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
Stephen's expression stiffened.If it were Keith, he could have easily brushed him off, matching sarcasm for sarcasm without a second thought.But Claude? That was different.As Stellar’s eldest uncle, he was someone Stephen would inevitably have to win over. Right now, Claude looked about as displeased with him as humanly possible.And it was entirely Stephen’s own doing.Keith, watching Stephen, who was usually so sharp and eloquent, suddenly rendered speechless, couldn’t contain his amusement. He let out a chuckle, full of blatant schadenfreude.Stephen’s gaze snapped to him like an arrow.But Keith wasn’t the least bit intimidated. If anything, his grin widened."Mr. Ward, I have to agree with Mr. Rivers. You should really be more mindful of your actions. Wouldn’t want to send the wrong message, now would we?"Stephen was speechless.His expression darkened.Stellar, seeing him take such a hit for once, felt a strange pang of sympathy.Just as she was about to speak up and smooth
“I don’t need a ride anyway!” Janet muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed. But her frustration didn’t last long. Her gaze quickly shifted to Stephen, and with a flushed face, she stepped forward, her voice sickly sweet. “Mr. Ward, could you give me a lift instead?” Stephen was even more blunt than Stellar. “No.” With that, he turned around and got into the car, slamming the door shut with a resounding thud. Janet stood frozen in place, her face a mix of embarrassment and humiliation. Seeing her daughter rejected so coldly, Layla had no choice but to turn to Keith. However, before she could even speak, Keith scoffed, cutting her off. “What, has the Cole family fallen so low? No personal chauffeur? Or are you saying you can’t even afford a cab?” Without waiting for a response, he got into the car and shut the door, not sparing them a second glance. Layla was speechless. Three cars, and two of them had empty seats, but not a single person was willing to take Janet
“Miss, remember I mentioned I went home for a bit? Well, my husband asked me to bring you this gift. He hopes you’ll like it.” Stellar was surprised as she reached out to take it. When she opened the box, she found an intricately carved, beautifully detailed keepsake—made of polished stone, with an antique, heirloom-like quality.“This must be expensive!” “It’s nothing, just a little trinket,” Mary said casually. However, Stellar was touched. “Mary, please thank your husband for me. I’ll make sure to visit and thank him in person next time.” Regardless of its value, a gift was a gesture of kindness. Being treated with such sincerity was rare, and she appreciated it deeply. “Oh, Miss, you’re too polite.” The two chatted and laughed as Mary helped her unwrap the rest of her gifts and tidied up the bed. Before long, it was getting late, and Stellar turned in early for the night. …The next morning, when she went to school, she brought local specialties from Southport for
He stepped up beside Stellar. Knowing her well, he didn’t try to dissuade her. Instead, his expression was firm. “I’ll support you.”Stellar felt a wave of emotion surge in her chest. She gave a solemn nod.Percy stood frozen in place, utterly stunned. They were all insane!Wasn’t Stephen her boyfriend? How could he just stand there and watch her risk imprisonment? He was supposed to be the one who cared about Stellar the most. Yet, at this critical moment, he had completely lost his voice.In the end, Stephen and Stellar personally headed to the control tower to direct the landing."Stay calm. This is no time to panic," Stellar’s voice came through the cockpit radio.Under her steady reassurance, the captain, who had been on edge, visibly relaxed.She began directing his every move with precision while Stephen worked on the ground, coordinating preparations for the emergency landing.Finally, when the moment was right, Stellar made a swift decision and commanded the forced depl
Joy’s expression flickered for a moment before she finally spoke with composure. "My apologies. I made an error in judgment by assuming it was an engine failure from the start, which nearly led to an incorrect conclusion." She admitted her mistake openly and without hesitation. No one criticized her for it. In fact, their admiration for her only grew. Before long, the investigation report was submitted. But just as the tension had eased, another piece of shocking news arrived— "This is bad! The commercial airline under the research institute has another aircraft, AT1083, with the same issue. It took off not long ago! Unlike the A16, this isn’t a test flight—it’s already in service!"The air traffic control tower just reported that the plane has already flown over a thousand kilometers. “Its landing gear won’t deploy, and other systems are malfunctioning. It’s currently circling above the airport, and if this continues, it could face the same fate—another crash!"The highe
