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Chapter 144
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As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart Chapter 145
Stellar sat in the backseat with Mary beside her. Sensing her unease, Mary gently reassured her. "Miss, there's no need to be nervous. Mr. and Mrs. Rivers Sr. are both kind people—they're going to love you."Stellar was, in fact, anxious. After experiencing the coldness of the Harlow family, she wasn’t eager to relive that kind of disappointment. From the front passenger seat, Claude turned slightly to offer his own reassurance. "Relax, Stellar. Everyone at home has been looking forward to meeting you. They won’t let you down." The driver smoothly turned the car around, pulling out of the estate. Just as they exited the driveway, Stephen happened to step out of the neighboring villa. His gaze landed on the car, and for a brief moment, he caught sight of the man sitting in the passenger seat. Something about that silhouette felt oddly familiar. He took a few steps forward, intending to get a clearer look, but before he could, the car had already driven past him. …
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Stellar stood frozen in place. It had been a long time since she had felt such a warm embrace, and she wasn’t quite used to it. She hesitantly raised her arms and gently hugged Martha back. Even Laurence, a man who spent years on the battlefield, found his eyes misting over. He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Stellar, welcome home. No one will ever bully you again. This family is your safe harbor." "Grandpa…" A lump formed in Stellar’s throat, and the grievances she had carried for so many years seemed to vanish in an instant, leaving only warmth in her heart. They held onto each other for a while until a male voice behind them finally broke the moment, unable to hold back any longer. "Mom, Dad, alright, alright. The rest of us haven’t even had a chance to say hello to Stellar yet!" Martha finally let go of her and turned to glare at the speaker. "Brat, you always have so much to say.”Stellar wiped her reddened eyes and finally noticed the two
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"Our Stellar is incredibly talented and thoughtful—the most caring little sweetheart," Martha said, her eyes welling up with emotion again. Seeing this, Stellar quickly walked over to her grandmother and picked up the hair clip. "Grandma, let me put this on for you. Let’s see how it looks." "Alright, alright," Martha eagerly agreed. Stellar carefully gathered her grandmother’s hair into a neat bun, securing it with the elegant clip. After examining her handiwork, she nodded in satisfaction and said with a straight face, "Now, when you step outside, you’ll be the most dazzling lady in all of Southport." Martha couldn’t hold back her laughter, thoroughly amused. Laurence watched their interaction, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. For a fleeting moment, it felt like stepping back in time—his daughter had always been a cheerful little girl, making Martha laugh with ease. Now, Stellar’s face overlapped with the memory of his daughter. She was such a wonderful child,
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"You have no idea how much effort the Rivers family has put into finding you over the years. “Grandpa and Grandma have been heartbroken from missing you, and not long ago, Grandpa even fell ill. “Thankfully, you finally decided to show up, or who knows what would have happened!"It was meant to be a kind sentiment, but to Stellar, something about it felt off."Stellar didn’t go missing by choice. No one in the family blames her, and my illness has nothing to do with her. Janet, don’t put so much pressure on her."Laurence was sharp as always, cutting straight to the issue in her words.Janet's face turned pale, and she immediately looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I got too emotional and misspoke."Laurence nodded, choosing not to dwell on it with a younger generation.The family quickly shifted their attention back to Stellar."Stellar, this is a gift from me."Julian handed her a card. "This is an all-access pass to my resorts, hotels, and restaurants. “Whenever you're trave
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To everyone’s surprise, Stellar simply smiled at Janet’s words."If I’m not mistaken, this should be the work of the renowned painter and calligrapher, Mr. Malachi Law, from a thousand years ago. “At the time, his country had just endured devastation and was in the process of rebuilding. “This painting reflects his emotions during that period. As for the poem, it conveys the importance of cherishing a prosperous homeland…"Janet listened in stunned silence as Stellar spoke with eloquence, citing historical references with ease. Every word felt like a slap to her face.When Stellar finished, she turned to Janet. "Miss Cole, do you think I’m correct? Or would you like to add something?"If she had thought it was just her imagination before, now she was certain—the girl standing before her harbored clear hostility.But why? They had never met before. Where did this animosity come from?"I…" Janet had only thought of using an expensive gift to win Laurence’s favor. She knew jewelry, l
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Her face turned pale. "What happened?" Claude and the others had clearly noticed the commotion. Before Stellar could say a word, Janet forced a smile and spoke first. "It’s nothing. The bracelet accidentally broke. It wasn’t Stellar’s fault, of course. I’ll be sure to get her an even better one next time." The way she said it made it sound as if Stellar had broken the bracelet, yet she was graciously letting it slide. Stellar’s lips twitched. "I didn’t drop it." Janet immediately adjusted her tone, lowering her stance. "It was my own carelessness. It really had nothing to do with Stellar." Stellar was speechless.She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Before she could respond, Claude spoke from the couch. "It’s just a bracelet. Four hundred thousand dollars is hardly worthy of our princess, Stellar. No need to bring out something so insignificant next time." Janet’s carefully crafted look of grievance nearly cracked. She had never seen Claude stand
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Now that Stellar finally understood Janet’s motives, she found them even more absurd."Just because I am the true heiress of the Rivers family, and my grandparents are my closest relatives, you—an outsider—think you have the right to claim everything as yours? “Have you stayed in the Rivers family for so long that you actually believe you belong here?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. The truth always struck the deepest. Stellar wasn’t being cruel. She had simply fought too hard to reunite with her family—she wasn’t about to lose them again. Janet couldn’t bear the humiliation. Just as she was about to step forward in anger, she suddenly noticed a figure not far away. In an instant, she reversed her move and delivered a hard slap to her own face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked pitifully at Stellar. "Stellar, I thought we had already moved past this. I didn’t expect you to still blame me. If hitting me makes you feel better, then go ahead." Stellar was stunne
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Stellar’s nose tingled with emotion.Unable to hold back, she reached out and hugged Martha, her voice soft. "Thank you, Grandma." "Good girl." Martha gently patted her back, her eyes filled with warmth and heartache. As they made their way downstairs, Laurence spoke up. "Why did Janet leave so suddenly? She looked awful. Did something happen?" Martha’s expression darkened as she recounted everything. "She grew up under our watch, but I never thought someone so young could be so consumed by jealousy."She couldn’t deny the disappointment and sadness she felt, but Janet had crossed a line. Stellar was their precious long-lost granddaughter who finally returned home. Their family was meant to be her safe haven—how could they stand by and let someone mistreat her?Laurence’s face hardened. "Looks like we’ve been far too generous with the Cole family all these years. They’ve forgotten their place, pushing their luck and daring to mistreat our Stellar. This won’t go unche
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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“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
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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
