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 felt her face heat up. "Mary, that’s enough.""But I’m only telling the truth!" Mary said matter-of-factly, as if her words were indisputable.Claude was caught between pride and heartache.Other daughters of wealthy families were pampered from birth, untouched by hardship. Yet his Stellar not only crafted handmade gifts but also practiced martial arts.The thought of what she must have endured after being kidnapped weighed heavily on him.A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes.Sensing that Mary’s praises might never end, Stellar quickly changed the subject."Mary, I’m a little hungry."Mary’s attention immediately snapped back. "Oh! I’ll whip something up right away!"As soon as she bustled off to the kitchen, Stellar let out a quiet breath of relief.Claude chuckled. "What’s wrong? She wasn’t wrong about you.""She just sees me through rose-colored glasses. I’m worried you’ll believe everything she says, and when you realize I’m not that amazing, you’ll be disappoint
"This is the collaboration project between Riverside Corporation and Brighton Group. I’ve successfully secured the deal. “You can take a closer look at the investment returns. As for the follow-up work, I’ll leave it to you! I need to focus on my research for now.""Good job, Stellar. You’re truly capable."Claude grew increasingly convinced that his niece was an all-around genius.Honestly, no man in this world was worthy of her!With the task off her hands, Stellar felt relieved and went back to her room to continue studying.…The next day.At the Harlow and Moore families' engagement banquet, the scene of Yvonne being taken away by the police had already caused an uproar across the city.After all, so many reporters had been present.The Harlow family tried to suppress the news, but there was no way to stop it from spreading.As soon as they returned, numerous media outlets published articles, reporting on how Yvonne orchestrated Stellar’s kidnapping.Word spread like wildfire.Th
"Why should I help her? After everything she did to Stellar, she still thinks she can walk free? What a joke! “Since you’re here, I might as well make it clear—our families never finished the engagement ceremony that day, so consider it officially over.“I, Percy Moore, will never marry a vicious woman like her!""You…"Pauline stared at him in disbelief. "How… how can you say that about Yvonne? She was framed! Even you have been brainwashed by that ungrateful girl, haven’t you?""Enough!"Percy snapped, his patience gone."What right do you have to talk about Stellar? Do you even know who she is now? Your family must be blind to have mistaken Yvonne for something valuable while letting her run wild.“A woman like her—classless, reckless—who knows what kind of foolish things she’s done? She has no one to blame but herself for how things turned out.""Shut up! You’re not allowed to talk about Yvonne like that!" Pauline was livid."Oh, am I wrong? If your family hadn’t kicked Stellar o
Stellar frowned slightly. What was he doing here?Not far away, Percy had already spotted her. Holding a bouquet of bright red roses, he strode toward her with purpose."Stellar, these are for you. I sincerely apologize for what happened yesterday."His tone was gentle, as if he were making some grand romantic gesture."I also have something important to tell you. I’ve broken off my engagement with the Harlow family. “There’s nothing standing between us anymore. We can start over. This time, I promise I’ll treat you right.""So, let’s put the past behind us, okay?"Stellar stared at the man in front of her, listening to his self-serving speech, and felt nothing but disgust."And why would I want to be with you?""Stellar, stop being stubborn," Percy sighed, as if speaking to a child throwing a tantrum."I know why you broke up with me back then. But I’ve thought it through. What happened to you wasn’t your fault. You didn’t choose it. “I don’t mind that you’re tainted, so there’s n
"Senior?""Mr. Ward?"Percy’s stunned gaze darted between the two of them, his expression turning increasingly sour.Memories of the past few weeks flooded his mind—images of Stellar and Stephen together, moments he dismissed but now took on a new meaning.To outsiders, they were already a strikingly attractive pair, an undeniable match.At that moment, fear and jealousy consumed him, making him lose all restraint."Mr. Ward, do you really not care about her past?"He refused to believe that any man could be so magnanimous as to accept a woman who was no longer 'pure.'Stephen’s gaze narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable before softening as he looked at Stellar."I don’t just accept her, I also wish I could have been there sooner to protect her."His voice was gentle, carrying an unmistakable warmth."Because none of it was ever her fault."His words settled over Stellar like a soft spring breeze, warmth spreading through her chest.She lifted her head and smiled at him, a rare,
