The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Melody's expression worsened as she debated on the matter even more. Even her gestures with the flowers became inadvertently forceful. Noticing the changes in her, Beatrice chuckled and said, "Melody, you're going to snap the stems of these flowers if you keep going like that." "Huh?" Melody snapped back to reality, realizing she almost damaged Beatrice's potted plants. "Sorry, Grandma," she apologized sheepishly. "I didn't mean to..."

Beatrice smiled and took the trowel from Melody's hands, saying, "Don't worry about the flowers. Now, what's really bothering you?"

"Oh, nothing!" Melody forced a laugh. "I was just a bit distracted by some celebrity gossip."

Beatrice was not entirely convinced by Melody's explanation, but she did not press further. Instead, she turned back to tending the plants and said, "Melody, appearances can be deceiving. When it comes to these tabloids, it's crucial to get the full story from the people involved before passing judgment."

Melody pondered Beatrice's words, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. 'Grandma's right. The paparazzi love to create stories out of thin air.'

Even so, Melody could not ignore how differently Lucas treated Stella compared to everyone else. She also knew that she herself was only Lucas' wife by contract, so she did not have any right to interfere in Lucas' private life.

Whether he was dating someone or caught in rumors was none of her business.

mind kept going back to those pictures,

on the flowers anymore, so she excused herself. "Grandma, I'm a bit tired. I think I'll go upstairs and rest for a while. Let's do this

not pry further. She just nodded and reminded Melody to take care of herself before letting her go back

her. Every time she closed her eyes, images of Lucas and Stella entering the hotel together flashed in her

afternoon, she had not slept a wink. It was

through the foyer, Lucas happened

met in a silent

had just come back from Stella's side made Melody choose to ignore him. Without offering a greeting, she turned away and headed toward the dining

He found it somewhat perplexing but decided to change his shoes and follow