"Stellar!"The first face that flashed through Percy’s mind was hers, and the mere thought of her name made him grit his teeth in anger.But soon, the hazy memories from last night started coming back.Towards the end… it wasn’t Stellar who took him away.It was Yvonne.And yet, she actually dumped him on the side of the road and left him there?At that moment, his disgust for Yvonne deepened even further.Furious, he stormed away from the scene.…Meanwhile, on the other side of town.Stellar spent her entire day at the research institute, buried in her latest experiment.For once, no one had caused trouble for her, and she enjoyed a rare, peaceful day.Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang."Babe, I finally wrapped things up on my end. How about a dinner date?"Suzy’s lazy, sultry voice carried an irresistible charm.Stellar couldn’t help but smile, her tone softer than usual."Sure! Where are we meeting?"Suzy rattled off an address.Stellar paused for a second but agreed w
"You haven't seen this yet? Well, I guarantee it’ll make your day!"Suzy, grinning with excitement, shoved her phone in front of Stellar.On the screen, a shaky, handheld video played—a clip taken by a bystander.In the video, Percy was a complete mess. His clothes were disheveled, his face twisted in rage as he stumbled out of a roadside flower bed. His expression darkened even further when he realized his surroundings, and as he yanked up his pants, he roared at the onlookers, "Get the hell away from me!"Suzy burst into laughter, wiping away tears. "Oh my god! This scumbag went from living in luxury to literally waking up in the streets. Talk about karma! Serves him right after the way he treated you."If this had been in the past, Stellar might have felt something—anger, sadness, even pity.But now, seeing Percy like this?She felt nothing."Whatever happens to him isn’t my concern anymore," she said calmly.As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the entrance, where a tall, famil
Stephen thought for a moment before saying, "I’ll also have a mushroom soup."Noticing there wasn’t a soup dish on the table, he figured it would balance the meal.Even Lily looked surprised this time."You two really have similar tastes! Miss Rivers actually ordered that earlier—it hasn’t even arrived yet. What are the odds?"Her words made Stellar feel a little awkward. She quickly shoved the menu into Lily’s hands."Madam Bailey, I’m starving. Hurry up and get the food going!"Lily chuckled knowingly but didn’t say anything more as she walked off, leaving Stellar and Stephen sitting across from each other in an unexpectedly quiet moment.The atmosphere between them turned… oddly subtle.Suzy, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained.She cleared her throat dramatically before grinning."You know, they say that if you want to test compatibility in a relationship, just see if two people can enjoy the same meals. By that standard, you two are practically a match made in heaven!"
Outside the Bailey’s Bistro, Percy arrived at the restaurant in a foul mood.Just as he was about to push open the door, his eyes landed on a familiar figure through the glass.Stellar sat by the window, quietly enjoying her meal, a light, unrestrained happiness dancing across her features.For a moment, Percy froze.He remembered this place—the flavors of its dishes.Stellar had always loved coming here. But he had dismissed it as low-class, unworthy of her, and forbade her from eating here.Yet because of her love for Southport cuisine, she learned to cook it herself over timeAnd in doing so, she had spoiled him too.Now, without her meals, nothing else satisfied his palate.That was why he thought of coming here today.But he hadn't expected to see this.Stellar sitting inside, enjoying her meal with another man.A tall, strikingly handsome man.An unfamiliar sense of irritation coiled in Percy’s chest, sharp and suffocating.He hesitated, a sudden wave of unease washing over him.
"Is this how the rich trample over ordinary people? Picking fights, assaulting the elderly, and passing out drunk in public—no dignity, no class, no morals. Absolute scum of society. A disgrace. Companies like his shouldn’t even be allowed to go public!""Blacklist him! I can’t even stand to look at this mess anymore."Scrolling down, the next trending headline was even worse—Moore Enterprises’ stock had plummeted."Look at the disaster you’ve caused!" William seethed, his face red with fury as he slammed his hand against the desk. "You’ve ignited public outrage! While I’ve been working around the clock to clean up your mess, you have the nerve to talk about calling off the engagement?!"His voice thundered through the office, his rage barely contained."Do you see it now? If you don’t go through with the Harlow engagement, our entire family is finished!“Effective immediately, we’re announcing the engagement party. I’ve already instructed PR to start damage control, and you—" His e
Percy’s face twitched in disbelief.He hadn’t even confronted Yvonne for abandoning him in a damn flower bed, humiliating him in front of the entire city, yet she had the audacity to start nitpicking him?For a split second, he wanted to slap some sense into her.But at the last moment, he clenched his fist and swallowed his anger."It won’t happen again.”Only then did Yvonne tilt her chin up smugly and step into the car with an air of superiority.The entire ride was suffocatingly silent.Percy had no desire to talk to her, and she seemed perfectly content admiring her reflection in the mirror.By the time they arrived at the Moore estate, he felt like he had endured a full hour of torture.Yvonne, however, wasted no time slipping her arm through his as they walked inside.Margaret was already waiting in the foyer, elegantly dressed as she stepped forward to greet them.Her gaze swept over Yvonne’s outfit, and for the briefest moment, her expression stiffened.Good Lord.What kind of
Stellar finished her dinner, and after exchanging a brief farewell with them, Stephen left early. When Stellar was about to pay the bill, she found out that he had already took care of it in advance. "Your senior might seem cold at first, but he’s got a warm side. He’s actually pretty nice," Suzy remarked, unable to resist commenting.At the very least, he was a thousand times better than Percy, that arrogant snob who looked down on people. "Don't say things like that next time. He has a girlfriend," Stellar turned back, giving her a slightly embarrassed glare while reminding her not to speak carelessly. "Oh, really? He doesn’t seem like the type who would date or know how to make a girl happy!" Suzy started to say, but then quickly contradicted herself. "Wait, no, even someone like Percy, who pretends to be all high and mighty, managed to fool a stunning beauty like you into giving your all for him. So, a guy like this? Way easier."Forget it. Men are all the same. We’re bett
"If he ever loses his job, I can help him find one. But for you to look down on people like this, aren’t you afraid of karma catching up to you?" That single sentence struck deep, sending a sharp tremor through Xavier’s heart. "Stellar Rivers?" Brian, one of Percy’s usual lackeys, naturally recognized her. Upon hearing her words, he let out a cold laugh. "Well, well, look who it is. Stellar Rivers. You’ve already been thrown out by Mr. Moore, barely able to take care of yourself, and yet you still want to help Xavier? “You should know your place. Take my advice—stop making a fool of yourself and go apologize to Percy. Please him properly, and maybe he’ll throw you a lifeline." His eyes were filled with mockery and disdain. His words were downright vile. Xavier clenched his fists, about to speak up, when a cup of coffee suddenly flew through the air, splattering across Brian’s face.Suzy, standing to the side with an empty cup in hand, had shed her usual elegant demeano
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