Chapter 1246 Kiss Mark
When Stella woke up, pain was the only sensation she could register—a throbbing agony as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to her skull, threatening to split it wide open.
She groaned miserably, pressing her palms against her temples in a futile attempt to ease the pounding. Why did her head feel like it was being crushed in a vise? Was she coming down with something?
Then it hit her, and her hands froze mid-massage. No—this wasn't illness. This was the unmistakable torture of a hangover, the price of too much alcohol the night before.
She murmured, "Damn it. I really need to learn when to stop drinking."
Stella dragged herself out of bed, her mouth dry as sandpaper. Not bothering with slippers, she padded barefoot across the cold floor, stumbled to the living room, and poured herself a glass of water.
She'd barely finished drinking when someone knocked at the door. Confused, she set down the glass and wobbled to the entrance, pulling it open to find Lowell, Randy's driver, standing there with a polite smile.
"Good morning, Ms. Reed. Mr. Langley sent me to bring you some hangover medication. I heard movement inside and figured you might be awake."
"Randy?" Stella accepted the pills, her brain foggy for a moment before breaking into a delighted smile. "I knew Randy would look out for me! He knew I'd have a splitting headache and sent you over with medicine."
His thoughtfulness warmed her heart like nothing else could.
"Now that I've delivered these, I'll be on my way," Lowell said with a courteous nod.
"Thank you so much!"
After he left, Stella closed the door and took two pills according to the instructions. The apartment had been tidied up completely—when had that happened? She sank onto the couch, leaning back and closing her eyes as she tried to piece together the previous night.
When had Randy left? She remembered feeling strange after their late-night snack, but then... what? Who had cleaned up? How had she gotten back to her bedroom? The memories were completely blank, as if someone had erased them entirely.
Stella wasn't one to obsess over mysteries she couldn't solve. Since her brain refused to cooperate, she gave up trying to remember. The stale smell clinging to her clothes was unbearable, so she grabbed her bathrobe and headed for the shower.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, she winced at her reflection. The hangover had left her looking ghastly—bloodshot eyes, pallid lips drained of all color, and skin that looked like death warmed over.
Then she noticed something that made her lean closer. Her lip was split at the corner, a small but unmistakable injury that she'd somehow missed before.
She touched it gingerly—still tender. How had this happened? She examined the wound more carefully: slightly swollen, with broken skin that looked like she'd bumped into something hard.
"Did I fall last night?"
She reached for her phone to text Randy about the injury, then hesitated and put it away. They'd be seeing each other soon anyway—she could ask him in person.
The hangover medication was already working its magic as she sank into a fragrant bubble bath. Her headache began to fade, and the hot water soothed her aching body. She let out a contented sigh, finally able to relax.
After her bath, she dressed in something pretty and headed out. Sitting in the taxi, she stared at her phone screen, growing increasingly irritated. It was nearly noon, and Randy hadn't sent his usual morning text—the daily schedule update that she always looked forward to and promptly replied to.
Today, nothing. No messages, no calls. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air. Maybe he was still sleeping off his own hangover?
Sunshine Manor was eerily quiet when she arrived, with only a few staff members visible. She checked her watch—1 PM. Where was everyone?
"Where is everyone?" she asked one of the maids. "The house seems so empty."
"Mr. Martin Langley went to the office, and the others took Mrs. Langley shopping," the woman explained cheerfully. "They left early this morning and planned to have lunch out."
"What about Randy and Charles? Did they go too?"
It made sense for the women to go shopping together, but surely the men wouldn't tag along for a shopping expedition.
The maid nodded, then shook her head. "Mr. Charles Watson went with them, but Mr. Randy Langley stayed home. He had breakfast and went upstairs, and Mrs. Patricia Langley told us not to disturb him."
Stella's eyes lit up at the news that Randy was still here.
"So Randy's home!"
"Yes, he hasn't left his room all day."
"Perfect, thank you!"
Stella dismissed the maid and practically flew upstairs. Standing outside Randy's door, she raised her hand to knock, then paused and tested the handle instead. It turned easily—unlocked, as she'd hoped.
She slipped inside, lifting her skirt hem as she tiptoed across the darkened room. Heavy curtains blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only a thin shaft of light to cut through the gloom.
It took her eyes a moment to adjust before she could make out Randy's sleeping form. He lay on his side, breathing deeply, a sky-blue comforter draped loosely over his torso, which rose and fell with each breath.
Unable to resist, Stella crept to the bedside and gazed down at him. Even in sleep, he was devastatingly handsome—sharp cheekbones, thick hair that fell across his forehead, a perfectly straight nose, and those gentle, expressive eyes that could make her forget her own name when they were open.
'Some woman is going to be incredibly lucky someday,' she thought with a pang of jealousy at the idea of Randy marrying someone else.
As she studied his face, something caught her attention. She leaned closer, certain she was seeing things, but no—Randy's lip was also split, in almost exactly the same place as hers.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again, moving even closer to be sure. Despite the dim lighting, she could see clearly now that her eyes had adjusted. Randy definitely had the same type of injury on his mouth.
She murmured, "How strange..."
Stella blinked her wide eyes in confusion, staring at Randy's lips without realizing how close she'd gotten—close enough that their breath mingled in the space between them.
Sensing her presence, Randy's eyes snapped open, locking immediately with her startled gaze.
They froze, both caught completely off guard by the intimate proximity, neither quite sure what to make of this unexpected moment.
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