"I’ll walk him back."After dinner, Stellar helped Stephen to his feet and headed toward the door with him."Stellar, let us give you a hand…" her uncles stood up, ready to help.But she turned and shot them a glare, snapping, "No need. Didn’t you all want to drink? Then drink up—drink more, take your time!"The uncles were stunned.They only realized what had just happened when the two disappeared from view."Did she just snap at us… for that guy?""We tried to make things hard for him, and she ended up siding with him. Are we seriously the ones helping him win her over?"Laurence gave a cold snort and shook his head. "Bunch of rookies. You’re all still too green."…Outside, Stephen leaned on Stellar, one arm draped over her shoulder, his head gently resting against hers as she helped him toward the villa across the street.His warm breath, laced with the sweet scent of alcohol, brushed against her skin.It made her neck tingle, her whole body heating up.The evening breeze swept pas
But Stellar couldn’t help hearing a faint trace of loneliness in his voice."Stephen, do you want to come over for dinner? My uncles are all here. But if you’d rather not…"She hadn’t even finished when Stephen answered right away, "Give me ten minutes. I’ll be there."Even through the phone, she could hear the happiness in his voice.Her lips curved into a smile without her realizing it.Of course, this little exchange didn’t go unnoticed by her uncles.They exchanged a look—an unspoken agreement passing between them. They’d keep a close eye on Stephen. No way would they let him off easy.The doorbell rang exactly ten minutes later.Before Stellar could move, Adrian, stood up. "I’ll get it."He was curious to see just what kind of man Stephen really was.As he opened the door, his eyes locked onto Stephen’s with a gaze as sharp and penetrating as a hawk’s.Having come from a political background, Adrian didn’t even need to speak to give off a commanding, oppressive presence.He staye
Stellar's heart fluttered, though she still tried to sound casual. "Someone like you is pretty hard to forget, even if I wanted to."Stephen’s smile deepened at her words.He spoke up, seemingly offhanded. "You free tonight? A friend gave me two tickets to a play. It would be a shame to let them go to waste."When Stellar heard the name of the theater troupe performing, her interest piqued instantly—it was one of her favorites."Absolutely!"She agreed without hesitation, delighted by the coincidence.Stephen, of course, knew it wasn’t one. But in truth, Stephen had deliberately gone out of his way to win over Claude, just so he could subtly learn about Stellar’s interests from them.But when the car pulled up outside the villa, his good mood faltered.Claude was already standing by the gate. He gave Stephen a nod of acknowledgment before turning to Stellar. "Stellar, your grandparents said we’re having a family dinner tonight—just us. A little reunion."Stellar blinked. "Tonight? Is
"Mom." Nathan suddenly put down his plate and utensils, his eyes red. "If you die, what am I supposed to do!"He grew up with his mother, and the two of them depended on one another. She raised him single-handedly and worked hard to put him through college, all so he could get to where he was today."Besides, those scammers used my safety to trick you into transferring the money. I was the reason it happened. If anyone should take the blame, it’s me!""Nathan, don’t say such foolish things!" His mother broke down in tears.Everyone present felt a twinge of sadness watching the two of them."It’s not time to give up hope just yet," Simon spoke up. "How much do you owe? We can pool our resources and help."Stellar had thought of that too, but hadn’t said anything because…"No need." Nathan’s tone was firm. "I know you all mean well, but this is my problem. It has nothing to do with any of you, and I don’t want to owe anyone that much."Even now, he clung to his pride. He didn’t want t
Nathan quickly replied, "Mom, no, it's my friends who came to see me.""If it's your friends, then quick, quick, let them in," his mother's voice was hoarse, and she coughed twice as she spoke.The group exchanged glances before finally following Nathan into the house. There, they saw a woman with a haggard face and deep wrinkles.Stellar looked surprised.The woman in front of them looked to be at least in her sixties.Yet Nathan wasn't even thirty."I'm sorry you had to see us like this," his mother stood up and bowed gratefully to the group. "You were the ones who chased those people off just now, weren’t you? Thank you all so much.""Please, don’t mention it," Lilian quickly waved her hand."You’ve all been staying at home these past few days? Those people never left?"Judging by the dark circles under their eyes, Stellar could tell that the mother and son must’ve been trapped inside for days without a proper night’s sleep.Nathan lowered his head in embarrassment. "We’ve run out
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 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