Stephen quickly left the spot and returned to the private room.Just then, a junior student enthusiastically approached Stellar with a drink in hand."Stellar, I’d like to toast to you as well! You’re my idol. I followed in your footsteps to get where I am today!"Faced with such sincerity, Stellar found it hard to refuse.She picked up her glass, just about to take a sip when a hand reached over and effortlessly took it from her."She’s had a bit too much to drink tonight. I’ll take this for her."With that, Stephen stepped in front of her, raised the glass to his lips, and downed the drink in one go.The entire room fell into stunned silence.Stellar, momentarily dazed, suddenly realized that it was her glass.The spot he drank from was exactly where she had just taken a sip…The thought of their earlier kiss flashed through her mind, and a wave of heat surged to her head, making her feel like she was about to combust.As the crowd looked on with gossipy curiosity, Stephen calmly set
“In this industry, the abundance of poorly written scripts is precisely why so many productions turn out to be subpar. I find it quite unfortunate."Stellar understood. "I know. You truly love acting, which is why you chose this path."Given Suzy's family background, she could have taken a much easier route.The two best friends chatted for a long time before Stellar finally dropped her off safely at home.On her way back, Stellar checked her phone and noticed Julian had sent her a few messages half an hour ago.“Stellar, I'm planning to direct a new film, and the theme is related to aeronautics. Since you're knowledgeable in this field, could you help me take a look?”Attached were the script and character profiles.Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Stellar clicked on the files and began reading them carefully.She lost track of time until the car came to a stop at the villa entrance."Miss, we're home."Snapping out of her thoughts, Stellar quickly got out of the car and went inside.A
Edwin had clearly absorbed the entire conversation and wasted no time in dismissing Suzy with a long-winded argument. Stellar frowned. She had never wanted to get involved in whatever had happened between him and Suzy. But for him to badmouth her while she wasn’t even here to defend herself? That was too much. Turning to Edwin, her gaze turned cold. His confidence wavered under her stare, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. “Did I say anything wrong?” Stellar let out a sharp laugh. “Uncle Edwin, you’re just being biased. You don’t know Suzy at all. You’ve never watched any of her performances, have no idea what she’s capable of, and yet you’re so sure she’s not good enough?“Let me show you exactly what she can do.” Without another word, she pulled up a clip of Suzy’s acting and cast it onto the big screen. Julian leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he studied the performance with a director’s keen eye. However, Edwin sat frozen. The Suzy he knew had
The next day, Stellar handed the revised script to Julian."Uncle Julian, you can send it to the editor for review. If they feel anything is off or don’t like some of the changes, just let me know."Julian was amazed by her efficiency. He went through the new script from start to finish, growing more and more impressed as he read.If the original script had been at 70% completion in his eyes, this version was now a solid 100%.And it wasn’t just because he was biased toward his niece—viewing it purely from a director’s perspective, the changes she had made would undoubtedly become some of the film’s defining moments on the big screen.Wasting no time, he sent the revised script to his old friend.While waiting for a response, Julian showered her with praise."Stellar, you’re an absolute genius."He always knew his niece was talented, but this completely changed how he saw her.Just as he was about to compliment her further, his phone rang.It was his friend, Hugh Mann.Julian put the
Stellar frowned. The voice was unfamiliar, but it was clearly directed at Suzy. "It’s none of your business." Suzy’s voice was cold as she dismissed the comment, then stepped aside to pick up her phone. "Stellar, what’s wrong?" "Where are you? Are you in trouble?" Stellar asked, concern evident in her tone. "I’m at the set for an audition. It’s nothing, don’t worry…" Suzy tried to brush it off. "Send me the address." "Stellar…" Stellar’s voice hardened. "If you really see me as your best friend, send me the address." Suzy had always stood up for her whenever she needed it. There was no way she would turn a blind eye now. Left with no choice, Suzy hung up and sent her location. Fifteen minutes later, Stellar pulled up to the film set. She arrived just in time to see Suzy walking out of the studio, looking visibly dejected. "What happened, Suzy?" Stellar rushed over. Suzy gave a small, bitter smile. "Remember the script I told you about yesterday? After thinking
Suzy entered the entertainment industry with the sole purpose of honing her acting skills and improving herself, so she naturally refused to compromise.Yet, that woman had betrayed her and even acted so self-righteous about it.Suzy was utterly disheartened."Ms. Helen, you can’t say that. Ms. Suzy hasn't had it easy all these years. Look, even her auditions have ended in repeated failures."Tori watched Suzy’s setback with a surge of satisfaction, though she still put on a pretentious act. "Ms. Helen, don’t you have a few roles available?"She then listed a few role names before feigning sincerity. "Ms. Suzy, since you can’t seem to land any good roles, why don’t I recommend you for these?"Suzy stared at her expressionlessly.The roles Tori mentioned were all minor extras, the kind that barely lasted a few episodes before being written out.It seemed like an act of kindness, but in reality, it was pure humiliation."Who says Suzy can’t land a good role?" Stellar finally had enough a
