Stella Sterling was so engrossed in her food, she didn't even notice Roman Rhodes had already put down his chopsticks.
A moment later, she started to feel full.
Stella Sterling rubbed her stomach and took a few sips of hot tea.
When she looked up, her eyes unexpectedly met the man's deep, intense gaze from across the table.
Stella Sterling's heart skipped a beat. She stared blankly at Roman Rhodes for several seconds, then a shiny, clear droplet of snot slowly started to trickle from her nose...
She was in a daze, completely unaware.
The corner of Roman Rhodes's lip curled up slightly. He calmly looked away, picked up the teapot to refill their cups, and asked, "Miss Sterling, you came to Vicenza to find me. What can I do for you?"
Stella Sterling snapped back to her senses, and the sensation under her nose immediately caught her attention.
Annoyed, she grabbed a tissue and wiped her nose a couple of times. The roots of her ears turned visibly red.
'Aaaah!'
'How could this happen? How could I get a runny nose in public!'
'Roman Rhodes... he didn't see that, did he?!'
Stella Sterling stole a glance at the man, who was pouring tea with his eyes lowered. He seemed completely unfazed, as if he hadn't noticed her embarrassing predicament, and she relaxed slightly.
"Mr. Rhodes, to be honest, I came to see you because I'd like to ask you about something."
Roman Rhodes looked at Stella Sterling. "Go on."
The man's gaze was serene, his arm resting casually on the corner of the table. He exuded a dignified, self-assured calm that inspired confidence.
It was as if no problem, no matter how great, was beyond him.
Stella Sterling didn't beat around the bush and stated her purpose directly. "A few days ago, in the Rhodes Family museum in Highgate, I took a liking to one of the exhibits. I wanted to ask if any of the pieces in the museum are for sale."
Roman Rhodes tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "Which one?"
Stella Sterling took out her phone, pulled up a picture, and leaned forward to hand it to him. "This Tea Bowl set right here."
Roman Rhodes pinched the screen with two long, slender fingers to zoom in. With just a single glance, he identified its origin.
"A piece by Mr. Herman."
Stella Sterling pressed her lips together and said seriously, "Mr. Rhodes, this Tea Bowl set is very important to me. If it's at all possible, price isn't an issue."
'Besides, it's not my money.'
Roman Rhodes set the phone down, the pad of his thumb gently stroking the face of his pinky ring. "Have you studied Tea Bowls extensively, Miss Sterling?"
When it came to this topic, Stella Sterling was full of confidence, but she answered humbly, "I know a little."
'After all, she'd been soaking up knowledge at Jewell's side since she was a child, so of course she knew a fair amount.'
Roman Rhodes noticed her subtle expression of hidden confidence and smiled faintly. "Generally speaking, the collections in private museums are not for sale."
The hope that had just begun to blossom in Stella Sterling's heart vanished in an instant.
'Just as I expected. It's impossible.'
Stella Sterling nodded, trying to save face. "You're right, Mr. Rhodes. It was presumptuous of me to ask."
'Ian Jarvis, you're on your own.'
Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Roman Rhodes's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He asked nonchalantly, "Are you hoping to acquire this Tea Bowl set as a gift, or for your own collection?"
Stella Sterling forced a smile. "It's a gift."
Those two simple words didn't seem to convey the importance of the Tea Bowl set.
She added, "For an elder."
That much was true.
'Because the second of next month was her uncle Eugene Jarvis's sixtieth birthday banquet.'
'That Tea Bowl set was what Ian Jarvis planned to use to butter up his own father.'
'The spoiled heir figured that if he successfully curried favor and made his dad happy, he'd most likely be spared from being sent abroad to be put through the wringer.'
Roman Rhodes didn't respond to what Stella Sterling said. He simply looked at her and asked coolly, "Would you like anything else to eat?"
Stella Sterling sniffled and slowly shook her head. "I'm finished. I'm so sorry for taking up so much of your time."
The young woman was returning in defeat, completely dejected.
