Stellar smiled pleasantly as she countered their remarks, making no effort to indulge Layla and Janet. Watching their faces darken, she remained composed, refusing to back down.Keith let out a mocking chuckle from the side."If Miss Janet’s hand is injured, she should be resting at home instead of parading around in a red dress, dripping in jewelry. “Anyone who didn’t know better might think this birthday banquet was being held in her honor."Keith had never been one to hold back his sharp tongue.Janet’s face turned as red as tomato, her eyes brimming with anger. Layla didn’t fare much better, though she managed to keep her composure."Janet is still young and inexperienced. She simply picked a color she liked without considering the occasion. “I’ll make sure to educate her properly when we get home," she said, then grabbed her daughter’s arm, ready to leave with her in tow.Stellar exhaled lightly, turning to Keith with a grateful smile."Thanks again for stepping in."Keith ret
Meanwhile, to avoid the prying eyes and unnecessary entanglements of others, Stellar followed Keith out to the terrace, where they could talk in private."So, Percy already knows your true identity, and he still has the audacity to cling to you and try to win you back?" Keith scoffed, finding it utterly ridiculous. He was only concerned about whether Percy had continued to bother her after that day, but this revelation was beyond laughable."I ignored him," Stellar replied casually before shifting the topic. "But what about you? He hasn’t tried to target you, has he?"She knew that Percy had always seen Keith as his biggest rival.Keith let out a disdainful chuckle. "Him? Please."His tone was relaxed, but there was an underlying sharpness in his words. "The Moore family is already drowning in lawsuits. They can barely keep themselves afloat. Unless he seeks help from the Moore family's main branch, he’s not even worth my time.""The main branch?" Stellar was slightly surprised. Sh
Keith immediately caught the underlying possessiveness in Stephen’s words.He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Oh? That’s funny, I don’t recall ever hearing about this engagement. Could this just be another one of Mr. Ward’s delusions?"The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.Stephen remained expressionless, his tone cool and detached. "This is a private matter between our families. There’s no need for an outsider like you to concern yourself."Keith shot back without missing a beat. "Outsider? I’ve known Stellar far longer than you have. So, between the two of us, who’s really the outsider?"If Stephen thought he could just swoop in and stake his claim in front of her, he was sorely mistaken.The tension between them crackled like a live wire. Their words were sharp, but their eyes said even more—silent sparks flying, neither willing to back down.Caught between them, Stellar felt momentarily overwhelmed.From a distance, Laurence watched the scene unfold, utterly baffled.Why was
Stellar felt a bit awkward but forced herself to introduce them."Uncle Claude, Stephen is the senior who lives in the villa across from mine."The moment she said it, both Claude and Stephen froze in realization.So that was why they had found each other’s faces so familiar!Neither of them had expected such a coincidence.But now that they understood, both men looked equally displeased—though for entirely different reasons.Claude regretted not finding out sooner. Had he known the man next door was the very one who broke off the engagement, he would have gone over and beaten him to a pulp long ago!Stephen, on the other hand, was filled with a completely different kind of regret. If he had known Stellar was the Rivers family’s heiress, he would never have chosen to end the engagement in the first place.Keith, observing the sudden tension, caught onto something and deliberately tested the waters."Just now, I heard Mr. Ward mention that the Ward and Rivers families had a marriage a
When it came to striking where it hurt, Keith was just as ruthless.Their gazes clashed again, the tension between them crackling like static in the air.Stellar sighed, rubbing her temples. This was exhausting.Thankfully, the banquet was finally drawing to a close.The other young men, seeing two powerhouses like Keith and Stephen openly competing for Stellar’s attention, quickly gave up and left.Just as the event wrapped up, Marcus stormed forward, his eyes practically burning with fury."Stephen, we’re leaving. Now."Stephen still had so much to say to Stellar—he wanted to explain everything about the broken engagement.But seeing his grandfather’s expression, as if he were ready to drag him out by force, he had no choice but to follow.Before leaving, though, he caught sight of Keith lingering behind, clearly planning to continue his conversation with Stellar. Stephen’s eyes narrowed slightly."Mr. Sinclair, could I have a word with you?"Keith folded his arms, immediately adop
Marcus slapped his thigh in frustration, his anger boiling over.How could something be so absurd, yet fall into place so perfectly?If he had known, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to break the engagement, even at the risk of offending Laurence.That girl would have been the perfect granddaughter-in-law!It should have been a match made in heaven!"You, you… why didn’t you look further into her background first? Look where that’s gotten you!" Marcus groaned, practically beating his chest in regret.But then, something from their earlier conversation clicked in his mind. He suddenly clapped a firm hand on Stephen’s shoulder."Listen, kid, you still have a chance. The Rivers girl hasn’t accepted anyone yet! You better get your act together and go after her!"Of course, Stephen already knew that."I never said I was giving up."The determination in his eyes burned brighter than ever.Marcus nodded in satisfaction. "Good. That’s the spirit—now that’s a true Ward!"…The Rivers Estat
