Page 2 of King of Rage

Stella settled into her chair and crossed one leg over the other, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the table. She offered them a pleasant smile, though the faint narrowing of her eyes suggested she had already grown tired of the subject.

When one of the cocktails was placed in front of her, she reached for the glass almost absentmindedly. Her fingers curled around the stem as she lifted it, giving the drink a small swirl before bringing it to her lips.

She had intended to take only a sip.

Instead, one drink turned into another.

Then another.

Each time, she reached for the glass without giving it much thought, taking another slow sip as the conversation continued around her. The cocktails tasted deceptively sweet, making it far too easy to keep drinking.

Before Stella realized how much she had consumed, the alcohol had already begun to cloud her judgment. A faint warmth spread through her body, and her movements gradually became looser and less careful.

By the time the dinner finally came to an end, it was well past midnight.

Stella stumbled out of the restaurant, her purse hanging from her shoulder as she stepped onto the pavement. The cool night air brushed against her flushed cheeks, but it did little to clear her head.

She stopped near the entrance and blinked several times.

The city stretched out before her, alive despite the late hour. Traffic continued to move through the streets, headlights sweeping across the pavement. Neon signs flickered above storefronts, and the distant hum of engines mingled with the occasional burst of laughter from pedestrians passing by.

A couple walked past her, their fingers intertwined. A group of friends stood outside a late-night café, laughing over something one of them had said.

Stella watched them for a moment, her unfocused gaze lingering on the couple.

She hadn't intended to get drunk tonight.

She had driven herself to the restaurant, fully expecting to return home after the meeting. But somewhere between discussing business and entertaining her partners, she had allowed the cocktails to keep coming.

Now, the ground seemed to shift beneath her feet.

She reached for the nearest street sign to steady herself and let out a quiet breath.

“Damn it,” she muttered, pressing her fingers against her temple.

The conversations from earlier that evening began replaying in her mind.

‘As far as I know, Miss Gibson hasn't been in a relationship in years.’

‘She's an impenetrable wall. No one gets close to her.’

‘When are we finally going to meet your boyfriend?’

The words seemed to grow louder with every passing second.

Stella lowered her hand and stared blankly at the stream of headlights moving past her.

They were wrong.

She had loved someone once.

And she had fallen for him so completely that, even now, the memory of it could still tighten her chest.

Four years ago, Stella had met one of the most successful men in the business world.

Lucius Frost.

Even thinking his name made something twist painfully inside her.