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Chapter 145
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 146
Stellar stood frozen in place. It had been a long time since she had felt such a warm embrace, and she wasn’t quite used to it. She hesitantly raised her arms and gently hugged Martha back. Even Laurence, a man who spent years on the battlefield, found his eyes misting over. He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Stellar, welcome home. No one will ever bully you again. This family is your safe harbor." "Grandpa…" A lump formed in Stellar’s throat, and the grievances she had carried for so many years seemed to vanish in an instant, leaving only warmth in her heart. They held onto each other for a while until a male voice behind them finally broke the moment, unable to hold back any longer. "Mom, Dad, alright, alright. The rest of us haven’t even had a chance to say hello to Stellar yet!" Martha finally let go of her and turned to glare at the speaker. "Brat, you always have so much to say.”Stellar wiped her reddened eyes and finally noticed the two
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"Our Stellar is incredibly talented and thoughtful—the most caring little sweetheart," Martha said, her eyes welling up with emotion again. Seeing this, Stellar quickly walked over to her grandmother and picked up the hair clip. "Grandma, let me put this on for you. Let’s see how it looks." "Alright, alright," Martha eagerly agreed. Stellar carefully gathered her grandmother’s hair into a neat bun, securing it with the elegant clip. After examining her handiwork, she nodded in satisfaction and said with a straight face, "Now, when you step outside, you’ll be the most dazzling lady in all of Southport." Martha couldn’t hold back her laughter, thoroughly amused. Laurence watched their interaction, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. For a fleeting moment, it felt like stepping back in time—his daughter had always been a cheerful little girl, making Martha laugh with ease. Now, Stellar’s face overlapped with the memory of his daughter. She was such a wonderful child,
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"You have no idea how much effort the Rivers family has put into finding you over the years. “Grandpa and Grandma have been heartbroken from missing you, and not long ago, Grandpa even fell ill. “Thankfully, you finally decided to show up, or who knows what would have happened!"It was meant to be a kind sentiment, but to Stellar, something about it felt off."Stellar didn’t go missing by choice. No one in the family blames her, and my illness has nothing to do with her. Janet, don’t put so much pressure on her."Laurence was sharp as always, cutting straight to the issue in her words.Janet's face turned pale, and she immediately looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I got too emotional and misspoke."Laurence nodded, choosing not to dwell on it with a younger generation.The family quickly shifted their attention back to Stellar."Stellar, this is a gift from me."Julian handed her a card. "This is an all-access pass to my resorts, hotels, and restaurants. “Whenever you're trave
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To everyone’s surprise, Stellar simply smiled at Janet’s words."If I’m not mistaken, this should be the work of the renowned painter and calligrapher, Mr. Malachi Law, from a thousand years ago. “At the time, his country had just endured devastation and was in the process of rebuilding. “This painting reflects his emotions during that period. As for the poem, it conveys the importance of cherishing a prosperous homeland…"Janet listened in stunned silence as Stellar spoke with eloquence, citing historical references with ease. Every word felt like a slap to her face.When Stellar finished, she turned to Janet. "Miss Cole, do you think I’m correct? Or would you like to add something?"If she had thought it was just her imagination before, now she was certain—the girl standing before her harbored clear hostility.But why? They had never met before. Where did this animosity come from?"I…" Janet had only thought of using an expensive gift to win Laurence’s favor. She knew jewelry, l
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Her face turned pale. "What happened?" Claude and the others had clearly noticed the commotion. Before Stellar could say a word, Janet forced a smile and spoke first. "It’s nothing. The bracelet accidentally broke. It wasn’t Stellar’s fault, of course. I’ll be sure to get her an even better one next time." The way she said it made it sound as if Stellar had broken the bracelet, yet she was graciously letting it slide. Stellar’s lips twitched. "I didn’t drop it." Janet immediately adjusted her tone, lowering her stance. "It was my own carelessness. It really had nothing to do with Stellar." Stellar was speechless.She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Before she could respond, Claude spoke from the couch. "It’s just a bracelet. Four hundred thousand dollars is hardly worthy of our princess, Stellar. No need to bring out something so insignificant next time." Janet’s carefully crafted look of grievance nearly cracked. She had never seen Claude stand
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Now that Stellar finally understood Janet’s motives, she found them even more absurd."Just because I am the true heiress of the Rivers family, and my grandparents are my closest relatives, you—an outsider—think you have the right to claim everything as yours? “Have you stayed in the Rivers family for so long that you actually believe you belong here?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. The truth always struck the deepest. Stellar wasn’t being cruel. She had simply fought too hard to reunite with her family—she wasn’t about to lose them again. Janet couldn’t bear the humiliation. Just as she was about to step forward in anger, she suddenly noticed a figure not far away. In an instant, she reversed her move and delivered a hard slap to her own face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked pitifully at Stellar. "Stellar, I thought we had already moved past this. I didn’t expect you to still blame me. If hitting me makes you feel better, then go ahead." Stellar was stunne
