It took Stellar a moment before she finally spoke, disbelief lacing her voice. “Wait, doesn’t that mean she basically admitted to covering up crimes? Isn’t that illegal too?”“Exactly, but I guess she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. She kept insisting it was all Tori’s doing—that she and her son were innocent.”Suzy let out a snort. “I’ve never seen anyone exposing their own son’s crimes on camera and dragging themselves down with him. “No wonder Eddie turned out the way he did. With a mom like that cheering him on, it’s no surprise he grew up thinking he could do whatever he wanted. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.”Stellar felt a wave of complicated emotion. The woman she remembered to be gentle, kind, and full of warmth suddenly appeared like a total stranger.Had it all been an act?She let out a soft sigh.Suzy must have picked up on her silence, because her voice turned more soothing. “Stellar, don’t let this weigh on you. That mother and son duo were hid
There was still no reply from the other side, so Stellar set her phone aside and headed to the bathroom to wash up. When she came back, she watched a movie for a while.Only then did she pick up her phone again and unlock the screen.But there was still no reply from Stephen.A faint sense of disappointment crept in. She turned off the light, lay down, and placed her phone on the nightstand, ready to sleep.Just then, the screen lit up.A flicker of joy surged in her chest. She quickly grabbed the phone and tapped to check it, only to find it was a spam advertisement.Stellar’s forehead twitched. She nearly swore out loud. "They keep sending me this junk. I'm filing a complaint tomorrow!"The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. But just then, another message popped up.“I just finished work. Still up?”“I just got back my phone. Sorry, I’ll keep it on me next time.”“Did you eat, rest, and take care of yourself properly?”Stephen’s message came like rain in a drought.I
She denied it three times, but Stellar still looked suspicious. That man's voice on the phone sounded oddly familiar.But seeing she clearly didn’t want to talk about it, Stellar didn’t pry. She wasn’t the type to dig into other people’s business. "Alright then, I won’t ask about yours, so you better not ask about mine."Lilian quickly nodded. A mutual understanding was reached.That afternoon, they resumed work on the new project, which involved the latest aerospace technology design and development.After two solid hours of work, Stellar finally took a short break and headed to the break room with the team for some water.They had just stepped out when a figure entered from outside.Evan walked in, his expression dark, clearly in a foul mood.These days, he’d finally managed to be in the same research institute as Joy. He’d gone out of his way to shower her with kindness, offering her everything he thought was good. But she didn’t appreciate it at all.In fact, she told him to
The very next second…“Pfft…”Someone couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.A ripple of muffled chuckles spread through the room.Stellar froze, bewildered, and turned to look at the projector screen, only to see an enormous turtle displayed across it.She stood there, stunned."Miss Rivers, if you're having trouble with the design, no one’s going to mock you," Joy seized the moment to attack. "But what’s with the turtle? Are you trying to be funny, or do you just not take the project seriously?"Stellar quickly snapped out of it and responded, "This isn’t my drawing."Joy arched a brow, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Oh? Then what? Did I draw it?""Yeah, Miss Rivers, are we supposed to believe you’re playing some elaborate prank on all of us?""Is this what genius arrogance looks like?"Just when people had finally begun warming up to her, it all crumbled in an instant. Voices chimed in one after another, mocking and skeptical.Stellar’s expression darkened. She knew someone
Did she have no idea just how powerful his background was?Or maybe she knew and still didn’t care.The thought only piqued Evan’s interest. He leaned in, smirking, and kept pushing. "And what makes you so sure I took your blueprint? Got any proof?"Stellar’s expression darkened.Just then, Joy walked over, arms full of documents. "Stellar, can you stop making a scene? You couldn’t come up with a proper design, so now you're blaming others? Aren’t you embarrassed?"Having been outshone by Stellar time and again, Joy had been quietly stewing in resentment. Now that the tables seemed to turn, she seized the chance to mock her, eager to see her humiliated in front of everyone.Sure enough, the commotion drew a small crowd from the institute, curious to watch the drama unfold.But those sneering and skeptical glances didn’t faze Stellar one bit.She turned to Joy with a cold stare.Then something on the back of the blueprint Joy was holding caught her eye. Her gaze sharpened instantl
