She knew it. Those so-called powerful men might indulge in their playthings behind closed doors, but there was no way they’d bring someone like Stellar to a high-profile event filled with elite guests and media reporters.For all her pride, in the end, Stellar was nothing more than a rich man’s toy.Stellar arched a brow at Yvonne’s words, a trace of mockery glinting in her eyes. She exhaled slowly before replying,"I'm not like you. I don't fall apart without a man."Yvonne’s face stiffened, but she quickly recovered with a cold sneer. "More like no man wants you."Lifting her hand, she flaunted the massive diamond ring on her finger."See this, Stellar? Percy picked this out for me himself. It’s hand-designed by the world most prestigious jewelry brand. It’s worth millions!"She didn’t stop there. With an arrogant tilt of her chin, she gestured to her necklace, earrings, and bracelet."And these? Each piece was custom-made for me by my parents and uncle."Her smirk deepened as she
She deliberately raised her voice, ensuring that everyone in the room heard her loud and clear.For a brief moment, silence fell over the crowd, only to be shattered by a sudden burst of murmurs.Though many found it hard to believe, those who had heard whispers of this matter in the past began exchanging hushed conversations.The members of the Harlow and Moore families stood on the sidelines, watching coldly.Meanwhile, the journalists who were specially invited for the engagement banquet lit up with excitement, their cameras immediately zooming in on the scene.If the last interview had merely been a minor revelation, today’s engagement banquet was a spectacle with the eyes of high society fixed on it.Everyone present was a prominent figure in their circles.Yvonne chose this occasion to expose the matter, ensuring that the entire room would learn the truth—that Stellar was nothing but filthy and disgraceful.She wanted to make sure that no influential man would ever be bewitched b
His presence was overwhelming, and every word he spoke carried undeniable weight, making it impossible not to believe him.Stellar was shaken to her core.She thought Stephen’s offer to help investigate was just empty words. She never expected that he had actually found evidence!On the other hand, Yvonne was completely stunned.Snapping back to her senses, she lashed out in frustration. “Who do you think you are, standing here spouting nonsense? You’re obviously on Stellar’s side, of course, you’d defend her!”But the people present were no fools.Someone in the crowd finally recognized him—wait… wasn’t this the CEO of Brighton Group?They had seen him at the land auction banquet just a few days ago!Although he rarely appeared in public, the moment he did, word spread like wildfire. Soon, everyone realized who he was.If he was the one testifying, how could this be false?The banquet hall erupted in chaos.“Mr. Ward’s reputation is well-known! What he said must be true!”“To think
As Yvonne was led away, Stephen finally turned to Stellar."You okay?"Snapping out of her thoughts, Stellar nodded. Just as she was about to respond, Stephen’s phone rang. Whatever was said on the other end made his expression turn serious.Stellar immediately noticed the shift and spoke up. "I can handle the rest. Go take care of your business."He had already done more than enough by bringing out the evidence. Since something urgent had come up, she wouldn’t hold him back.Stephen seemed like he wanted to say something, but after glancing at his phone, he simply gave her a look. "Call me if anything happens. I’ll have a few people stay behind to help you."With that, he turned and left in a hurry.Stellar pressed her lips together and took in the chaotic scene around her. Just as she was about to walk away, a sharp voice cut through the air."Stellar, are you happy now? Ruining Yvonne’s engagement, sending her to prison—was this your way of getting revenge on us?"Pauline stood
"After all, we’ll still have to see each other in the business world, won’t we?"Besides, in cases involving contracts worth millions, what lawyer would willingly step into such a mess?In the corporate world, alliances shifted constantly—who's to say they wouldn’t be doing business with the Moore family again someday?Any lawyer who took on this case and lost would not only fail but also offend the Moore family. And that wouldn’t end well for them.Hearing this, the business partners looked grim, their anger still palpable.But he wasn’t wrong.Even if they wanted to sue, finding a lawyer willing to take the case would be nearly impossible.Just as they hesitated, Suzy let out a laugh and stepped forward."Why wouldn’t you pursue this?"Amusement flickered in her eyes as she spoke. "The Moore family is just putting on a front. In the eyes of the law, everyone is equal."If you’re worried about finding a good lawyer, I can recommend one. Xavier Reed. If there’s a case no one dares to