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Stellar’s nose tingled with emotion.Unable to hold back, she reached out and hugged Martha, her voice soft. "Thank you, Grandma." "Good girl." Martha gently patted her back, her eyes filled with warmth and heartache. As they made their way downstairs, Laurence spoke up. "Why did Janet leave so suddenly? She looked awful. Did something happen?" Martha’s expression darkened as she recounted everything. "She grew up under our watch, but I never thought someone so young could be so consumed by jealousy."She couldn’t deny the disappointment and sadness she felt, but Janet had crossed a line. Stellar was their precious long-lost granddaughter who finally returned home. Their family was meant to be her safe haven—how could they stand by and let someone mistreat her?Laurence’s face hardened. "Looks like we’ve been far too generous with the Cole family all these years. They’ve forgotten their place, pushing their luck and daring to mistreat our Stellar. This won’t go unche
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"That’s right, Stellar. You deserve the best in this world. That brat from the Ward family must be blind, so let’s find someone even more handsome, intelligent, and successful to make him regret it for the rest of his life!" Laurence was clearly still fuming over the Ward family's broken engagement. Stellar glanced down at the stack of profiles and photos in front of her, feeling a wave of awkwardness. She had no interest in dating, let alone marriage, at the moment. But turning down her grandparents' well-intentioned efforts outright felt too harsh. "Grandpa, Grandma, I’m a little tired today. I’ll look through them another time." She covered it up with a small yawn for good measure. At that, the elderly couple immediately realized their oversight. "Of course! You’ve been traveling all day, and we haven’t even let you rest. What were we thinking?" Martha quickly shot a glance at Claude. "Claude, take Stellar to her room so she can get some rest." Claude stood up,
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 446
Even though acknowledging it meant giving credit to a rival, Keith had no intention of claiming what wasn’t his.Besides, if he kept it quiet and Stephen ended up telling Stellar the full story later—with a few embellishments to make himself look better—it’d all backfire anyway.Stellar froze for a second, then looked at Stephen in surprise.So, was it because she’d casually mentioned the issue before that Stephen took it to heart and made preparations ahead of time?The moment their eyes met—his gaze warm and steady—something soft bloomed in her chest."Thank you. Both of you."She truly meant it.Her connection with Stephen didn’t need words to be understood.As for Keith, she genuinely considered him a good friend now.Just as they stepped out of the hall, a wave of reporters from the neighboring signing event rushed toward them."Miss Rivers, it's been said that your friend paid to hire a crowd of fake fans to boost your signing event. Care to explain?""A group that large showing
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Seeing how calm and composed Stellar was, Larry finally let out a breath of relief.At exactly two o’clock, the signing event officially began.A pair of hands slid a book across the table toward her, followed by a familiar deep voice above her head."Star Luna, would you sign your name for me? I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life."Stellar looked up and was met with Stephen’s handsome face. She couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her lips.After signing her name on the first page, she added a note: To: my dear Stephen, followed by a little heart.When Stephen took the book back and saw what she wrote, a soft, lingering smile rose in his eyes.The chemistry between them was so sweet it practically clung to the air—enough to make anyone nearby cringe from the sugar overload.Readers began to trickle in. At first, there were only a dozen or so. After getting their books signed, they quietly left, making the event feel rather sparse.The reporters kept snapping photos, clearly
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"It’s not even close. I checked that book out myself. It’s nowhere near as good as yours," Larry said firmly. "And it didn’t even have that title originally. It’s clearly trying to ride your wave. All the trending buzz? “That’s paid promotion, no doubt about it. There’s serious backing behind it."Stellar couldn’t help but laugh, though she wasn’t really upset about being overshadowed."Alright, alright. Don’t get worked up. Let’s just let things play out," she said, trying to calm him before ending the call.That evening, while out to dinner with Stephen, she brought it up in a teasing tone.Stephen listened quietly, thoughtful for a moment, as if something had just clicked in his mind.Soon, the day of the signing arrived.With Stephen by her side, Stellar arrived at the hall right on time.A group of reporters had already gathered. The moment they spotted her, they swarmed in.Thankfully, Stephen stepped in front of her, shielding her from the worst of it. With him there, no one