Joy was quietly reveling in her triumph.With the tide so clearly turned in her favor, Stellar’s team was seething with frustration.But Stellar simply let out a soft laugh, then spoke with calm poise. "I may not have signed my name on the blueprint, but unfortunately for you, Miss Joy, while I was drawing it, my fountain pen accidentally left a blot of ink on the back."She flipped the original blueprint over. Sure enough, there was a dark ink stain on the back.A flicker of panic flashed across Joy’s face, but she quickly recovered and snapped, "That blot came from my pen. You probably saw it earlier and decided to claim it as yours."That seemed plausible enough, and the crowd began to murmur in agreement.But Stellar let out a sharp chuckle. "Ah, I forgot to mention that this isn’t just any ink. The one I used has a distinct scent of lavender. You’re welcome to smell it yourselves."A few people stepped closer out of curiosity, leaned in, and took a sniff."It really does smell
Stellar found the whole thing baffling. She didn’t even know why the other party hated her so much.Still, after this incident, she realized she'd been far too nice to Joy.After retrieving the blueprint, she knocked on the team leader’s office door.Lucien wasn’t surprised to see her and even invited her to sit.But Stellar stood straight and got straight to the point. "Mr. Song, I want to report Joy."She stole my blueprint and, along with Christopher Sung, forcibly occupied Lab 1. They refused to let me in to use the equipment, which seriously disrupted my research. I hope you'll look into this."Lucien raised an eyebrow as he listened. The light in his blue eyes flickered, and he spoke lazily, "Oh? And why would you think I’d offend Mr. Shaw’s granddaughter and his favorite student just for you?""Because to me, this is a place for research. Everyone came here with a dream, hoping to contribute to the country. Who someone is doesn’t matter."Stellar's tone was calm and firm. "If y
Stellar was just about to reply when a commotion erupted not far away."Something’s wrong—that sounds like Nathan’s place! There’s a whole crowd outside!" Simon cried out in alarm.Stellar didn’t hesitate. She quickly typed a reply to Stephen: “Something’s come up. I’ll talk to you later.”Snapping her phone shut, she rushed off with the others toward the building.From a distance, they could already hear the shouting."Nathan, get your ass out here! Your mother owes us a hell of a lot of money. You think you can play dead now?""You really think hiding in there means we can't do anything to you?""Go ahead and starve in there for all we care!"Outside the apartment, a gang of rough-looking men with tattoos crawling up their arms and expressions hard with menace had surrounded the door, yelling threats without pause.Stellar and the others exchanged looks. After a beat of hesitation, she stepped forward."What do you think you’re doing here?" she demanded.The men turned at her voic
"Stellar, I really need to thank you." Autumn’s tone was sincere. "There’s no need for that, Autumn. I just did what anyone should’ve done." Stellar couldn’t explain it, but something about Autumn made her feel warm, almost protective. "Stellar…" Just then, Laurence approached from the side. Autumn turned instinctively at the sound of his voice. The moment their eyes met, both froze. That strange sense of familiarity surged again in Laurence’s chest. The closer he got, the stronger it felt. Stellar quickly stepped forward and took his arm. "Grandpa, let me introduce you."This is Ms. Autumn Lane, Keith’s aunt—the one I told you about. She’s always been kind to me. She even gave me an emerald pendant as a welcome gift when we first met!"Autumn, this is my grandfather." Autumn was the first to snap out of it, pushing aside the strange feeling in her chest. "Mr. Rivers, it’s an honor. I’ve heard so much about you. I really appreciate you taking the time to help ide
The manager turned to her in shock, clearly about to say something, but Keith stopped him with a single look."You’ve got some sense, I’ll give you that. At least you know I’m not someone you can afford to offend." The wealthy woman sneered smugly, then barked at the manager, "Well? Hurry up and get these things packed for me!"The manager looked troubled, but before he could respond, Stellar spoke up with a cheerful smile. "Ma’am, you can take them, sure, but we’ll need your signature and fingerprints first. These three antiques are each worth over two million. “If it turns out someone took them without the owner’s permission, it’ll go straight to court. And that’s a serious offense—major fraud with a possibly of a life sentence."Her tone was breezy, but the words sent a chill down the woman’s spine. "Wh-What are you trying to say? Are you threatening me?""Oh no, not threatening. Just stating the facts. If you’ve got the owner's permission, there’s nothing to worry about, right?"