Stellar ignored them and accompanied Suzy to the audition with Hugh . She waited quietly outside.About half an hour later, the door to the audition room swung open.Suzy walked out, her face glowing with excitement. She rushed forward and hugged Stellar tightly. "This is amazing, Stellar! I got the role!""Really? That’s fantastic!" Stellar beamed with joy.The two of them quickly left, one after the other.Inside the room, someone suddenly stood up, about to rush out."What’s wrong, Mr. Fisher?" Hugh asked, confused."I think I just saw Star Luna," David Fisher said, his voice tinged with excitement."You mean that Star Luna? The author who disappeared two years ago?"David was the editor who once worked closely with Star Luna. Years ago, he spent years negotiating to sign her, and they became close friends.He invited her here today to help with a project, and they even had a discussion of her unfinished novel, lamenting that they had lost contact with her and regretting that the
The reporters finally took notice of Suzy."Hugh Mann? Who’s that? Never heard of him."Some younger journalists had no idea who he was."Isn’t he that nearly-retired veteran? He hasn’t written anything in ten years. And wasn’t there some major scandal before he disappeared? I can’t believe he’s still in the industry!""It’s probably nothing special. No way it can compare to a project backed by Star Luna!"No one believed in Suzy. Instead, they showered Tori and Star Luna with endless praise.This was exactly what Tori wanted.Using her own fame, she trampled Suzy down, ensuring she’d never have a chance to rise again.The smug satisfaction on Tori’s face was infuriating.Suzy clenched her fists in frustration and tugged at Stellar, ready to leave.But Stellar held onto her arm, her gaze turning icy. Instead of walking away, she stepped forward, right in front of Tori, prepared to expose her in front of the reporters.Before she could speak, a loud and powerful female voice cut throu
Lillie’s manner was polite, her words respectful, with no hint of provocation.Still, Stellar felt a flicker of unease stir in her chest.“The second match—ready, go!”At the sound of the whistle, Lillie made the first move, launching herself forward.Stellar reacted instantly, meeting her head-on. The two quickly locked into a rapid exchange of strikes and counters.To most observers, the fight looked evenly matched. But Stellar picked up on something others might have missed—every one of Lillie’s moves was calculated, ruthless, aimed with precision at the most vulnerable points of her body.A single mistake could lead to serious injury.Thankfully, Stellar’s reflexes were sharp. She dodged every blow by the skin of her teeth, her movements agile and fluid.Dozens of moves passed in quick succession, the two appearing evenly matched.But soon, Lillie began to falter. Her breathing grew labored while Stellar remained steady, her rhythm controlled, her energy barely flagging. The b
Hank wore the smug expression of a man who thought he’d already won. “She agreed to the match. “She can back down now if she wants, but you have to hand over your academy, and maybe I’ll consider letting her walk away.”“Not a chance,” Stellar cut in before Wayne could speak. “I don’t care who I’m up against—bring it on.”“Well said. Gotta admire that spirit.”The match was about to begin.In the first round, Stellar stepped onto the platform opposite Hulk.He cracked his knuckles and looked her over with a leering grin. “Tell you what, sweetheart—bow your head and call me a darling, and maybe I’ll go easy on you.”Stellar gave a low chuckle, eyes glinting with mischief. “Call me ‘Queen,’ and I might let you walk away with a couple teeth still intact.”Hulk’s face twisted in rage, a vein popping along his temple. “You’re dead meat!”The whistle blew.His eyes narrowed, and with a growl, he lunged, throwing a vicious punch straight at her face.It was fast and brutal.If the punch lan
“Miss, are you awake?”Stellar slowly blinked her eyes open, still groggy, only to be met with a close-up view of a man's strikingly handsome face.“Aah…!”She screamed instinctively, jerking upright and startling Stephen awake beside her.From outside the door, Mary’s worried voice called out, “Miss Stellar? What happened? Are you alright?”The doorknob rattled.Mary was seconds from walking in and Stellar panicked.“It’s fine, Mary!” Stellar blurted out in a rush. “I just thought I saw a cockroach—false alarm! Don’t come in, I’m getting dressed!”She got it all out in one breath.Mary paused. “Oh… alright, then.”Only when the doorknob stilled did Stellar finally exhale in relief. She turned and found Stephen watching her with an amused smile.He lay on his side, effortlessly handsome, looking far too comfortable for someone who had just narrowly avoided being caught in such a compromising situation.Stellar’s eye twitched.“I’ll leave you to change then. Breakfast is ready. I’ll g
