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Chapter 116
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 117
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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 118
"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,
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Stephen’s face darkened instantly.So, his grandfather had faked an illness just to drag him back?"I’m not agreeing to this. I want to call off the engagement.""What did you just say?!"The old man shot upright in bed, his anger flaring."I’m on my deathbed, and you won’t even grant me this one request? You’re absolutely heartless!"Stephen let out a cold laugh. "From where I’m standing, you look perfectly fine—healthy enough to live another few decades."Marcus was speechless.Realizing that his sudden outburst had given him away, the old man scrambled to recover."I—I was just experiencing a burst of last-moment vitality!"But Stephen’s expression had already turned to stone. He had no patience for this nonsense."Grandfather, don’t ever joke about something like this again. I’ve already made myself clear that I will never marry the Rivers family's heiress, and I won’t be changing my mind."His tone left no room for negotiation.After all, the woman he liked wasn’t some high-socie
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Stephen raised a brow."Nothing much. I just had a chat with Stellar about yesterday and helped her get rid of a particularly persistent nuisance."His tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable hint of smugness beneath it.To Shane, it was downright irritating.He was convinced Stephen was taking a jab at him on purpose, and it nearly sent his blood pressure through the roof.With a sharp movement, he got up, strode over to Stephen’s desk, and slapped a thick stack of documents down in front of him."These projects are all yours. I’m heading overseas for a few days. Don’t bother me unless it’s urgent."With that, he turned on his heel, ready to leave."Where to?" Stephen asked lazily.Shane’s lips twitched before he forced out a tight-lipped response. "To Ashfield for recovery."He had expected at least a few words of sympathy, maybe even an attempt to make him stay.Instead, Stephen simply lifted a brow and waved him off."Take your time. I’ll handle the Riverside project in the
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 121
The incident dealt a heavy blow to the Harlow family. Stock prices plummeted, and the company was in complete chaos. Jerome had been running around from morning till night, overwhelmed and exhausted. To make matters worse, his wife kept clinging to him, begging desperately. "Darling, it's been so long already. You have to think of a way to get Yvonne out of there!" "What can I possibly do?!" Jerome slammed the table in frustration, his face dark with anger. "Who knew she would do something so foolish? And now, look at what happened. Stellar is the true heiress of the Rivers family. “Of all people to offend, she just had to go after them! Do you really think the Rivers family will let this slide?" The moment he found out Stellar was actually the Rivers family's daughter, regret nearly consumed him. If he had known earlier, he would have played it smart—kept her in the family and let her grow up under their roof. It was just another mouth to feed, nothing more. And i
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 122
"That's impossible! She's just some nobody from the countryside! Just because she has the last name Rivers, she thinks she can claim ties to the Rivers family in Southport? “What a joke—this has to be fake. She’s putting on an act!" "It’s real." This time, even Pauline spoke up. "Her biological uncle, the head of the Rivers family, personally came forward to support her. His identity is beyond question." At that moment, Yvonne's expression twisted with rage. She muttered under her breath, "That bitch… Why does she get so lucky? She’s nothing but a fraud, a fake heiress! “She should have spent her life beneath me! If I had known, I would’ve made sure she never made it out of those mountains alive…" She clenched her teeth in hatred. Pauline’s eyes widened in disbelief as a chill ran down her spine. "Yvonne… what did you just say?" Her voice was dry, almost trembling. Yvonne snapped, her voice shrill and hysterical. "I said she shouldn’t have just been kidnapped and v
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 123
The next day, after spending most of her time at the research institute, it was finally time for her meeting with Stephen. With the prepared documents in hand, Stellar headed to their agreed location. Pushing open the door, she was surprised to find herself in an underwater restaurant. A domed ceiling arched overhead, and curved glass walls surrounded the space, allowing the deep blue sea to stretch out before her. Sea turtles, whales, flounders, and countless other fish she couldn’t name drifted effortlessly above her, creating a mesmerizing, dreamlike scene. It felt as if she had stepped into an entirely different world beneath the ocean, leaving her momentarily spellbound. "You really do like it." A deep, magnetic voice rang out from nearby. Turning her head, Stellar met Stephen’s gaze—dark, steady, and unreadable. In that instant, she recalled the message he had sent the night before, casually asking if she liked the ocean and marine life. At the time, she hadn’t
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 124
Stellar was momentarily confused. "Who else do you think I should’ve invited?" Suzy’s eyes flickered mischievously before she cleared her throat. "Well… your uncle rarely comes to visit. You can’t just enjoy yourself and forget to entertain your elders, right?" Stellar was confused. She studied Suzy’s expression for a moment before suddenly sucking in a sharp breath. "Wait a minute, you’re not saying you have a thing for my uncle, are you? You want to be my aunt?" Caught red-handed, Suzy didn’t even bother pretending to be embarrassed. Instead, she shamelessly admitted it. "Come on, you know your uncle is ridiculously handsome. And you know me—when I see a good-looking man, I can’t help but be tempted. So… are you calling him or not?" She even threw in a playful pout at the end. Watching a woman as stunning and seductive as Suzy act coy sent a wave of chills down Stellar’s spine. "Alright, alright," she relented quickly. "I’ll call him, but I’m not guaranteeing a
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 404
"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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 403
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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 402
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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 401
"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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 400
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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 399
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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 398
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
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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
As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 396
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