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"You really are as sharp as they say," Jonas remarked, handing her a folder.Tori immediately reached for it. Inside were detailed notes on Stellar’s current situation, including the announcement of her upcoming book signing event.A cold, bitter laugh slipped out.She gripped the papers tightly, growing more furious with each line. "Unbelievable. She ruined my name, dragged me through the mud, and now she gets to rise from it all? “A book signing? Seriously? If it weren’t for me mentioning Star Luna in the first place, that washed-up author would’ve been long forgotten!"The more she thought about it, the more rage bubbled inside her.No. There was no way that book signing was going to go smoothly. She was going to sabotage it.Jonas watched the shift in her expression and gave a faint, satisfied smile. It looked like his job was done.…The next day.Stellar returned to the research center and shared some specialty treats she’d brought back from Southport with her team.Every
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The two finally returned to the villa after an hour.Just before they stepped inside, Stellar suddenly stopped and grabbed Stephen’s arm, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. "By the way, I should warn you that I'm pretty sure Mary’s starting to suspect something’s going on between us. You might want to tone it down around her.""Something going on?" Stephen raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Are we hiding some kind of scandal?""I’m talking about that night during the thunderstorm. When you stayed in my room! I think she caught on to something. She’s been subtly probing me ever since."She shot him a half-glare, half-pout. "Anyway, no matter what Mary asks you, don’t admit to anything. If my family gets the wrong idea, they’ll come after you for sure."Stephen paused, eyes flickering with surprise. Was she more worried about him than herself?"Don’t worry, from the moment I decided to pursue you, I was ready to take whatever came with it. So, stop worrying about me," he said,
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Hulk and the others were practically fuming with rage. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Wasn’t she just some harmless little girl? Why was even the guy next to her such a monster? Had they been played?In the end, Stellar let out a cold snort and made a call to the police, having the entire group hauled away. From start to finish, neither she nor Stephen were harmed.In fact, they looked more energized than ever."You two are even more in sync than my wife and I! Honestly, you're a perfect match," Wayne said with genuine admiration after watching the whole scene unfold.Stellar cleared her throat awkwardly and pretended not to hear. Stephen, however, smiled gently.…After settling the trouble in Southport, the group finally arrived in Northvale that evening.With the family reunited, Laurence and Martha were overjoyed. They chatted warmly with Wayne for quite a while.Just in time for dinner, they even insisted Stephen stay for the reunion meal. Having learned from
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"Stellar, Stephen, this is my oldest student, Isaac Cross. Let me introduce him. He's the one I trust the most."Isaac might not have been the most gifted, but he was dependable and steady to the core.Everyone exchanged greetings."Isaac, while I’m away, I’ll be entrusting the academy to you. I believe you can lead everyone well." Wayne patted his shoulder firmly."Mentor, don’t worry. I won’t let you down," Isaac nodded earnestly.After a pleasant chat, everyone said their goodbyes and left.But not long after Stellar and the others stepped outside, they found the path ahead blocked by a crowd of dozens."Miss Rivers, where are you off to? Want me to walk you home?"The one teasing her in the lead was none other than Hulk—the same guy she’d knocked flat earlier.And behind him were clearly members of the Ironclad Academy."What’s the meaning of this?"Wayne's face darkened instantly. "Your academy lost to us in the challenge match, and according to the wager, you're not allowed to ca
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Fueled by rage, Janet stormed toward the living room, ready to smash whatever else she could get her hands on.But before she could touch anything, a sharp slap landed across her face.Layla’s voice followed, cold and cutting. “Have you lost your mind?”“Mom!” Janet looked up in shock, clutching her cheek, utterly stunned.“Do you not think we’ve been humiliated enough already? I put all my trust in you, pinned every hope on your future—and this is what you do? “Pretending to be Stephen Ward’s childhood savior? How unbelievably stupid can you be!”The thrill and anticipation she'd felt over the past few days vanished like a bucket of ice water poured over her, snapping her back to reality.“But Mom, how can you blame me? I did all this for the family!” Janet protested, her voice laced with indignation.“You think I’m angry because you lied? If you were absolutely certain you wouldn’t be exposed, I might’ve turned a blind eye. “But Stephen Ward of all people? You thought you could foo
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"Thinking back now, I’m pretty sure the people around me kept the truth from me on purpose. “And as for me falling into the water... I don’t think that was just an accident either.""Are you saying someone tried to hurt you?" A cold, sharp glint flashed in Stephen’s eyes."It’s been too long. I don’t really remember everything clearly..." Stellar didn’t want to dwell on the past. With a smile, she shifted the mood. "Didn’t you invite me out for dinner? Let’s not ruin it with gloomy talk."Stephen nodded but made a mental note to look into it later.Their dinner unfolded in warm, quiet elegance.Then, just as dessert plates were being cleared, the soft notes of a waltz began to float through the room.The next second, Stephen rose from his seat and stepped toward her, offering his hand like a perfect gentleman."May I have this dance with this beautiful lady?"Stellar looked up, surprised.He stood tall under the soft golden light, his every feature kissed with a glow, and the earnest
