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Chapter 188
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 189
She pressed her lips together, feeling a bit guilty as she spoke.After all, her uncle only told her that she could stay at the hotel whenever she wanted; he hadn’t mentioned anything about extra privileges.This was the first time she had ever thrown her weight around, and honestly, it made her a little nervous.But to her surprise, the receptionist didn’t even hesitate. "Understood, Miss Rivers."The moment those words fell, everyone around them was left stunned.However, Percy and Dawn looked like they had just swallowed a lemon."Stellar, you wouldn’t dare! Who do you think you are…""And why wouldn’t I?" Stellar scoffed. She had been far too lenient with him before, which was probably why he kept showing up to ruin her mood.Now that she had the right to do this, why not use it?"You…!" Percy, fuming, took a step forward.Before he could get any closer, the receptionist picked up the intercom and calmly instructed, "Send four security guards to the lobby. We have two unruly guest
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Percy looked around the motel room, his expression filled with disdain at the outdated decor.The sheets on the bed were visibly worn, and the entire place carried a faint musty smell.Every instinct in him screamed to walk right back out.But before he could, Dawn grabbed his arm."It’s okay, Percy. The fact that you even found a place for us is already more than enough. “I’ll tidy things up a bit. It’s already dark outside, and you’ve had a long day. There’s no need to keep looking."She walked over to the window and pushed it open, letting in some fresh air.Then, without hesitation, she flipped the sheets over to the cleaner side.As she worked, she spoke casually, as if trying to put him at ease."I’ve stayed in places way worse than this before. You get used to it after a while…"She said it lightly, but something about it made Percy feel a twinge of guilt.For once, he softened. "This is my fault. I asked you to come with me, thinking it would make things easier for you, and no
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Stephen explained, "I’m here as a guest behind the scenes, not as a competitor.""I see." Stellar nodded in understanding, falling into a brief silence.A few seconds later, it was Stephen who spoke again. "Want to take a walk? If you have any questions about the competition, you can ask me."Stellar blinked, then teased with a smile, "Are you offering me a private tutoring session?"To her surprise, Stephen nodded seriously."That’s right. Will you take it?"Stellar’s lips curled into a playful grin. "Of course! A rare opportunity like this? I’d be a fool to pass it up."They laughed and walked out together.As they chatted, Stephen actually provided some insightful advice."In competitions like this, the judges focus on the technical aspects of your project—whether it demonstrates innovation, pushes boundaries, or surprises them in some way. That’s what earns the highest scores..."Stellar listened intently, absorbing his words.Before she realized it, they had already stepped outsi
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Alex smirked arrogantly, his tone deliberately provocative. He was clearly trying to stir up trouble.But Simon remained unfazed. Instead, he shot back without hesitation, "If even someone like you can be a team leader, then why wouldn’t Stellar? She’s an actual genius, unlike some people who just talk big."Stellar raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.Simon was usually the easygoing and diplomatic type—she hadn’t expected him to have such a sharp tongue.Lilian chimed in as well, arms crossed, "Exactly. Some people have zero talent, but as long as they suck up to the right people, they still manage to throw their weight around like they own the place. Pathetic, isn’t it?"It seemed that after hanging around Stellar for so long, both of them had picked up the skill of throwing shade."You—!"Alex clenched his jaw, fuming, but before he could lash out, one of his teammates grabbed his arm and whispered something in his ear.His expression shifted almost instantly, regaining his smug
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At that moment, Stephen suddenly stood up from the special guest seating area."Wait a moment. Why don’t we hear what the contestant has to say?"Stellar looked up and met his deep, steady gaze, as if he were conveying some kind of message to her.In that instant, inspiration struck her, and a thought surged into her mind.She suddenly calmed down, then lifted her head and spoke with composure."Please wait, esteemed judges. This is exactly what I want to present to you—the latest aircraft model technology!""What?" The judges were visibly stunned."In our country’s current research on aircraft development, the C-class technical challenge has yet to be overcome. However, I have already found a way to solve it using the latest technology. This time, I deliberately brought a disassembled model to demonstrate the assembly process on-site, so I can showcase the principles behind it."Stellar spoke with confidence, neither humble nor arrogant. "Give me just thirty minutes, and I will prese
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As they walked backstage, Lilian looked at Stellar with admiration written all over her face. "Stellar, you are my angel! If it weren’t for you turning the tide, we would have completely embarrassed our professor." However, Stellar didn’t take all the credit. "This was a team effort. Without your support, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off alone." "This whole situation is definitely not a coincidence." Simon had a sharp eye for details. "Our model was sabotaged—someone deliberately tampered with it. And I already have a suspect in mind." Stellar was well aware that there was an eighty percent chance that Alex’s team was behind it. But for the sake of their school’s reputation, they couldn’t expose them here. She would settle this matter when they got back. Before they could confront anyone, however, Alex and his team stormed over, brimming with hostility. "Stellar Rivers! You planned this, didn’t you? You deliberately held back just to shock the audience and g
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Lilian dragged Stellar through the crowd, her excitement evident. She had complete confidence in their victory.After all, their performance was leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.But for some reason, Stellar couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t so simple.Alex and his team had seemed overly confident. And considering that Harold’s team had consistently secured top rankings in past competitions, could there really be nothing shady going on behind the scenes?She knew Harold well enough to know he didn’t deserve his reputation.Still, since they were here to relax, she pushed those thoughts aside for now. The group had a great time exploring the university before finally heading back to their lodgings.The next day, they were set to return to their school. Stellar specifically asked Stephen if he would be going back with them, but to her surprise, he said he was staying behind for a few more days. She had no idea what he was up to.So, she returned to campus with
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Had she heard their entire conversation just now? Margaret’s expression darkened. "Well, well. The esteemed Miss Rivers, eavesdropping on someone else’s private matters. Don’t you find that disgraceful?" "If you wanted privacy, you should’ve had this conversation at home. This is a café—anyone can walk in. “You were speaking so loudly, I thought you were hoping people would overhear." Stellar retorted without hesitation, not bothering to be polite. Margaret choked on her anger. "Since you heard everything, then that saves me the trouble," she sneered before yanking Dawn Jones closer, her voice dripping with condescension. "This woman has barely been with Percy for long, yet she’s already carrying his child. “And you? You’ve been with him for years and haven’t even gotten pregnant. I’d say you’re infertile at such a young age. “You might as well start looking for a divorced man with kids, since that’s all you’ll be able to marry in the future!" Stellar’s eyelid twitched
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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
