---- Chapter 97 Tara bent over to dust the lower shelf, and when she straightened up too quickly, the world spun. She staggered backward, disoriented. A pair of hands caught her from the sides, steadying her and gently pulling her into a firm chest. She inhaled a subtle, familiar scent and felt the heat radiating from the man behind her. Then came Shawn's husky voice. "Skipped breakfast?" he teased, though his tone betrayed concern. Tara quickly regained her balance and stepped out of his arms.

Shawn let her go without resistance. "I did. Maybe the sugar hadn't reached my head yet. Thanks for the help," she said. She glanced at him, puzzled. When had Shawn gotten here? Shawn suggested , "I'll have Terence prepare something for you to eat so that you'll feel better. " Tara waved her hands to refuse. "Thanks, Mr. Wilhelm , but that's not necessary. Mr. Robertson had already told the cooks to prepare nutritious meals for me." She was truly grateful to Shawn.

She might've fallen and ---- hit her head if he hadn't stepped in to help her. The smile on Shawn's face faded a little. It was as if he was a little perturbed because she thanked him in almost every sentence. "You don't have to thank me all the time," he said. Tara thought he was merely being polite, so she didn't think much about it. "You helped me. It's only natural for me to thank you." She stared at him intently as if studying his face. His skin was fair, and he looked calm and composed.

It didn't seem like he was feeling unwell. Shawn chuckled and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Worried that he might misunderstand her, Tara explained , "I thought your body felt too warm. I wanted to check if you were having a fever." Ever since she turned around, Shawn's left hand had never left his pocket for some unknown reason. He commented , "Maybe it's because I stood under the sun for a while." That was possible . Tara asked, "Mr.

Wilhelm , I-I'll get going then." Smiling , Shawn then turned and headed upstairs. After ---- entering his bedroom, he closed the door behind him. He wore baggy sweatpants that morning. Now that he was alone in the room, he finally pulled his hand out of his pocket, no longer hiding his erection. As he sat on the couch elegantly , he sipped tea from his cup, seemingly unbothered about the change in his condition.

This scene, like him, was calm, but there was also something eerie and unsettling about it. Tara wasn't in charge of taking the food to the four men today. When Tara and Stella went overseas , Gemma had already trained two new housekeepers for the task. So for today, Betty, Queenie, and the two new housekeepers would be responsible for the men's meals. Tara, meanwhile, massaged her sore right arm as she made her way to the washroom. Then, from around the corner, she heard someone pleading, "Mr.

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Oakley, can't you just let it go this once?" Tara paused. That voice was undeniably Stella's . She'd clearly cornered Terence in the hallway, hoping to speak with him. But this wasn't the right place for serious conversation. Seeing Stella's tears and hearing her pleas, Terence felt quite troubled. She had pleaded with him twice since early ---- this morning. "Stella, you took things too far.

Gemma and I have turned a blind eye to your antics before, but your behavior has become even more extreme. Tara was innocent . Do you know how much danger she would have been in if Mr. Swain hadn't discovered her?" Terence said. Even in his disappointment, Terence tried to sound measured. He didn't mention that he knew Stella had faked her ankle injury. There was nothing Stella could do but weep. She couldn't even form a sentence at this point, and Terence didn't have anything else to say.

He was utterly disappointed in her. Eventually, he told her, "Face it, Stella." Tears streamed down Stella's face as she stopped him from leaving. "Mr. Oakley, please give me another chance. I'll change for the better!" But Terence shook his head and rejected her outright." Gemma agreed to let you stay another month with pay while you recover. Use that time to sort yourself out." With that, he walked away, not once looking back. Tears streamed down Stella's face.

Tara stood frozen, stunned by everything she'd just heard. ---- Stella had been fired? But she was the female lead. That wasn't supposed to happen. When Stella turned the corner and spotted Tara, she froze for a moment -then wheeled herself away quickly, as if Tara's presence burned. Still dazed, Tara entered the washroom and washed her hands. She stared blankly into the mirror, her mind racing with thoughts.

Logically speaking, no matter what happened in the story, the ending should be the same. But why did Stella, the female protagonist, get sacked? Tara recalled Terence's words about Stella taking "paid leave" and wondered if that was the key that would unravel the mystery. As Tara puzzled over it, she didn't realize she was already being pulled deeper into the chaotic web of the story's shifting plotlines.

Since Tara wasn't in charge of the meals, she successfully avoided meeting Soren and Lance. But when one person rejoices, another might not. ---- That night, Soren returned from the studio, collapsed onto the couch, and realized something -he hadn't seen Tara all day. She was probably relieved. He missed her. A part of him wanted to go find her, but he was afraid he'd get too attached if they saw each other again. Still, he took comfort in knowing she hadn't seen Lance either.

At 9:30 pm, someone knocked on Lance's bedroom door. "Come in," he said. Then, Queenie entered the room with a cup of warm milk. "Mr. Swain, Tara asked me to bring this to you," she said. Lance barely looked at her. He responded with a low grunt of acknowledgment. Queenie didn't dare linger. She placed the cup down and slipped out, closing the door behind her. Lance's cold eyes drifted to the cup of milk, steam still rising. He narrowed his gaze, fingers tapping once against the rim. Tara needed to be taught a lesson.