Janet felt utterly humiliated. It felt like they were implying she was desperately chasing after something Stellar had thrown away—and worse, she still couldn’t have it."That’s enough," Laurence finally spoke, his sharp gaze sweeping over the mother and daughter. He waved a hand dismissively. "It’s getting late. You should head home—we’re calling it a night." Layla quickly composed herself, her expression smoothing into something polite. "Of course, Uncle Laurence, Aunt Martha. We’ll take our leave now," she said, before pulling Janet away with her. …Once they were gone, no one in the Rivers family immediately went to bed. Instead, they all gathered in the living room, circling around Stellar. "Stellar, I have to say, that young man from the Sinclair family seems quite promising," Martha spoke first, a clear note of approval in her voice. "Handsome, witty, and most importantly, he seems to care for you. He could be a good match." "Agreed," Julian chimed in. "That ki
But looking at Stephen’s behavior today, he didn’t seem like a man who had a girlfriend.Could it be… that she had misunderstood something?A sudden heat crept up Stellar’s face. She quickly shook off the chaotic thoughts running through her mind.Rolling over, she wrapped herself tightly in the blanket like a cocoon and forced her eyes shut, willing herself into sleep.…Two Days LaterThe short break was over, and it was time for Stellar to return to school for her studies.The Rivers family, of course, was reluctant to see her go."Stellar, here, take this diamond bracelet," Martha said as she gently slid the piece onto Stellar’s wrist, her eyes warm with affection."This was something I had once set aside for your mother. Now, I’m passing it down to you. It represents our family being whole again. No matter what, always take care of yourself, alright?""Grandma…"A lump formed in Stellar’s throat. She reached out and hugged Martha, her voice soft with reassurance."Don’t worry. A
The moment Zayden appeared, Percy’s eyes lit up like he had just seen his savior.Using every ounce of strength left in his battered body, he crawled forward, grasping onto Zayden’s pant leg in desperation."Zayden, help me! Stellar offended you, so I brought her here to teach her a lesson for you, but she turned around and beat me like this! Please, you have to save me!"Zayden’s jaw clenched, the vein on his temple twitching violently."You idiot. Who gave you the right to lay a hand on her?! Are you looking for death?"With that, he delivered a vicious kick, sending Percy flying across the room.Percy felt his insides shift as he crashed to the ground, gasping in pain.What the hell?! Wasn’t Stellar the one who had pissed off Zayden? Then why… why was he protecting her?Before he could process it, Stephen had already stepped toward Stellar, scanning her from head to toe."Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.Stellar raised a brow, flashing a bright, teasing smile.
The bodyguards immediately understood and shut the basement door behind them.With everyone gone, the only ones left in the dark, enclosed space were Stellar and Percy."Stellar, are you really sure about this?" Percy asked again, wanting confirmation.She gave him a sweet, innocent smile. "Of course. Now, can you untie me?"Percy hesitated for a moment."You’re not scared I’ll hurt you, are you?" Stellar tilted her head, her voice soft, almost teasing. "Don’t forget, I can barely move right now. And if you keep me tied up like this, how am I supposed to hold you?"She even pouted a little, as if sulking.Percy’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.It made sense. She was completely powerless right now. There was no way she could fight back—wasn’t she already at his mercy?Feeling reassured, he finally moved forward and loosened the knots.As the ropes fell away, Stellar stretched her stiff wrists, rubbing the soreness out before curling her fingers into a slow, deliberate fist."S
He needed to know everything about her—to have complete control over her life—so he could bring Stellar back to his side. But not long after he sent the message, his phone rang. "Mr. Zayden, there’s something I need to report," his subordinate said cautiously. "You’ve had us keeping an eye on the side branch, and today, our men discovered that Percy kidnapped a woman. She looks strikingly similar to the one in the photo you just sent me…" His voice trailed off, hesitant. "What did you just say?!" Zayden slammed his foot on the gas, his eyes dark with lethal intent. "That bastard actually dared—where did he take her?" The subordinate quickly rattled off an address. "They were heading in that direction, but we haven’t pinpointed their exact location yet." "Find it!" Zayden barked, yanking the steering wheel to make a sharp U-turn before speeding toward the location at breakneck speed. …At the same time, multiple forces were searching for Stellar. Meanwhile, she had