“Um…” Stellar looked flustered. “I forgot to bring my clothes, so I borrowed your bathrobe. Sorry about that.”“It’s fine.” Stephen didn’t realize how hoarse his voice sounded until the words were already out.“I’ll just head back to my room then…”She turned to leave, but just as she took a step, a flash of lightning split across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.The lights cut out in an instant, plunging the room into darkness.“Ah!” Stellar flinched and stumbled forward, instinctively crashing into him, her body pressed tightly against his chest.She was warm, soft, still smelling faintly of shower gel—the subtle, clean scent wrapping around him. For a moment, Stephen’s thoughts scattered.But when he felt her trembling, instinct took over. He wrapped his arms around her without thinking. “Don’t worry. It’s probably just a power outage.”His voice, low and gentle, carried a soothing calm that helped ease her tension.Just as she began to relax, another crack of thu
"Of course, no problem at all!""Take your time, there's no rush."The couple smiled warmly, their expressions full of quiet joy. With the perfect successors in sight, both seemed genuinely pleased.Mary even chimed in with a suggestion, “Mr. Ward, why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”“Thank you, Mary. I’d be happy to,” Stephen replied with a courteous smile.But after dinner, a light drizzle began to fall outside. At first, no one paid it any mind.Then the drizzle turned into a downpour, rain lashing against the windows as flashes of lightning split the sky.Stephen was getting ready to leave, but the sudden turn in weather made Stellar hesitate. “Why don’t you stay the night? It’s not safe to drive in this storm.”They had already shared a room once before, so she didn’t see any reason to fuss over it.Stephen glanced toward Mary and Wayne, hesitating.“You should stay, Stephen,” Wayne urged. “We’ve got plenty of guest rooms here at the courtyard house.”“Well, if you insist,
Wayne stood off to the side, a little taken aback.The man in front of him looked every bit the part of a well-bred heir—polished suit, refined demeanor. And yet, he knew how to fight?“You sure you want to spar with me?”Stephen looked mildly surprised by her challenge.“Why not? Afraid you’ll lose?” Stellar raised a brow, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes. “Relax, even if you do, I won’t tell anyone. Your secret’s safe with me.”He knew she was baiting him, but he still took the hook with a smirk. “Alright then, let’s see what you’ve got.”Stephen shrugged off his coat and hung it nearby, left in a crisp white dress shirt. With effortless precision, he rolled up his sleeves, his fingers moving with a fluid grace that was oddly captivating.Stellar gave her head a shake, forcing out the sudden thoughts that slipped in.“Ready... go!”She lunged forward, a sharp punch aimed straight at his face, but Stephen sidestepped neatly, twisting his body as his open hand shot out to gr
"I never agreed to any of this. You made the arrangements on your own, so you should be the one to deal with the fallout. I'm not going."His tone was firm, and it instantly darkened Grace’s expression. “Stephen!”He'd always been cold toward her, but he had never flat-out embarrassed her like this.Suddenly, her thoughts turned to the woman she’d seen hidden away in his villa last time. Her gaze turned sharp.“It’s that woman, isn’t it? She’s the one filling your head with nonsense! I’m telling you now—I will never approve of that relationship!”Stephen, however, remained unfazed.He'd never had a close relationship with his parents. He didn’t care what they thought back then, and he didn’t now.“Then wait for Grandfather to return and ask him what he thinks.”Lately, Marcus had been overseas, traveling the world with his wife, and likely wouldn’t be back anytime soon.“You’re using your grandfather to pressure me now?”Grace let out a cold laugh. “Do you really think he’d accept ju
After watching the demonstration, Stellar quickly memorized it. She took a deep breath with her eyes closed, then opened them again, her gaze sharp. Moving step by step, she repeated the moves with precision.Wayne, who had been watching from the side, was dumbfounded.She wasn’t just mimicking the movements—her strength and control were spot on, powerful and exact.Everything Mary bragged about turned out to be true.In fact, it was even more impressive than she’d claimed.“She’s a natural martial arts prodigy!”Wayne’s eyes lit up as he grew even more excited. “Stellar, let me be your official mentor! Carry on my legacy! I’ll teach you everything I know, every move from my school—what do you say?”Before Stellar could respond, Mary exploded, “You shameless old man! She’s the one I picked as my apprentice! Who do you think you are?”“Don’t get cocky, you old hag! It’s up to Miss Stellar to decide which school she wants to follow. For all you know, she might prefer mine!” Wayne refus
Mary was about to punch Hulk square in the face, fists clenched in fury at the way he’d just humiliated Stellar.But before she could move, Stellar stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder, calming her down. Then she turned to face the other side and spoke, her voice steady."You want to fight me? Fine. But I have one condition—it has to be an official match. “If your side loses, I want a public apology. And I want a banner that reads: 'Ironclad Academy lost to Rising Cloud Academy and left in disgrace.' “From that moment on, you stay away from us permanently."Her words left Mary and the others stunned."Listen to this one!" Hank barked out a laugh like he’d just heard the world’s best joke. "You really think you can take us down, little girl?"Stellar raised an eyebrow, a cool smirk tugging at her lips. "What, are you scared?""Who’s scared?" Hulk snapped, instantly provoked. "You want a fight? You’ve got one! But if you lose, you’ll get on your knees, bow your head, and d