"Alright, time to head back."Bother Stephen and Keith were speechless.An awkward silence stretched between them as Lilian and the others struggled to hold back their laughter, following Stellar outside.Initially, Stellar planned to leave with Lilian, but before she could, Lilian waved her off dramatically, raising her voice on purpose."Oh no, sorry, Stellar! I have something else to take care of, so I can’t go with you. Why don’t you let Stephen or Keith give you a ride home instead?"Stellar was speechless.Watching Lilian wink at her before walking away, Stellar instantly understood—this girl was just here for the drama, happily stirring the pot.The next second, her phone buzzed with a new message.She tapped the screen and saw a text from Lilian:“Go for it, heartthrob! Wishing you success in winning over both of them and expanding your royal court!”Followed by a grinning emoji that made it all the more infuriating.Stellar's mouth twitched as she snapped her phone shut."Uh…
"It’s probably because, as a kid, I was always fascinated by the sky. I wanted to fly like a bird. “Then, when I saw spacecraft landing in space, I was completely in awe—it was inspiring and moving. “I started imagining that one day, I could build something even better, something that could make history. “Of course, that sounds like a wild dream, but I believe having dreams is what makes us passionate and drives us to achieve them." As Stellar spoke about her field, her eyes sparkled with excitement, just like the girl Stephen had seen in that old photograph—bright, full of ambition, and completely devoted to her passion. "What about you? Why did you choose this major?" "I…" Stephen hesitated for a moment before answering in a low voice. "There was a time when I felt trapped, like I was suffocating in a cage. I wanted to escape, to see a bigger world. “I didn’t have many hobbies back then, but my family bought a lot of model planes. I kept assembling and disassembling th
Stellar jumped, caught off guard, as a sudden wave of guilt washed over her."Uncle Claude, don’t misunderstand. It was just a team dinner, and Stephen happened to be heading in the same direction, so he gave me a ride home," she quickly explained with a smile.Claude’s eyes narrowed. "Why did you need a ride from him? What happened to the Ferrari I gave you? Why aren’t you driving it?"Stellar felt a bit flustered. That flashy convertible was way too eye-catching—driving it around didn’t scream student; it screamed heiress on a joyride.Forcing an awkward laugh, she made up an excuse. "I just haven’t driven in a while, so I’m not used to it. I’ll take it out once I feel more comfortable."Claude wasn’t buying it. "That’s easy to fix. I’ll assign a driver to take you everywhere.""Uncle Claude…" Stellar clung to his sleeve, putting on her best pleading expression. "Please don’t do that. Just let me keep a low profile, okay?"The moment she pulled the sweet niece act, Claude sighed in
Stephen hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Are you free tonight? A friend of mine is hosting a birthday party for his fiancée, and I need a partner to attend with me. I’d like to take you as my date." Stellar's breath hitched slightly. "Your… friend?" A birthday party for a friend’s fiancée, yet he specifically invited her—was there some kind of hidden meaning behind this? "He’s Gavin Lockwood. He has a good relationship with the Rivers family," Stephen explained. Understanding dawned on her. So that was it. This was just about strengthening ties between their families. Nothing more. For some reason, that realization left a strange sense of disappointment in her chest. But she quickly pushed it aside and smiled. "Alright, I’ll go with you. Just give me a moment to change into a dress." But Stephen had already anticipated this. He reached into the back seat of his car and pulled out several gift boxes. "I’ve already prepared everything—gowns, jewelry
The murmurs weren’t exactly quiet. Stellar naturally heard them and instinctively glanced over. "The one in the white dress in the center is the birthday girl, Serena Thompson," Stephen introduced. "I’ll go say hello and give her the gift," Stellar said, letting go of Stephen’s arm before making her way over. The socialites surrounding Serena covered their mouths in curiosity, instinctively stepping aside to clear a path for her. Once Stellar reached Serena, she extended a beautifully wrapped gift box. "Miss Thompson, happy birthday! This is a little gift from me—I hope you like it." Even though she was here as Stephen’s date, she had prepared a present herself. Serena accepted it with a polite smile. "And you are…?" "I’m Stellar Rivers. I suppose you could say I’m here as your fiancé’s friend’s partner," Stellar introduced herself with easy confidence. Serena’s lips curved slightly, and her first impression of Stellar was quite favorable. "Can I open it?" "Of cours
The moment those words left Stellar’s lips, every gaze in the room shifted to Annie’s hairpin. "Wait… it’s a fake? No wonder I thought something about it looked off." "Pfft, parading around with a fake—remind me, who's the real embarrassment here?"Annie’s face flushed bright red as she snapped back furiously. "Who do you think you are to say it’s fake? This is from the Floral Whisper Collection, a limited-edition piece—there’s only one of its kind." Stellar simply shook her head and replied calmly, "Unfortunately, it’s not. Because the real one is with me." With that, she pulled out her phone and brought up a picture of the genuine piece, displaying it for everyone to see. The socialites leaned in, examining the details closely. It didn’t take long for them to spot the differences. Within moments, all the scornful gazes turned to Annie. "Miss Yates, you might want to check your jewelry a little more carefully before stepping out next time. Wouldn’t want to embarrass y
"The swan earrings look so elegant on Serena—absolutely stunning." Janet's eyes flickered with a trace of calculation. She suddenly chimed in, her voice deliberately light. "That’s nothing special. My cousin designs jewelry too, and her handcrafted hairpins are far more exquisite and valuable!" At her words, the conversation stilled, and heads instinctively turned toward her. Most of the guests didn’t recognize the person she was referring to. But Stellar’s eyelid twitched. Janet shot her a sweet, innocent smile. "Cousin, why don’t you show everyone your own jewelry? Those pieces of yours are practically priceless! Compared to them, everything else is hardly worth mentioning." Her tone sounded full of praise, as if she were lifting Stellar onto a pedestal. But to the crowd, the whole thing felt off. Suspicious even.Their gazes flickered between the two women, curiosity growing. "Pfft, I knew it—she’s just here to sell her designs!" A familiar sneer cut through the
"So that’s why it did sound insincere when she said all that earlier.""She didn’t even know her own cousin’s real identity, yet she had the nerve to judge others?""If I had a scheming relative like that, I’d cut ties immediately."Murmurs of ridicule, disdain, and outright contempt filled the room.At that moment, Janet had never felt more humiliated. Barely holding herself together, she mumbled something about needing the restroom and bolted from the scene.But as she turned a corner near the restroom, she unexpectedly overheard a hushed conversation."Stephen, you’ve been searching for her for years. Are you really going to give up now?""It’s not giving up… I just have this feeling that the girl I’ve been looking for is actually Stellar…""But didn’t you say the details didn’t match?""They don’t, but after all these years, I still remember that she used to wear a red string around her neck, with a pendant that…"The voice belonged to Stephen.Janet’s footsteps faltered.What gir
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
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
"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
"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
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,
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
"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
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
"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