this."
Hannah laughed softly. "Having your bride vanish right before the wedding isn't exactly something you broadcast to the world. Everyone knew he was hurting, so we all avoided the subject. I only found out by accident when Fannie mentioned it once.
"Remember when you first met Randy? Charles told me later that Randy was in such a dark place after his bride disappeared that he brought him to Country D to get away from it all. He thought leaving Sunset Bay—all those memories—would help him heal from the heartbreak."
Stella's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Heartbreak! So Randy was really in love with my almost-second-cousin-in-law."
Hannah nodded, her attention drifting back to the tablet. "Must have been. You don't plan to marry someone you don't love."
What had started as mere restlessness now transformed into something much more uncomfortable. Stella felt agitated and out of sorts, taking out her frustration on the roly-poly toy with increasingly violent flicks.
"Do you know how they met?"
Hannah shook her head. "Charles isn't one for gossip, so he doesn't know the details, and neither do I. Randy's always been private about his personal life anyway—he'd never share intimate details about his relationships. After what happened, the family made it completely off-limits, so I know even less."
She glanced up at Stella again, puzzled by her intense interest. "If you're that curious, why don't you just ask Randy directly? He adores you—I'm sure he'd tell you. It's been long enough that he's probably moved on completely."
Stella pressed the toy down flat, preventing it from popping back up. "I don't care about his business. It's none of my concern."
Hannah stared at her, bewildered. Something seemed off about Stella's behavior, though she couldn't put her finger on what exactly.
'Maybe pregnancy hormones are making me paranoid,' she thought. 'Stella's always been curious about everything. This is probably perfectly normal.'
She decided not to read too much into it.
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