Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170

You must be joking, right?” Harvey chuckled playfully, a mix of affection and helplessness. “Come on, do you really think I’m some kind of slave driver who squeezes work out of the injured?

Relax. I’m not making you sketch anything yourself.”

He pointed at Kenneth. You just need to lay out the core concept, the vibe you’re aiming for, key technical specs, and any

Clever twists or secret touches.

Kenneth’s got a team of seasoned jewelers and assistants who’ll turn your ideas into finished designs and handle the whir production process.”

Harvey added, “Relax. You’ll always have final say on the finished piece, and your name is the only one that’ll show up as the designer.”

Since Kenneth was Harvey’s friend, Stella didn’t worry that he’d steal her work. She was just trying to figure out how to put

her ideas into words.

After a moment of thought, Stella spoke up, her voice clear and steady, setting the tone for her design concept. “Butterfly Ashes.”

“Butterfly Ashes?” Kenneth repeated the word, full of contradictory beauty, then, eyes fixed in concentration, tapped open the recording app on his phone.

“It’s a powerful, evocative name; what’s the story behind it?” he asked.

Stella dipped her head thoughtfully. “Eimdale Company stands for vitality, resilience, and that relentless urge to rise. Butterfly Ashes is a deeper vision, emerging out of all that green.

“It means breaking free from the cocoon, surviving a trial by fire, and soaring back to life, wings outstretched among the ashes.”

“Pain and rebirth; destruction and transformation-” Kenneth murmured, savoring the layers of meaning, his eyes growing brighter. “That’s brilliant. It nails the spirit Eimdale Company wants to convey, perfect for our flagship launch.”

As Harvey listened to Stella lay out her vision, he saw in her eyes a release from the past and a fresh determination, and it moved him.

Butterfly Ashes is also a reflection of everything she’s survived,‘ Harvey thought to himself.

He glanced at Stella, hardly able to hide the ache in his heart, but even more joyfully proud.

Stella kept unfolding her ideas, from picking materials to the crafting process, her inspiration, the story at the heart–even the secret details tucked away in her designs.

Just listening to her, Kenneth and Harvey could practically see how stunning the finished pieces were going to look.

Here, have some water,” Harvey said, spotting how Stella’s lips were getting dry. He quickly reached for a glass of warm water and handed it to her.

Kenneth chimed in right after, “Yeah, don’t push yourself. You go at your own pace; your health’s what matters.”

Stella accepted the glass gratefully, taking small sips. For a moment, the hospital room was so still that there was nothing but the quiet sound of her drinking.

1/3

But that peaceful lull was shattered by an unexpected eavesdropper lurking just outside the door.

ver the calm was shattered by an eavesdropper crouched outside the door.

The woman listened with rapt attention, but when the crucial words broke off mid–sentence, it felt like claws raking her heart. She itched to burst in and demand the rest of the story.

Hey, what are you doing here?” a sharp, suspicious voice suddenly rang out behind the woman.

The woman’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she spun around, her sneaky posture caught red–handed by a nurse

“I–I was just looking over there,” she blurted, wildly pointing somewhere down the hall behind the nurse.

The moment the nurse glanced back on instinct, she shot up like a startled rabbit and fled headlong in the opposite direction, the clack–clack of her high heels slicing through the hushed corridor.

“Hey, what’s wrong with-” the nurse called out.

Hearing the commotion, Harvey stepped out of the hospital room and followed the nurse’s gaze down the hall. “What happened?” he asked.

The nurse didn’t think twice before mentioning that someone had been eavesdropping.

But the woman had run off so fast that the nurse hadn’t managed to catch a good look at her face.

Harvey thanked the nurse, watched her leave, and closed the door behind her.

Stella pressed her lips together. “Who could that have been?”

“Don’t worry. Whoever tries anything with you, there’s no way I’ll let them get away with it,” Harvey said.

He patted Stella gently on the shoulder, exchanging a meaningful glance with Kenneth. Kenneth caught on instantly and smoothly brought the conversation back to the design work.

Stella was still healing and shouldn’t be wasting any energy worrying about things like this.

After more than half an hour, Kenneth finally hit stop on the recorder and let out a long, satisfied breath. His face was practically glowing with excitement and genuine respect for Stella.

Kenneth announced passionately, “This is absolutely amazing, Ms. Spencer. The Butterfly Ashes collection is destined to become Eimdale Company’s true masterpiece.

“Once the final pieces debut, I swear I’m going to throw you the grandest thank–you party you’ve ever seen.”

“A thank–you party?” Stella echoed, a bit stunned.

Stella quickly shook her head, flustered. “Mr. Harris, you’re way too generous. You’ve already helped the Spencer family out so much.

“This whole design was my promise to thank you; how could I let you spend even more? Honestly, I should be the one

anking you for trusting me with this.”

Kenneth just laughed, waving it off, “Come on, two separate things. The design is all your brilliance and effort, and the party is Eimdale Company’s appreciation. Besides—”

He tossed Stella a playful wink and quipped, “I’ve got so much money; it’s nothing for me.”

2/3

siella couldn’t help but laugh at his brazen, big moucy antics Feeling a bit helpless, she glanced at Harvey for bar kup Harvey

Harvey leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed and unconcerned. “Get ready for your party. Since he’s happy with it. you just need to show up. Think of it as an early celebration for Eimdale Company, taking Seabrook by storm‘

He shot Kenneth a look full of playful teasing. “Right, our generous sponsor?”

of course,” Kenneth replied, lifting his chin proudly and following Harvey’s lead. “My money’s basically just for

Halfway through his sentence, Kenneth suddenly realized he’d almost blurted out something he definitely shouldn’t.

He practically slammed on the brakes mid–word, his proud grin freezing as cold sweat prickled down his back. Damn I was just cracking a joke, and nearly dug myself right into a hole, he panicked inwardly.

Kenneth snuck a cautious glance at Harvey, only to meet that knowing, almost–smirking look in Harvey’s eyes

Kenneth felt his scalp go numb. All he’d wanted was to lighten the mood so Stella wouldn’t keep worrying about people out to mess with her, and now, look what he’d done.

Stella shot a suspicious look back and forth between the two of them. “Your money, huh? What does that have to do with Harvey?”

“My money and Harvey-” Kenneth repeated, his mind racing.

With Harvey giving him that silent, warning stare, Kenneth’s brain went into panic mode, and in a desperate snap, he blurted out, “I’m going to bankroll Harvey. What, is that so weird?”

Kenneth sat up straighter, clinging to his excuse like a lifeline and declared, “From a business angle, this is called a long–term strategic partnership, you know. It’s like a contract deal or something.”

Both Stella and Harvey were stunned.

The hospital room instantly fell into a bizarre silence.

Kenneth’s earth–shattering bankrolling declaration landed with zero warning, stunning the whole room into absolute stillness.

After several long seconds, Stella finally managed to recover her voice. She looked over at Harvey, her eyes filled with a tangle of acceptance, curiosity, and more than a little bit of playful gossip.

She ventured carefully, with a teasing hint, “Harvey, I mean, things are pretty open these days, and real love doesn’t care about gender. Hey, I respect that. I really do, but-”

She drew a deep breath, then shot him the burning question, “Does Aunt know your boyfriend is so wild with his money?”

Har