Not long after she ran off, the paparazzo showed up at the door in a panic."Miss Shaw, what do we do now? The Ward, Sinclair, and Moore families are all suing me at once! You have to save me! I was only following your instructions!""Shut up!" Joy snapped furiously.She hadn’t expected things to spiral like this.Her original plan was to use public opinion to expose Stellar’s promiscuity, hoping the men would see her true colors and distance themselves from her.But instead, they were all willing to defend her, even at the cost of their own reputations.In the end, she had no choice but to give the paparazzo a large sum of hush money. Her voice was cold as she threatened, "Take the money, get out of the country, and hide yourself. From now on, never mention my name again. And don’t ever show up in front of me."The paparazzo took the deal and fled in a hurry....Meanwhile, Stellar returned to the Starlight Aerospace Base with Rendell and the others.At the same time, the online buzz
Panic rose in Joy’s chest as she scrambled to deny everything. “No, that’s not true. This has nothing to do with her. Stellar made it all up to make herself look better…” “Enough!” the investor on the other end cut her off, no longer willing to listen. “Let me be honest with you, Miss Shaw. We received a video today showing Stellar Rivers leading the entire aircraft modification process at your base—start to finish. “We were hoping you’d confirm it yourself, but instead, you chose to lie and smear her. This kind of behavior—taking credit for someone else’s work and misleading your partners—is completely unacceptable. “The investor board has voted unanimously to terminate all cooperation with SA Base. We’ll be reaching out to Miss Rivers directly to discuss working with her instead.” With that, the call was abruptly ended. Joy stood frozen in place, as if someone had slapped her across the face. Her expression was utterly humiliated. At the same time, news of the termina
The others nodded in agreement, rallying around Stellar.Her heart warmed at the gesture, and without hesitation, she tapped to answer the call."Stellar Rivers, you must be feeling pretty smug after stealing all my investors!" Joy’s accusatory voice burst through the speaker, laced with fury.Stellar couldn’t help but laugh. "Miss Shaw, let’s get something straight. You lost those investors because you couldn’t keep them, not because of me. “And trying to pass off my work as your own? This outcome was inevitable. You brought it on yourself.""You…!" Joy choked on her anger, momentarily speechless. Then she hissed, "Don’t get too cocky. Don’t forget, your aircraft modification technology was signed over to SA Base from the beginning. “Even if you published the paper, you’re not allowed to use it. If you do, I have every right to sue you for infringement!"The crowd around Stellar bristled with outrage. Some were even visibly worried for her.But to everyone’s surprise, she remain
Stellar’s gaze flickered. For a moment, she seriously questioned her own sanity.How had slipping on a pair of gloves sent her spiraling into such absurd thoughts?“They fit perfectly. I really like them,” Stephen said, the smile on his face deepening. “I made your favorite—grilled salmon. Want to stay for dinner?”The warmth in his smile completely threw her off. Without thinking, she nodded, only realizing what she’d done after stepping inside the house.God, she’d fallen for it again, completely swayed by his charm. Then again… his cooking was amazing. ... The recent scandal turned Stellar into an overnight sensation. Praise flooded in from all corners of the internet, and she was well on her way to becoming a national icon. But admiration always came hand-in-hand with jealousy. The brighter someone shone, the harder it was for the ones lurking in the shadows to stay silent. Soon, someone dug up her past relationship with Percy, twisted the details, and shared his cu
Something stirred in Stephen’s chest. It was the first time he’d heard her speak in that soft, almost clingy tone, like she was leaning on him. "I’ll walk you back." "Okay." They strolled side by side, exchanging idle conversation along the way. The atmosphere between them was quiet, easy—something warm and unspoken hanging in the air. ... Elsewhere— In a dim, cramped rental apartment, Percy sat crouched in the corner, staring blankly at a video playing on his phone. He watched as Stellar was surrounded because of him… and then rescued by Stephen.Guilt flickered deep in his eyes. Without warning, he raised a hand and slapped himself hard across the face. "Percy! What the hell are you doing?" A well-dressed middle-aged woman walked over, clearly startled. "I know the bankruptcy’s been tough on you, but come on. You’ve still got your father and me. You can’t just throw in the towel like this!" Before Margaret was sent to prison, she’d begged her younger sister,
Percy was knocked to the ground, but Chuck clearly didn’t think that was enough.He pinned him down and continued to pummel him.The store staff were all stunned.That evening, Stellar had dropped by to pick out a gift for a friend when she happened to witness the scene.She was speechless for a moment.Northvale really was the kind of place where one couldn’t even go shopping without stumbling into a disaster.Out of basic decency, she walked to the entrance and flagged down security. "There’s a fight inside. Please handle it."The guards immediately rushed in and pulled Percy out."Sir, are you alright?"With a bruised face and a nosebleed, Percy wiped the blood away and muttered awkwardly, "I'm fine."But the guard shook his head, then pointed not far away. "It's thanks to that lady over there. She’s the one who told us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten here in time."Following the direction of the guard’s finger, Percy caught sight of Stellar’s back just as she was turning to lea
Percy was nearly driven mad with anger. Stellar, however, watched the whole farce with a cold gaze. After a while, she suddenly stepped forward with a smile and handed over a gold card. “You want money, right? Fine. Here’s one million.” Dawn was still trying to figure out why she suddenly gave in. But her greedy mother snatched the card away immediately. “Now that’s more like it! So, you finally admit your guilt and want to compensate my daughter. I’ll accept this money.” The crowd frowned deeply, their eyes filled with disgust and contempt as they looked at Stellar. The three of them strutted off triumphantly. Percy looked at her, touched. “Stellar, I didn’t expect you’d go this far for me…” But Stellar didn’t even spare him a glance. She took out her phone and made a call. “Hello, is this the police? I’d like to report a crime. Someone spread false rumors about me and extorted one million from me. Please send officers over immediately. The address is…” She clearl
“Stellar, my sweet granddaughter!” “Let me have a look at you—you’ve lost weight.” Martha gently pinched her cheek with a heartache. “No, I haven’t,” Stellar said with a playful pout, linking arms with them on both sides. “Grandpa, Grandma, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? If you missed me, you could’ve called. I would’ve gone to see you!” Laurence looked at her seriously. “We just wanted to see how you’re doing, and if anyone’s been bullying you. If they have, Grandpa’s here to back you up!” Though he was already in his seventies, the commanding presence he carried hadn’t faded with age. Stellar felt a wave of warmth rush through her. Her eyes curved with a smile. “Who would dare bully me? Besides, I’ve got Uncle Claude and the others around!” “That’s true,” Laurence nodded, finally relaxing a little. The three of them chatted as they walked out of the airport, the atmosphere warm and cheerful. Seeing that it was still early, Stellar suggested taking them o
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