It was nearly midnight.
Mr. Coleman parked the car at Promontory Apartments near Kowlen Station.
This was an unoccupied property belonging to Ian Jarvis.
When Stella Sterling came to Vicenza, she usually stayed here.
Stella Sterling got out of the car, ready to head upstairs.
Ian Jarvis stuck his head out of the car window and pleaded with Stella Sterling, "Cuz, you have to help me with the tea set. Otherwise, my old man will really ship me off abroad, and then there'll be no one to drink with you."
Stella Sterling made an OK sign. "I'll have news for you next week."
Ian Jarvis's eyes lit up. He pumped his fist. "I'll be waiting!"
...
「The Apartment.」
Stella Sterling finished her shower. It was already past one in the morning.
She replied to her WeChat messages while drying her hair.
Before she could finish typing her message, a local financial news alert suddenly popped up on her screen.
[NewsNet: Rhodes Harbor Shipping to partner with mainland Port Affairs to create a cross-strait hub port, with Calderin as the first...]
The alert was cut short due to limited space.
Stella Sterling didn't usually pay much attention to news from Vesper Island, but this one mentioned Calderin.
On a whim, she tapped on the alert.
As she quickly skimmed the article, a particular interview excerpt caught her eye.
[Roman Rhodes, President of Rhodes Harbor Shipping, revealed to reporters that in addition to the existing shipping and transport system in The Grand Delta, the Rhodes Harbor Group will shift its focus northward in the second half of the year, with Calderin serving as the first pilot for integrated shipping routes...]
'Roman Rhodes again.'
Stella Sterling had heard or seen his name repeatedly tonight.
The scene of their meeting in the ship's cabin replayed in her mind.
The man under the light had a calm and understated presence. His gentle, measured way of speaking perfectly conveyed a thoughtful refinement.
But in a man who exuded such an air of nobility, that refinement also created a strong sense of distance.
After reading the news, Stella Sterling silently came to a conclusion about Roman Rhodes.
'Someone to be admired from a distance, not scrutinized up close.'
To hold his position as a key figure in the intricate Vesper Circle, one could only imagine the influence wielded by Roman Rhodes and the Rhodes Family behind him.
'Their family background might even have some triad ties from the last century.'
Stella Sterling exited the news page, not wasting another thought on Roman Rhodes.
'He was just a stranger she'd met by chance. They weren't in the same region or social circle; it was unlikely they would ever meet again.'
At that moment, Stella Sterling couldn't possibly have imagined just how unpredictable life could be.
...
On Sunday afternoon, Stella Sterling left Vicenza.
Since her driver, Mr. Coleman, was unexpectedly out, and Stella Sterling didn't trust Ian Jarvis's driving, she simply went to the airport, planning to take an afternoon flight back to the city.
The second before she stepped onto the plane, Stella Sterling sensed nothing amiss.
Until she walked into the first-class cabin and her eyes caught the person in seat 1A. In that instant, she had only one thought.
'Life is unpredictable. And apparently, it has a twisted sense of humor.'
In the window seat, 1A, Roman Rhodes sat with his legs crossed, talking on his phone. In the row behind him sat two grim-faced bodyguards dressed in black.
He was dressed more casually today than last night.
He wore a classic black shirt and suit trousers, no tie. The open collar revealed the slight bob of his Adam's apple as he spoke.
And the light filtering through the window created a miniature Tyndall effect, landing on the side of his face and the curve of his neck and shoulder, making it seem as though the light itself had taken shape around him.
Stella Sterling was in no mood to appreciate the beautiful play of light.
She silently glanced down at her own ticket. Seat: 1B.
'Right. Just perfect.'
'Last night I used his private tasting room.'
'And now I'm on the same flight, in the same row.'
Stella Sterling grumbled inwardly. 'From an omniscient point of view, wouldn't my every move look just a little too deliberate?'
At that moment, Roman Rhodes, still on the phone, slowly lifted his gaze.
Seeing the motionless Stella Sterling, the faintest hint of a smile touched his lips.
It was shallow and faint, almost imperceptible.
