Love Across Borders: Melinda’s Story - Season 1 Episode 3

Melinda locked eyes with Stanley. Her eyes widened in disbelief as if got struck by a jolt of electricity.
Why is Stanley here? Is he coming for the children? How does he know their existence?
The memories of a specific night seven years ago came back to Stanley. He didn’t realize he was frowning when he looked at her.
Snapping back to her senses, she had a calm expression to hide her panic.
However, his steely eyes were fixed on her face. She could see her reflections in his eyes, and they seemed unreal.
Her heart thumped heavily against her chest under his gaze.
She tried her best to calm down. Meanwhile, Stanley’s eyes were still boring into her. Porcelain complexion. Perfectly sets off her delicate facial features and black hair. Hair is waist-length and as smooth as silk. Beige maxi dress. Still pure as ever.
She averted her gaze on purpose, but he recognized her at first sight.
She hasn’t changed at all.
He was reminded of that night that they spent the whole night awake and intimately until he finally left at 6.00AM. He had taken a good look at her face in the morning light before he left.
Nothing ever tainted her delicate and pure face, and everyone could recognize her at first sight, much less Stanley. It was understandable that he could never get her face out of his mind since then.
Stanley had many questions in mind. What does she want from me? What’s the point of luring me over here after she went into hiding with the ring for a whole seven years?
The silence unsettled Max. He couldn’t understand what Stanley had in mind.
After all, Stanley was known for turning down the women who threw themselves at him, but he was making an exception for Melinda.
Fixing Melinda with a scrutinizing gaze, Stanley felt a hint of hesitation emerging within him, but his eyes remained unwavering. After all, she went too far by stealing the Clear Sky Project. It was the lifeline of Fox Group.
Melinda’s eyes fled him. Gritting her teeth, she turned on her heels and attempted to escape.
However, he was faster. Taking a step to the side, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her back. The force spun her around, and she found himself in his arms the next second.
The faint smell of his cologne wafted over her nose. It’s refreshing.
She shot him a genuine smile. “Sir, you’ve got the wrong person.”
Max could only gape at such a scene.
Stanley frowned at her words, but his eyes never left her face. Melinda had so much trouble containing her nervousness that her eyes shied away from his.
She managed to calm down after trying her best. She couldn’t risk making the same mistake she made seven years ago. After all, she lost her virginity to Stanley that night and gave birth to his two children in the end.
Fortunately, the kids went to Becca’s house earlier. They aren’t coming home any sooner.
Therefore, she took a few steps back. However, he wasn’t planning to let her go. His hand tightened around her wrist when he noticed her attempt to escape.
Raising her head, she watched him with her dark and shiny eyes before feigning ignorance. “Do you know me?”
His cold steely eyes remained on her. Her otherworldly beauty mesmerized him for a moment. The dark eyes that watched him, and the soft skin under his touch; everything brought the memories back into his mind. At that moment, he realized he longed for such a sight and sensation.
“L-Let me go! We can talk this over.” Melinda tried to pry his fingers loose, but he applied much pressure around her wrist.
She immediately gasped in pain and stopped the attempt.
Tearing his gaze away from her face, he darted his eyes to the wooden house and began in a magnetic voice, “Who else lives here?”
Even though he was curious to find out the answer, he remembered the goal of his trip. He doubted Melinda was the person behind the data leak.
“I live alone.” She tried to keep calm. Little did she know it was her son Samuel who had led to Stanley showing up at her doorstep.
Stanley withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her with piercing eyes.
The smile on her face froze, but she patiently asked, “What can I help you with, sir?”
She knitted her brows in agony when the pain around her wrist grew. It hurts!
Taking the tablet from Max, Stanley showed its screen to her. Her heart lurched when she found a red dot overlapping her house on the map, but the pain no longer mattered.
He carefully studied her face, trying to find answers from her expression.
“What is this?” Feigning ignorance, she looked at him.
Stanley put the tablet back into Max’s hands.
“I suppose you’re the person who hacked into my company’s system and stole the data of the Clear Sky Project.” He released the grip on her wrist. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he sized her up.
What does he mean by hacking into his company’s system and stealing the data of the Clear Sky Project?
Questions were running wild in her mind at his statement until realization belatedly dawned on her. Oh gosh, Samuel. What mess have you got me into?
He took the change in her expression as a tacit admission of her doings. A frosty look darkened his face. “Where is it? Give it back now.”
His voice was evident of anger, and she couldn’t help but shiver when she heard the threat that lay underneath his tone.
“Wait a minute! I have no idea what you mean!” Melinda waved her hands, denying her responsibility in this matter. “I have nothing to do with hacking or data stealing. There must be a misunderstanding.”
Shadow fell on his expression. “It’s clear to me you left traces that eventually lead me to you on purpose.”
“I didn’t!” She retorted, innocence written all over her face. “I swear! I don’t know anything about this.”
“I gave you the chance to come clean.” He narrowed his eyes.
At that, the pressure around them dropped. His domineering presence overwhelmed the people around him. All she could ever hope was that her children wouldn’t be implicated.
Stanley took a step forward and grabbed her wrist. He used so much strength that he almost lifted her into the air.
“Careful!” She gasped in pain but remembered to keep her voice down, so she wouldn’t attract her neighbors’ attention. “Let me go.”
However, he refused to show sympathy for her. “Give it back.”
“I didn’t—Ouch!”
At that moment, the children, who had hidden somewhere to eavesdrop on the pair, threw themselves at the adults like a cannonball.
“Daddy! Let Mommy go!” The boy took the lead and charged forward. “Don’t hurt her!”
Meanwhile, the girl burst into tears at Stanley’s outburst. “How could you bully Mommy? You’re a bad guy!”