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.
Deep down, she refused to be seen as a delicate flower—someone incapable of standing on her own without a man's protection.But that wasn’t something she could easily explain to anyone.Yet, as if reading her mind, Stephen’s reply came through:"I know you don’t like being treated this way. I’ll talk to your uncles for you."Stellar was taken aback.She assumed that since Stephen was pursuing her, he would seize this opportunity to spend more time with her.Instead, he was turning it down.Stellar: “Why would you…?”Stephen: “I won’t force you into something you don’t want. But whenever you need me, I’ll always be there.”His words struck a chord in her heart.A slow smile spread across her lips.This time, she didn’t bother with polite refusals or empty words.“Okay.”That night, she fell asleep with an inexplicable sense of warmth.The next morning, upon arriving at the base, Stellar received an official notification.Her proposal had been approved.It should have been good news.Aft
Stellar had never seen such shamelessness.Not only had Joy stolen her work, but now she was twisting the situation to make herself the victim.Backing down wasn’t an option—not for her."Fine. If that’s the case, I’m out of the final stage of this project!" she declared without hesitation.The room fell into stunned silence.Many were taken aback by her decisiveness, unable to hide their shock.Joy was the first to recover."Miss Rivers, do you really think the team can’t function without you?" she sneered. "This isn’t some playground where you can throw a tantrum. If you quit now, your work will be discarded, and your internship might not even be approved. Are you sure you want to be this reckless?"She spoke as if she were lecturing a child—one who was acting spoiled and irrational.But Stellar merely let out a cold laugh, standing her ground."Yes. If this place can’t even uphold fairness, I see no reason to stay."With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.Joy’s gaze dark
Hearing Zayden’s offer, Stellar couldn’t deny that she was tempted."Alright, I’d love to give it a shot!"A satisfied smile spread across Zayden’s face.He reveled in the feeling of having her within his grasp, unwilling to let go."I’ll personally take you there tomorrow.""Then…" Stellar was about to say she needed to head back and prepare.But the moment Zayden sensed she was about to part ways with him, he quickly spoke up."Senior, I didn’t just come here to see you today. There’s someone I want to take you to meet.""Who?""Our old mentor. He’s in town for a while. Would you come with me to visit him?" His gaze was sincere, almost pleading.Stellar hadn’t expected him to be so respectful toward their teacher.Back when they were younger, she assumed Zayden hated their mentor and their fellow classmates—practically everyone except her.Maybe she had misunderstood him.With a warm smile, she nodded."Of course! I haven’t seen him in so long. Let’s stop by a shop and pick up some g
Percy looked utterly defeated, his voice hoarse. "Mom, we can't win against her. The one who locked us up was Zayden Moore!"Margaret's face was filled with disbelief. "What?! He…how could he…""Stellar got involved with Zayden behind my back. He’s only helping her to humiliate and torment us."Percy's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on the back of his clenched hand. His heart burned with resentment and shame."That shameless vixen! I always knew she was trouble, but to go behind your back and seduce your cousin…"Margaret was completely enraged now, abandoning all pretense of composure, cursing viciously without restraint.But no amount of insults could change reality."No, we can't just let this go! I’ll make her pay!"Percy's eyelid twitched, sensing something. "Mom, what are you planning?"A sinister glint flashed across Margaret’s face. "Since she’s so ruthless to us, we’ll destroy her!""Mom, you’re not thinking…""If she loves throwing herself at men, then we’ll help her do
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