Ryan nodded. "I asked for several days off. But I've thought it through. He isn't going back at all."
Stella went still. "What do you mean?"
Ryan looked into her eyes and said earnestly, "Stella, I can't let you stay in Seamill alone. I don't care what bad blood there is between you and Ethan. James and I can't live without you."
Her heart sank. She had already guessed what Ryan was thinking.
As expected, he continued, "I've wanted to expand the business into Seamill for a while, and I've already sent people there to study the market. I just hadn't made the final decision. Maybe this is the chance I needed."
Stella knew Ryan had always been ambitious in business.
People in Seamill wanted to expand into Northwood, and people in Northwood wanted to push into Ashborne. In the end, every