The moment Stellar saw who it was, her eyes widened slightly. She was caught off guard but not entirely surprised."Percy, it looks like you’ve finally lost your mind." He had actually resorted to kidnapping. This was already crossing into criminal territory. However, Percy wasn’t the least bit angered by her cold demeanor. Instead, he smirked, looking smug. "Stellar, don’t blame me. You forced my hand." He was too soft before. He bent over backward for a woman, gave everything he could, only to be met with nothing but scorn, humiliation, and rejection. Some women just needed to be taught a lesson. If kindness didn’t work on her, then she had no one to blame but herself for making him take a harder approach. Besides—"Do you really think I brought you here to hurt you? Stellar, everything I’m doing is for your own protection." His words sounded almost righteous. And in his mind, he truly believed them. She had offended Zayden. There was no way that would end well
As the two of them walked outside, they failed to notice the man who brushed past them. Percy had received an invitation tonight and was just about to enter the banquet hall when he overheard Tori and her agent’s conversation. He never would have expected Stellar to actually offend Zayden. She really had no fear of anything. Did she even realize that Zayden was a ruthless, merciless figure who wouldn’t hesitate to kill? Now that things had reached this point, he figured he was probably the only one who could protect her. That thought left him feeling somewhat pleased with himself. Stepping into the hall, his gaze quickly landed on Stellar, sitting alone in the lounge area, as if waiting for someone. A glint flickered in his eyes. Picking up a glass of wine, he walked toward her. "Stellar, I was wrong about earlier today…" Gone was the arrogance from before. Percy’s posture was sincere as he explained, "I never intended to humiliate you or force you to bow down to
Hearing the distance in her voice, a trace of hurt flickered in Zayden’s eyes. "Senior, do you not recognize me? When we were kids, we used to draw together. You were the only one who didn’t look down on me. “You once told me I was different from the others, that I was special, and that you would always protect me. Have you forgotten everything?”There was a hint of grievance in his voice as he spoke. Anyone familiar with Zayden would have found this scene utterly unsettling. Was this really the same ruthless, merciless man they knew? The one feared like the devil himself? Stellar was stunned, her mind momentarily blank. Then, a long-buried memory began to surface. Her eyes slowly widened. "You’re… Zay?" How could Zayden possibly be Zay? But the past came rushing back, unfolding like an old, forgotten painting. As a child, she loved to draw. Back then, both her adoptive mother and uncle doted on her and had enrolled her in a prestigious art class. It was there th
Stellar lifted her head coldly, glancing at her through the mirror before quickly looking away, treating her as if she didn’t exist. Her indifference instantly ignited Tori’s anger. She strode forward, ready to confront her, but just as she was about to speak, her gaze landed on the red string wrapped around Stellar’s wrist. The design was simple, nothing particularly special about it. However, Tori immediately thought of Zayden’s earlier outburst. As her eyes flickered with calculation, an idea surfaced in her mind. A smile suddenly curled on her lips, her arrogance from before vanishing as she spoke in a friendly tone, "Miss Rivers, I was wrong about what happened earlier. I’ve actually been wanting to find a chance to apologize. “How about we go out for a drink and put everything behind us?" Stellar found her sudden change of attitude nauseating. "If you think we can just make peace, you must still be dreaming," she replied, voice laced with sarcasm. Surprisingly, T
Tori came with Zayden tonight.A calculating gleam flashed in her eyes as she scanned the crowd, searching for him.It took a while, but she finally spotted his familiar, laid-back figure."Zayden…"Instantly, she plastered on a pitiful expression, rushing forward to cling to his arm. Her voice was soft, laced with grievance. "You're finally here. Someone bullied me! You have to stand up for me."Zayden’s lips curved into a faint, almost mocking smirk as he glanced down at her."Someone actually managed to bully you?""You think I'm untouchable?" she pouted. "If it weren’t for you looking out for me, I wouldn’t last a day in this industry. And now, even some nobody thinks she can walk all over me. You have to put her in her place for me."She whined as she reached out, dramatically pointing in Stellar’s direction.Zayden followed her gesture, his gaze landing on a tall, poised figure walking away.His eyes widened.Without a word, he shoved Tori off and strode forward, moving with su
At that moment, Guy’s face turned an alarming shade of red—humiliation and rage twisting his expression. But this time, even those who had sided with him stayed silent. After all, they had almost been dragged down with him. At the same time, their perception of Stellar shifted. For the first time, they truly acknowledged her capabilities. Just then, Joy entered the room. "I saw everything that just happened," she said, her voice calm and authoritative. "This was indeed Mr. Wellson’s mistake, and I will be reporting it for further action. Moving forward, I will personally assign the project tasks." Her handling of the situation was fair, leaving no room for argument. Everyone accepted it without question. Even Stellar had no objections. The only one left shaken was Guy. His face had gone pale, his emotions a mix of shock and disappointment. He had only done this to get back at Stellar for Joy’s sake, yet not only had it backfired, but he was now facing consequence