As the two of them walked outside, they failed to notice the man who brushed past them. Percy had received an invitation tonight and was just about to enter the banquet hall when he overheard Tori and her agent’s conversation. He never would have expected Stellar to actually offend Zayden. She really had no fear of anything. Did she even realize that Zayden was a ruthless, merciless figure who wouldn’t hesitate to kill? Now that things had reached this point, he figured he was probably the only one who could protect her. That thought left him feeling somewhat pleased with himself. Stepping into the hall, his gaze quickly landed on Stellar, sitting alone in the lounge area, as if waiting for someone. A glint flickered in his eyes. Picking up a glass of wine, he walked toward her. "Stellar, I was wrong about earlier today…" Gone was the arrogance from before. Percy’s posture was sincere as he explained, "I never intended to humiliate you or force you to bow down to
The moment Stellar saw who it was, her eyes widened slightly. She was caught off guard but not entirely surprised."Percy, it looks like you’ve finally lost your mind." He had actually resorted to kidnapping. This was already crossing into criminal territory. However, Percy wasn’t the least bit angered by her cold demeanor. Instead, he smirked, looking smug. "Stellar, don’t blame me. You forced my hand." He was too soft before. He bent over backward for a woman, gave everything he could, only to be met with nothing but scorn, humiliation, and rejection. Some women just needed to be taught a lesson. If kindness didn’t work on her, then she had no one to blame but herself for making him take a harder approach. Besides—"Do you really think I brought you here to hurt you? Stellar, everything I’m doing is for your own protection." His words sounded almost righteous. And in his mind, he truly believed them. She had offended Zayden. There was no way that would end well
He needed to know everything about her—to have complete control over her life—so he could bring Stellar back to his side. But not long after he sent the message, his phone rang. "Mr. Zayden, there’s something I need to report," his subordinate said cautiously. "You’ve had us keeping an eye on the side branch, and today, our men discovered that Percy kidnapped a woman. She looks strikingly similar to the one in the photo you just sent me…" His voice trailed off, hesitant. "What did you just say?!" Zayden slammed his foot on the gas, his eyes dark with lethal intent. "That bastard actually dared—where did he take her?" The subordinate quickly rattled off an address. "They were heading in that direction, but we haven’t pinpointed their exact location yet." "Find it!" Zayden barked, yanking the steering wheel to make a sharp U-turn before speeding toward the location at breakneck speed. …At the same time, multiple forces were searching for Stellar. Meanwhile, she had
The bodyguards immediately understood and shut the basement door behind them.With everyone gone, the only ones left in the dark, enclosed space were Stellar and Percy."Stellar, are you really sure about this?" Percy asked again, wanting confirmation.She gave him a sweet, innocent smile. "Of course. Now, can you untie me?"Percy hesitated for a moment."You’re not scared I’ll hurt you, are you?" Stellar tilted her head, her voice soft, almost teasing. "Don’t forget, I can barely move right now. And if you keep me tied up like this, how am I supposed to hold you?"She even pouted a little, as if sulking.Percy’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.It made sense. She was completely powerless right now. There was no way she could fight back—wasn’t she already at his mercy?Feeling reassured, he finally moved forward and loosened the knots.As the ropes fell away, Stellar stretched her stiff wrists, rubbing the soreness out before curling her fingers into a slow, deliberate fist."S
The moment Zayden appeared, Percy’s eyes lit up like he had just seen his savior.Using every ounce of strength left in his battered body, he crawled forward, grasping onto Zayden’s pant leg in desperation."Zayden, help me! Stellar offended you, so I brought her here to teach her a lesson for you, but she turned around and beat me like this! Please, you have to save me!"Zayden’s jaw clenched, the vein on his temple twitching violently."You idiot. Who gave you the right to lay a hand on her?! Are you looking for death?"With that, he delivered a vicious kick, sending Percy flying across the room.Percy felt his insides shift as he crashed to the ground, gasping in pain.What the hell?! Wasn’t Stellar the one who had pissed off Zayden? Then why… why was he protecting her?Before he could process it, Stephen had already stepped toward Stellar, scanning her from head to toe."Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.Stellar raised a brow, flashing a bright, teasing smile.
"You don’t have to thank me. Saving Stellar was simply the right thing to do," Stephen said smoothly. Now that things had reached this point, there was no way he would back down. Instead, he subtly staked his own claim. "Stellar is very important to me. If anything, I should be the one thanking you for stepping in." A flicker of hostility flashed through Zayden’s eyes, and though he still wore a smile, there was something eerily cold about it. "My senior is also the most important person to me," he stated, enunciating every word with deliberate emphasis. Stephen, unbothered, simply responded with a casual, almost teasing tone. "Is that so? Strange, I don’t recall Stellar ever mentioning you before." Zayden’s expression darkened instantly. Sensing the growing tension, Stellar finally stepped in. "Alright, enough of this. You two can stop arguing now." Turning to Stephen, she asked, "How did you even know I was in trouble?" "Your uncle called me," he answered. St
Margaret sat drenched, her body still trembling from the lingering effects of the electric shock.But this was only the beginning.Every single torture device in this prison—every cruel mechanism—was designed based on her own suggestions.She planned to personally oversee Stellar’s suffering.Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, it was now all coming back to her.She tried to scream for help, but no one outside would answer her.What awaited her was the next round of punishment."What goes around, comes around."Outside, Stellar watched coldly before turning away.Without sparing another glance, she walked off with Stephen and Zayden.As they left the compound, Stellar glanced at Stephen, curiosity flashing in her eyes."By the way, how did you figure out this was a trap?"Stephen explained calmly, "I’ve studied mechanical traps before. The way this place was structured, along with the control panel on the wall, made it pretty obvious."Stellar’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Wow, that’s i
Stellar hadn’t expected that.Stephen suddenly turned to her, his gaze deep and unwavering, his voice low and serious."What if I said I was?"Her heart skipped a beat.A rush of emotions flooded her all at once—nervousness, panic, uncertainty, and warmth."I…"She pressed her lips together, her mind scrambling for words.Maybe it was the intensity of his gaze, or maybe it was something else entirely, but she found herself speaking, her voice steady."You misunderstood. He’s my junior—someone I look out for, like a younger brother. That’s all."The moment the words left her lips, Stephen’s dark eyes lit up.They were brighter than the moon hanging in the night sky.In an instant, all the tension, unease, and frustration he felt earlier vanished.His voice was rich and unwavering."That’s all I needed to hear."So, it wasn’t just him.Stellar’s heart pounded against her ribs.She quickly averted her gaze, trying to compose herself. But the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her.
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