Chapter 3

“Well, if it isn’t the Harlow family’s precious ‘heiress,’ Stellar Rivers.”

A mocking laugh rang out as Yvonne, dripping in jewelry and arrogance, crossed her arms and blocked Stellar’s path.

Behind Yvonne stood two bodyguards dressed in all black, their dark sunglasses adding an air of intimidation.

Stellar didn’t want to engage. She stepped to the side to avoid her, but Yvonne grabbed her arm, yanking her back.

“I wasn’t done talking. Who said you could walk away?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Stellar said, shaking off her grip.

Since Yvonne had been reunited with the Harlow family, Stellar endured nothing but cruelty. To them, she was the villain who stole Yvonne’s life for eighteen years, a parasitic fraud who took what wasn’t hers.

And Yvonne...

What she did to Stellar had ruined her reputation, her innocence, and her entire life. Yet no one believed it was Yvonne’s doing.

Everyone thought Stellar deserved it, calling it karma for taking Yvonne’s place.

But who ever considered that Stellar was just an orphan, equally innocent in all of this?

Stellar tried to leave again, only for Yvonne’s bodyguards to block her path.

Yvonne rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Wow, looks like you’ve grown a backbone. What’s the matter? You are just a piece of trash abandoned by the Harlow family. Do you think you’d still be alive today if Percy hadn’t saved you back then?”

She sneered, giving Stellar a disdainful once-over.

“Too bad, though. At the end of the day, you’re nothing more than a toy to him. No, not even that. Haven’t you heard? Now that I’m back, the families are reviewing my marriage with him, and he’s already agreed to it.”

Yvonne smiled cruelly, her words cutting deep.

“And you,” she added, her voice dripping with mockery. “Surely you didn’t think someone like Percy would ever marry a filthy, used-up tramp like you? I mean, I heard that in all these years you’ve been with him, he hasn’t even touched you. How pathetic.”

Yvonne laughed, her tone filled with smug satisfaction, every word like a dagger aimed at Stellar’s deepest wounds.

Stellar didn’t care about wealth or material things, but the word “toy” hit her like a dagger to the chest. Her face betrayed a flicker of emotion she couldn’t suppress.

Yvonne’s smug grin only deepened as she noticed her reaction.

“People like you should learn to accept their place in life. Stop trying to climb higher with your dirty little tricks. You stole my life. So what? The uncle who raised you for twenty years despises you now, but he adores me.

“He gives me anything I want. He even started an entertainment company just to turn me into a superstar. And today? He’s here at this school investing in my new film to boost its publicity.”

She paused, giving Stellar a mocking once-over.

“And look at you—so pathetic. Abandoned and left with nothing. What are you doing here? Looking for a job? A person without even a diploma. Don’t tell me you’re still dreaming big.”

Every word was meant to pierce Stellar’s heart, and it might have worked before.

In the past, those words would have devastated her. She might have broken down on the spot, crying and giving Yvonne exactly what she wanted.

But now? After everything she had been through, even letting go of Percy, these taunts no longer had the power to destroy her.

Stellar took a deep breath.

“Are you done? If you are, step aside.”

She had more important things to do than waste her time here. As for the grudges from her past, she would deal with them in her own time—one by one.

Yvonne felt as if she’d thrown a punch only to hit a wall of air. She glared at Stellar’s flawless, icy face, grinding her teeth in frustration.

If it hadn’t been for the Harlow family wanting to maintain a relationship with Percy, she would’ve scarred that pretty face long ago, just to see this wretched woman groveling like a beaten dog.

But Percy protected Stellar back then, and he still did.

That didn’t mean Yvonne intended to let her off easy. No, she’d take everything Stellar had, even Percy.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder: What was Stellar doing here?

…

Stellar ignored the encounter and walked straight into the Aeronautics Research & Development Center.

However, she was told that Victor wasn’t available.

Planning to return later that afternoon, she headed for the exit. But as she stepped outside, she unexpectedly ran into an old classmate, Alex Porter.

Back when Stellar was still known as the Harlow family’s heiress, Alex pursued her relentlessly, only to be turned down.

Later, when her true identity was exposed, Alex was the first to kick her when she was down. He’d even spread vile rumors behind her back, claiming she’d slept with men for one hundred dollars a night.

The moment Stellar saw him, disgust flashed through her eyes. She turned away, trying to avoid him, but Alex blocked her path.

“Well, well, don’t run off just yet. Isn’t this our once-high-and-mighty Miss Harlow? Oh, wait, you’re not a Harlow anymore, are you? You’re Stellar Rivers now!

“What brings you here today? Couldn’t cut it out there and came crawling back? Let me tell you, I’m a faculty member here now. If you beg me, I might just help you out. Of course, that depends on how much you’re willing to…”

His eyes roamed over Stellar, lingering in a way that made her stomach turn.

Before he could finish his sentence—

Slap!

The sharp sound of her palm meeting his cheek echoed in the air.

Alex stood there, stunned.

After all, Stellar had always been a giant when it came to academics but a pushover in real life.

Despite her achievements in school and her wealthy background, she was the target of endless bullying, pranks, and schemes. Back then, her only response was tears, and never once had she stood up for herself, let alone fought back.

“You…”

“What about me?” Stellar’s sharp, crystalline gaze locked onto him, a wild determination in her eyes that made him falter.

For a moment, he didn’t dare say another word.

Seizing the opportunity, Stellar turned and walked away.

Unbeknownst to her, a tall, strikingly handsome man stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor of the research institute, watching everything unfold.

His posture was straight and commanding, exuding an undeniable air of authority. The tailored black suit he wore, with its custom buttons and perfectly matched tie clip and cufflinks, spoke of refined luxury and sophistication.

As he observed the scene below, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Turning to Victor, he let out a low chuckle. "If you’ve already decided to take her on, why go to the trouble of telling her you weren’t here, making her jump through all these hoops?"

Victor shook his head, focused on sorting his papers. Without looking up, he said, "You don’t get it. Rough talent needs refining. She needs a little tough love."

The man returned to the leather sofa and sat down, his fingers drumming leisurely against his knee. His deep, piercing gaze fixed on the professor.

“You talk about tough love, yet you’ve gone out of your way to prepare all this material specifically for her. Professor Stone, research demands absolute focus and precision. I can’t agree with your approach here.”

His tone was blunt, cold, and utterly devoid of sentiment.

Victor huffed in exasperation, his mustache twitching with indignation.

“She’s Stellar Rivers—do you even realize how rare someone like her is? When I showed you her results years ago, you called her a prodigy. Have you forgotten?”

“You said it yourself that it was years ago,” the man retorted, tossing a stack of documents onto the table. “She gave up her education to be some man’s trophy, dropped out of society for over two years. And now you expect her to achieve anything?”

“Let’s make a bet!” Victor shot back, raising an eyebrow with a determined glint in his eyes. “For the first phase of your project, she will be the only one who can deliver the result you want. If she fails, I’ll personally show her the door. But if she succeeds…”

“We’ll talk when she succeeds.”

The man’s cold voice cut him off. His sharp gaze swept across the documents until it landed on a small, two-inch photograph clipped to the top.

The girl in the picture had bright, shining eyes and a radiant smile that seemed to hold the whole world within them.

What a waste...

…

Stellar stepped out of the school gates, her emotions a swirling mix she couldn’t quite name.

Still, she made up her mind to return to her old path. Compared to everything she’d been through, this setback was nothing.

Just as she was about to head back, her phone rang.

It was Claude.

She answered, and his slightly anxious voice came through on the other end.

“Stellar, I’m tied up with something back in Southport right now and can’t get away. Could you do me a favor…?”