A sudden rush of wind came from behind."Watch out!"Suzy noticed the attack, but it was too late to stop it.Just as the wine bottle was about to crash down, a hand shot out, grabbing it midair.Stellar had already sensed the attack. With her current reflexes, dodging would have been easy. What she hadn’t expected was someone stepping in to help.She turned around, eyes widening slightly in surprise to see Jonathan."Jonathan, what the hell are you doing?!"Pauline stared at her brother in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing."Calm down, Pauline," Jonathan said firmly, his gaze heavy as he tried to soothe her. Then, he turned to Stellar, his expression strangely conflicted."Stellar… are you okay?"His voice carried a hint of concern, but she wasn’t fooled.Jonathan had never shown her an ounce of kindness before. Every time they crossed paths, his attitude had been cold and dismissive.And now he was suddenly worried about her?Sure enough, before she could respond, he
"Uncle Claude!" Stellar Rivers' eyes lit up with surprise and delight as she turned to the newcomer.Claude reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "My good niece."Jonathan's brows furrowed slightly at the word "uncle."There was something familiar about this man, but he couldn’t quite place it.The rest of the guests had the same nagging feeling, as if they’d seen him somewhere before.But Percy was completely stunned.Uncle?How the hell did she have an uncle this young?It took him only a couple of seconds to process before he scoffed in disdain."You’re just here to put on a show for her, aren’t you? A girl from the countryside having a wealthy uncle like you? Please."He scoffed. "I remember you handing Riverside Corporation over to her. Who are you trying to fool? She clearly latched onto you as her sugar daddy."But before he could gloat any further, Claude let out a sharp, cold chuckle.His voice was steady, deliberate, every word carrying weight."You’d better listen carefu
Suzy caught up with Stellar, glancing at the tall man beside her before lowering her voice. "So… this Mr. Rivers is really your uncle?"He was undeniably handsome, young even, but his aura was commanding, exuding an authority that couldn’t be ignored.One look, and it was obvious that this was a man of power.And he definitely wasn’t the type who’d dare pretend to be the head of the Rivers family."As real as it gets," Stellar said, a hint of pride in her voice. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Suzy apologetically. "I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, I just hadn’t officially returned to the Rivers family yet. I planned to tell you once I did."Suzy waved off her concern without a second thought. With a sudden clap of her hands, she grinned."Are you kidding? With a family like this, you should’ve brought them out sooner! Watching those idiots eat their words would’ve been so satisfying."Stellar was speechless.Before she could say anything, Claude nodded in agreem
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“I just came back to grab a file,” Claude said, his tone laced with suspicion. “I thought I heard you talking to someone just now?”“Nope!” Stellar answered quickly, not daring to admit the truth.Claude studied her for a moment, then his expression eased. “Stellar, I’m not against you dating, Just remember, men are mostly just entertainment. Don't get too serious. If it starts going south, cut your losses and move on. The Rivers family will always have your back.”Stellar twitched at the corner of her mouth and thought, “Uncle Claude, are you seriously telling me to be a heartbreaker?”“That doesn’t sound like a good idea,” she said hesitantly.“Why not? Your happiness is what matters most. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, kick them to the curb. Simple as that. “Of course, we’ll also keep an eye on things and make sure no one messes with you.”There was a sharp glint of calculation in Claude’s eyes.Stellar could only offer a wry smile.She hadn’t even started dating yet, and even
Stephen let out a quiet sigh and turned, ready to leave.“Do you like Stellar?” A sweet voice chimed in beside him.Xavier turned in surprise, puzzled as he looked at the young woman. “You are…?”“I’m Stellar’s friend, Lilian Yates.”She was supposed to be in the gallery that day, but a last-minute delay with her project caused her to arrive just in time to catch the end of the scene.And what she saw in Xavier’s eyes that were filled with admiration, reluctance, and a trace of sorrow, she knew Xavier had feelings for Stellar.“I…” Xavier was caught off guard, unsure how to respond.Lilian cut him off with a grin. “You’re the legendary attorney she always talks about, right? Perfect. I was wondering if I can ask you for a favor?”“What kind of favor?” he asked, instinctively curious.She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, her voice barely audible. When she pulled back, she added softly, “But you have to promise to keep it between us.”Xavier paused, considered it, then nod