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Chapter 262

Author: Warm Cocoa
But her creative energy still surged.

Stellar saved the draft but didn’t publish it just yet.

This novel, After Dawn, felt like her unfinished life—one she was determined to keep writing.

Afterward, she sent a message to David, letting him know she was making her return.

It wasn’t long before his response came in—a flurry of excited, spinning emojis.

“This is amazing, Star Luna! It had been two years, three months, and six days! Welcome back, we love you!!!”

Stellar was both touched and amused.

So, this was what it felt like to be liked and anticipated. It was a wonderful feeling.

With that warmth in her heart, she went to bed in high spirits.

But the next day, when she arrived at the base, she quickly noticed something was off.

People were whispering, shooting her subtle, or not-so-subtle, glances.

"That’s her? Can you believe it?"

"Typical. Just another case of someone desperate for fame."

"Didn't I say she was just pretending all along?"

Their gazes carried a mix of ridicule, disdai
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    "Stellar, are you okay?" Ethan asked with concern."I'm fine." Stellar snapped out of her thoughts and explained seriously, "Ethan, I never pretended to be Star Luna."Perhaps her gaze was too resolute, because after a moment, Ethan nodded. "I believe you."He had seen her capabilities firsthand—there was no reason for her to fake it.He wanted to ask more, but just then, Stellar’s phone rang. She waved at Ethan before stepping aside to answer Suzy’s call."Stellar, I just saw the news... I'm so sorry, I dragged you into this."Suzy’s voice was full of guilt."What are you apologizing for? The ones in the wrong are those shameless impostors."Stellar’s tone was calm. "Don't worry, I won’t let them off so easily."Hearing the way she spoke, Suzy could tell she had something planned. She curiously asked, "Stellar, what are you going to do?""You’ll find out soon enough."After hanging up, Stellar returned to the base without haste and resumed her morning work.Stephen stopped by at so

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    Eddie knew exactly how to exploit Tori’s weak spot. After a moment, she finally calmed down. "What are you so afraid of? At the end of the day, this so-called 'Star Luna' is just one of Suzy’s regular friends from outside the industry. "If she really had any connections, do you think someone who looks like her would still be a nobody?"Eddie's eyes lit up at her words. "Right! I remember her mentioning that she was the fake heiress of the Harlow family and was kicked out. She really has no backing at all." "Then it’s simple." Tori beckoned him over and whispered a few instructions. Eddie nodded repeatedly, then quickly picked up his phone from the floor and dialed a number. …By evening, Stellar left the base, but instead of heading home, she drove to a nearby café. When she approached a window seat, Eddie was already there, waiting. As soon as she arrived, he stood up and pulled out a chair for her, his attitude overly attentive. "Go ahead," Stellar said as she sat dow

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    Stellar paused for three seconds before bursting into laughter. Of all people, it turned out to be the Moore family again. "What’s so funny? Do you think the Moore family is easy to deal with?" Eddie snapped, thinking she still didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation. "Zayden Moore is known in the industry as the King of Hell. Anyone who ends up in his hands has no way out!" But instead of looking intimidated, Stellar’s smirk deepened, her eyes growing sharper. "If he’s that powerful, then I guess I’ll have to see for myself." "You… You’re absolutely insane!" Realizing there was no point in arguing further, Eddie stormed off, heading straight back to report to Tori. At the time, she had been sipping tea, waiting for good news. But the moment she heard what happened, her face twisted with rage, and she threw her teacup across the room. "That bitch dares to look down on me?! Just wait…" She turned and hurried upstairs, dialing a number. When the call connected, he

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    Stellar felt a wave of emotion as she typed her response: "Thank you for your understanding and support. Can I ask..."Initially, she had only planned to make some casual small talk.But Wind Charm quickly replied: "Maybe because I’ve had a similar experience to the protagonist. If I were in their shoes, I’d make the same choice."Feeling intrigued, Stellar continued the conversation.Before she knew it, midnight had passed.Even then, she still wasn’t ready to stop.Wind Charm understood her writing, resonated with her thoughts, and even shared similar values. Having a reader like this made her genuinely happy.But Wind Charm was more considerate, sending a final message: "It’s late. You should get some rest. Goodnight.""Goodnight."With that, Stellar went to sleep in a good mood.The next day at the base, trouble came knocking.The aircraft modification project was nearing completion, but her internship wasn’t over yet.Which meant all the tedious work had been dumped on her."Thes

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    She realized she had been far too lenient with Percy before, which only emboldened him to push his limits again and again. Now, she wasn’t going to hold back. She would crush the thing he valued most—his dignity—underfoot. "Shut up!" Percy’s face turned crimson with rage. He hadn’t expected her to know about his illegitimacy. Humiliation, anger, and shame surged through him all at once. "The one who needs to shut up is you," Stellar said coldly. "And consider this your final warning, Percy. Next time you show up in front of me acting like a fool, don’t blame me for what happens next." She flexed her fingers, casually swinging her fist past him. Percy instinctively flinched, taking a quick step back. Memories of his last humiliating beating flashed through his mind, making him retreat another two steps. Stellar caught the cowardice in his expression and let out a scornful laugh before walking past him without another glance. Watching her arrogant silhouette disappea

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    Stellar lifted her head coldly, glancing at her through the mirror before quickly looking away, treating her as if she didn’t exist. Her indifference instantly ignited Tori’s anger. She strode forward, ready to confront her, but just as she was about to speak, her gaze landed on the red string wrapped around Stellar’s wrist. The design was simple, nothing particularly special about it. However, Tori immediately thought of Zayden’s earlier outburst. As her eyes flickered with calculation, an idea surfaced in her mind. A smile suddenly curled on her lips, her arrogance from before vanishing as she spoke in a friendly tone, "Miss Rivers, I was wrong about what happened earlier. I’ve actually been wanting to find a chance to apologize. “How about we go out for a drink and put everything behind us?" Stellar found her sudden change of attitude nauseating. "If you think we can just make peace, you must still be dreaming," she replied, voice laced with sarcasm. Surprisingly, T

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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

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