Steeling herself, Stella Sterling sat down, doing her best to appear calm and composed.
She clearly hadn't done anything wrong, yet the unfolding situation made her feel inexplicably guilty.
Two or three minutes later, Roman Rhodes hung up the phone.
Stella Sterling put on a timely, friendly, social smile and greeted him, "Mr. Rhodes."
Roman Rhodes put down his phone and glanced sideways at her, his tone perfectly polite yet brief. "Miss Sterling."
Stella Sterling didn't dwell on how he knew her surname. Out of basic courtesy, she replied, "What a coincidence."
"Indeed."
That one word, spoken softly by the man, seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Stella Sterling was momentarily speechless, suspecting he was subtly mocking her.
But on second thought, a man like Roman Rhodes wouldn't stoop to subtly mocking a stranger.
Stella Sterling managed a smile and said nothing more.
Before long, a flight attendant brought hot towels and blankets. "Mr. Rhodes, the flight time is estimated to be forty minutes. If you need anything at all, please feel free to let me know."
The man lightly turned the pinky ring on his left hand. "Thank you."
The flight attendant was very professional and repeated the same words to Stella Sterling.
However, an overthinking mind is prone to error.
Stella Sterling didn't know what came over her, but like a parrot, she echoed, "Thank you."
Her tone and pronunciation carried an undeniable hint of mimicry.
The flight attendant smiled and left.
Amusement flickered in Roman Rhodes's eyes.
Stella Sterling's expression was as calm as a still lake, but inwardly, a storm was raging.
'Claire Shawcross always said that the best way to diffuse an awkward situation is to pretend it isn't awkward.'
And so, with a composed expression, Stella Sterling unfolded the blanket, smoothed its wrinkles, draped it over herself, closed her eyes, and feigned sleep.
Despite this, only Stella Sterling knew that her inner self was already shadowboxing Muay Thai in frustration.
'Simply unbelievable.'
'She and Roman Rhodes must have clashing stars or something.'
...
About fifty minutes later, the plane docked at jet bridge 211, Terminal 3 of Calderin International Airport.
Stella Sterling had dozed for the entire flight. In the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, she heard the low murmur of conversation.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure facing Roman Rhodes, bent slightly at the waist as if giving a report.
Stella Sterling raised her seat back to the upright position and rubbed her temples.
She took out her phone, switched off airplane mode, and a few WeChat messages immediately flooded in.
Stella Sterling tapped on her chat with Claire Shawcross first.
There were three messages in total.
The first two appeared to be a username and password, followed by a website link.
The last was a voice message, which Stella Sterling casually played.
[Be sincere, pursue true love, and seize your chance at happiness—the next one to get married could be you! True Match, with its massive database of single men, is your personal garden of love...]
Having just woken up, still utterly dazed, and having forgotten to lower the volume, Stella Sterling could only think: '???'
'Claire. Shawcross. What. Are. You. Talking. About?'
Stella Sterling stared at her phone screen, frozen, desperately wishing this was all a dream.
And Brandon Coleman, the assistant who was in the middle of reporting to Roman Rhodes with a slight bow, was stopped dead in his tracks by the voice message playing on full blast.
In contrast to his assistant, Roman Rhodes appeared far more composed and worldly. He didn't move, merely continuing to prop his forehead with his left hand—the one with the pinky ring—his eyelids lowered as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Time seemed to stretch on infinitely in the heavy silence.
The assistant, Brandon Coleman, stole a glance at the mortified Stella Sterling. 'Tsk,' he thought. 'A girl this beautiful and well-put-together needs a dating site to find someone?'
At this point, the situation had spiraled completely out of Stella Sterling's control.
The moment the cabin door opened, a gust of hot, humid air rushed inside.
Stella Sterling was the first one on her feet. She grabbed her bag and strode out, her steps firm, her back rigid.
Her pace grew steadily faster.
Just then, Roman Rhodes slowly lifted his eyelids. His gaze followed her fleeing figure, landing on the tips of her reddened ears, and a flicker of something profound crossed his eyes.