CHAPTER 139: CHAPTER 139: IT SEEMS I’M NOT THE THIRD WHEEL

Silas Sutton’s tone was both wicked and alluring, with a certain inexplicable charm.

Before Stella Grant could struggle, he pressed down on her hand, his long fingers assertively threading between hers, interlocking their fingers.

Stella’s eyes turned red at the corners, and in her panic, she instinctively bit.

Noticing her intent, Silas backed away a bit, pressing his forehead against hers and said hoarsely, "Being your third wheel, and you still don’t know how to care for someone?"

Stella’s red lips parted slightly, and after a breath, she pressed her lips into a straight line.

The two stared at each other, neither backing down.

After about a minute, Silas was the first to speak, "Are you sure you don’t want to give it a try with me?"

Stella tilted her head up, "What do you like about me?"

Silas teased, "Why? You planning to change?"

Stella took a breath, just about to respond, when the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.

Her eyes flickered slightly, trying to remain calm, "Let go."

Silas tightened their interlocked fingers instead, asking meaningfully, "Do you think it’s your boyfriend?"

Understanding that Stella wouldn’t answer this question, Silas released her fingers with a playful squeeze.

The call was from Sue Woods.

As soon as Stella answered, a torrent of words spilled out from Sue.

Every sentence involved Ben Lawson, not only attacking him personally but also cursing his uncle.

"In all my life, I have never seen such a prissy man,"

"He’s so picky about food, refusing this and that, it’s absurd."

"Just now, he called me to buy fried chicken on Southcross Road, and now he wants me to get bubble tea in The West End. A grown man drinking bubble tea!!"

"Such a sissy, honestly, there’s no other word I could think of to describe him."

After Sue finished her rant, Stella glanced at Silas who had made himself at home, taking a light breath and said, "I tried to call your brother just now, but couldn’t get through."

Sue, still fuming, reflexively asked, "Why would you call my brother?"

Though Stella and Silas weren’t sitting close together, she figured he couldn’t hear Sue, so she spun a tale, "Do you think your uncle’s family will be satisfied with me?"

Sue was startled by the question, "What?"

Stella bit her lip, "Having gotten to know your brother over this time, I think he’s pretty good, a decent choice for marriage."

As soon as Stella said this, there was the sudden sound of screeching brakes on the other end of the line, the tires screeching loudly against the pavement.

Stella’s brows furrowed, thinking Sue might have had an accident, "What happened?"

Sue was scared by Stella’s words, hastily pulling over to the side of the road, she took a moment to collect her thoughts and stammered, "Stella, Stella, you’re joking, right?"

Stella felt she had no choice but to continue with the pretense, "Do I sound like I’m joking to you?"

Sue tugged at the corners of her mouth over the phone, with so much to say but not knowing where to begin, she finally squeezed out a difficult sentence, "Stella, you, you and my brother aren’t suited for each other."

Stella was silent.

After speaking, Sue noticed Stella didn’t respond, thinking maybe she really did like Ray, after much internal conflict, she said softly, "Stella, my brother is... well, you know, with women..."

Sue’s words were tactful but left no doubt of their meaning.

Stella paused, instantly understanding.

No wonder someone as outstanding as Ray Woods was always unsuccessful in blind dates.

Stella hadn’t expected things to reach this point, the topic becoming increasingly awkward.

After Sue finished speaking, waiting for Stella’s reply and hearing nothing for a while, she cautiously asked, "Stella, are you upset?"

Stella, "No."

Sue, "Then, so you’re heartbroken?"

Stella could only laugh, "Also, no."

Sue sighed long and hard, "I really didn’t expect you’d fall for my brother, considering how stunning Silas Sutton is, and you didn’t even go for him. How could you fall for my brother?"

From the bottom of her heart, Sue expressed her genuine wonder.

Stella pursed her lips repeatedly, fearing the more she explained the messier it would get, she quickly said, "It’s late, I have to get up early tomorrow, I’m hanging up now."

With that, without giving Sue a chance to reply, she hung up the phone.

Once the call disconnected, Stella let out a quiet sigh of relief.

But she hadn’t even fully exhaled when the phone in her hand vibrated twice; Sue had sent a voice message.

Stella lowered her eyes, debating whether to convert it to text, when suddenly a long and elegant finger stretched out in front of her.

Before Stella could stop him, Silas had already pressed play on the speaker.

Immediately, Sue’s apologetic voice sounded from the phone: "Stella, I’m sorry, I really mishandled this, I should have told you in advance, but I truly didn’t expect you’d be interested in my brother."

Stella, "..."

In an instant, the air was quiet.

Silas’s voice was deep as he laughed, "What does Sue mean by that?"

There’s something about covering the truth with more lies.

Faced with Silas’s question, Stella gripped her phone tightly without looking up.

After a while, Silas reached out and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, his narrow gaze full of teasing laughter, "Seems like I’m not the third wheel here?"