"This is…" Laurence’s eyes lit up instantly. He leaned in, examining the piece carefully for a long moment before exclaiming, "This piece is from the early 1700s—right around the time of the Baroque period. I remember coming across it in historical archives..."Once the topic turned to his area of expertise, Laurence became animated, his voice filled with energy as he explained.A small crowd began to gather, drawn by his enthusiasm and deep knowledge.Stellar, who actually recognized many of the antiques herself, chose to play along, feigning curiosity. When Laurence finished, she pointed to another item. "What about this one, Grandpa?"He turned and his eyes lit up even more. "That’s an artifact from the early medieval period, likely from the 8th or 9th century. It’s absolutely priceless."He launched into another detailed explanation.Stellar kept the conversation going, asking thoughtful questions one after another, giving Laurence the chance to fully shine. Applause broke
When they stepped out of the car, Keith was already waiting outside.Guests coming and going couldn't help but glance his way—tall, poised, and impeccably dressed, he was instantly recognizable. Several people greeted him with polite smiles and nods.Keith returned the gestures with a cool, distant air, his smile polite but faint.But the moment he spotted Stellar and Laurence, a flicker of warmth lit up his eyes. Cutting through the crowd, he greeted them with uncharacteristic enthusiasm."Mr. Rivers, Stellar, you're here! Come on, I’ll take you inside."Guests nearby were visibly surprised by his sudden shift in demeanor, their curious gazes drifting to Stellar and her grandfather.Their composure and presence were impossible to miss.A few who had previously met Laurence found themselves stunned.Could the Rivers and Sinclair families be tying the knot soon?Unaware of the speculation swirling around them, Stellar followed Keith inside with her grandfather.The moment she stepped
Though a little disappointed, Keith didn’t push further. "Then let me give you a ride home.""No need, Mr. Sinclair. With me here, I’ll make sure Stellar gets home safely,” Stephen finally spoke, his voice cool and composed. "Yeah, we’re heading in the same direction anyway. No need to trouble you," Stellar added with a polite smile.Keith clenched his fists slightly, frustration flashing through him.Damn Stephen. The only reason he got this far was because he made the first move.Keith had even considered moving closer to Stellar’s neighborhood. But he’d held back, worried it might come off as too deliberate and push her further away instead. It was not worth the risk.In the end, he gave a casual wave and turned to walk away, doing his best to play it cool.It was fine. They’d be seeing each other again soon anyway.…After Keith left, Stellar and Stephen got into the car. On the ride back, Stephen finally broke the silence."You’re being too nice to him."Stellar blinked a
Now that the truth was out, netizens finally saw the full picture and reacted with outrage and clarity:"No wonder I thought the book was just average, but everyone online was hyping it like crazy. Turns out, it was all bots!""I left one comment about the poor plot logic and got attacked by a swarm of fake accounts. I thought I poked a hornet’s nest—turns out they were just panicking.""Compared to that, After Dawn is gripping, suspenseful, and logically tight. Star Luna really is in a league of her own and always has been.""I went to her signing today—she’s even more stunning in person! Smart, talented, and graceful… no wonder people are jealous."The entire incident ended up boosting Stellar’s reputation. Support flooded in, and even readers who hadn’t been interested in this genre started checking out her novel, only to find themselves completely hooked.In no time, After Dawn soared to the top of the site’s trending chart.As for Tori, the one who orchestrated the sabotage from
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