Roman Rhodes took this in. He casually picked up a gift box—part of some buy-one-get-two-free deal—and said in a steady voice, "It's no problem. Let's go."
Stella Sterling followed the man out of the private room.
She kept her head down the entire way, her energy completely gone.
An Alpha was parked nearby on the side of the road.
Stella Sterling stood on the steps, waving listlessly. "Take care, Mr. Rhodes."
Roman Rhodes turned to her and said in a low voice, "Get in the car. You're coming with me."
Stella Sterling looked up at the man before her, confused.
They were only a step apart. At such a close distance, Stella Sterling's focus couldn't help but stray.
'He's so tall!'
He was more than a full head taller than her.
The man before her was tall and lean, with broad, solid shoulders.
The blazing sun poured down from behind him, casting his shadow so that it completely enveloped the slender Stella Sterling.
Seeing Stella Sterling spacing out, Roman Rhodes tilted his chin up slightly. "What are you waiting for? Isn't it hot?"
"Huh? Oh."
Though she didn't understand why, Stella Sterling obediently slipped into the car.
'As for why she was being so obedient, she chalked it up to her headache and runny nose making her muddle-headed.'
Inside the Alpha, the air conditioning was set very low.
The sudden change from hot to cold made Stella Sterling shiver. She curled her fingers and tensed her shoulders.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her from the side.
Stella Sterling turned to look, then heard the man's deep voice ask, "Have you caught a cold?"
Just as he finished speaking, a custom-tailored black suit jacket landed on her lap.
Stella Sterling was about to say no, but a sneeze gave her away completely.
Roman Rhodes gave her a long look. "Just wear it."
Stella Sterling stopped trying to act tough. She silently unfolded the jacket and draped it over herself like a blanket.
Brandon Coleman, in the front seat, caught this scene in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but smile.
'Miss Sterling really is one of a kind,' he thought. 'No wonder she's caught Mr. Rhodes's eye.'
'Any other young woman would be too busy trying to act prim and proper. Who else would use Mr. Rhodes's jacket as a blanket like that?'
Perhaps Brandon Coleman's gaze was a little too obvious and unrestrained.
The perceptive Roman Rhodes sensed his stare, and his dark, piercing gaze shifted to the rearview mirror.
A chill went down the back of Brandon Coleman's neck. He quickly composed himself and stared straight ahead, not daring to glance back again.
The car fell silent.
Stella Sterling closed her eyes, leaning drowsily against the seatback.
Perhaps still not feeling warm enough, she reached out a small hand from under the jacket and carefully tucked it in around her legs and neck.
She didn't seem satisfied until she was wrapped up snugly.
The act was rather childish.
The corner of Roman Rhodes's mouth curved up. He gave Brandon Coleman a look, signaling him to turn up the temperature.
Brandon Coleman acknowledged the order. Then... enduring the ninety-plus-degree sun outside and the gradually rising temperature inside, he stomped on the accelerator with all his might.
'He was going to die of heatstroke.'
About half an hour later, the car drove into Highgate.
Stella Sterling was fast asleep, half her face buried in the collar of the suit jacket, her cheeks flushed.
Roman Rhodes hadn't intended to wake her, but the chime of an automatic gate opening startled her awake nonetheless.
She smacked her lips, rubbed her eyes, and sat up, still mumbling something.
"Awake?"
Roman Rhodes, who had been about to step out of the car, pulled his long legs back inside.
He studied the just-awakened young woman, his voice a little softer when he spoke.
As consciousness returned, Stella Sterling opened her red-rimmed eyes and asked in a congested voice, "Are we there?"
'Great,' he thought. 'Her cold's gotten worse.'
Roman Rhodes pressed his fingers to his temple, his handsome face tensing for some reason. "Can you manage?"
Stella Sterling nodded, showing no signs of fragility. "I'm fine. Much better. Where... is this?"
She looked outside as she spoke.
When she clearly saw the Highgate road sign and the large words spelling out "MUSEUM," she understood at once.
'Isn't this the Rhodes Family museum?!'