Percy thought Stellar had become arrogant and complacent ever since reclaiming her status as the Rivers family heiress. She was completely out of touch with reality. It was necessary to bring her back down to earth. This wasn’t a place for her to act recklessly. Even Joy felt a little embarrassed by his words. Sensing the growing tension, she stepped in to smooth things over. "Mr. Moore, I don’t think Miss Rivers meant any harm. She’s just a newcomer without much experience. There’s no need to be so harsh." "Ms. Shaw, you’re being too lenient with her. A professional investigation like this is not something an intern should be involved in." Percy genuinely believed he was doing Stellar a favor. If she knew what was best for her, she would step aside. Otherwise, she’d only make a fool of herself in front of seasoned professionals. Stellar almost laughed in disbelief. An outsider was standing here lecturing her about aerospace engineering? It was beyond absurd. S
Joy’s expression remained serious. "Got it. I’ll make the necessary arrangements right away." She then turned to the interns behind her. "From here on, Mr. Smith will guide you through the rest of the base." With that, she was about to leave. "Wait…" Stellar stepped forward urgently. "Ms. Shaw, please let us come along. We might be able to help." An accident during a test flight was a major issue. And as a future member of the engineering team, she had every reason to be involved. Joy furrowed her brows slightly before nodding. "Alright, you and three other interns, follow me." Stellar and the others quickly joined the group. The team went through an extensive investigation—analyzing the black box, running accident simulations, and reviewing flight data. But no clear issue surfaced. Frustration settled over the room. The A16 model was a brand-new aircraft, and no one had expected such a critical failure on its very first test flight. If they couldn’t pinpoint the r
A woman with sharp, cropped short hair strode into the room with long, confident steps. She stood around 5'9", dressed in a fitted gray business suit that accentuated her sleek and commanding presence. She looked effortlessly cool and composed. Two staff members followed closely behind her. "Hello, everyone. I’m Joy Shaw, an engineer and operations commander at SA Aerospace Base. I’ll be leading you through the facility today. Please state your names, verify your identities, and follow me." Joy got straight to the point, skipping unnecessary pleasantries or any hint of arrogance. Her crisp and efficient demeanor made a strong impression, earning instant respect from the group. Snapping out of their daze, everyone took turns introducing themselves. When it was Stellar’s turn, Joy paused for a brief moment, her smile growing a touch more genuine. "So, you’re the prodigy I’ve been hearing about. Stellar Rivers—your reputation precedes you. I’m looking forward to seeing wha
She briefly explained the situation to Stephen, and he immediately offered her a suggestion."What was his idea?"Among the group, only Victor was still in the dark. Stellar filled him in, and after hearing the explanation, Victor burst into laughter."I knew it! When it comes to strategy, no one outsmarts that kid! Let’s have a celebratory dinner later—I’ll invite him to join us."Stellar agreed and dialed Stephen’s number again, only for the call to go unanswered once more.A strange feeling settled in her chest.Was something going on with him?She mentioned it to Victor, who mulled over it for a moment before shrugging. "If he’s busy, let’s not worry about it. Come on, let’s go enjoy our victory dinner."The group headed to a nearby restaurant, indulging in a well-deserved feast.Just as the gathering was winding down, Victor stepped out to take a call.When he returned, his expression was solemn and heavy.The mood instantly shifted.Stellar and the others tensed. "Professor, did
"Mr. Rowan, I didn’t do it! This is all just Stellar’s baseless accusations—""One million dollars."Stellar suddenly threw out a precise number.Harold’s eyes widened.She smirked at him, her voice dripping with mockery. "One million in bribes—quite the investment, Professor Xander. But what I’m really curious about is, as a supposedly dedicated professor, where did you get that kind of money? “Embezzlement? Kickbacks? Were all those research projects you led actually your success? Or did you steal someone else’s work?"Her words were razor-sharp, striking directly at his most vulnerable spot."Shut up!"Harold’s face turned red with fury. Losing all composure, he lunged forward and raised a hand to slap her.But before he could, Victor stepped in, blocking the strike."Harold Xander! You shameless bastard—you think you can lay a hand on my student?" Victor had been in stunned silence moments before, but now his fury erupted. Without hesitation, he shoved Harold away and barked,
Everyone froze for a moment before it clicked.Of course.If Harold’s team couldn’t bribe the judges, then the only way to manipulate the outcome was through the final scoring process. Since the judges worked independently and had no knowledge of each other’s scores, there was plenty of room for tampering.“I’ll handle it.”As the heiress of the Rivers family, Stellar had her own connections. Without hesitation, she stepped out and made a call, instructing someone to investigate.An hour later, the results came in.The information wasn’t enough to outright expose Xander’s team for fraud, but it was enough to shake them up.Returning to the lounge, she shared the findings and the plan with her team.“Let’s do it!”Everyone agreed unanimously.“Won’t know if it works unless we try.”Half an hour laterHarold strode into Richard’s office, flanked by Alex and the rest of his team.Their faces beamed with pride, fully expecting this meeting to be about receiving their Outstanding Research
Half the day passed in a blur. During lunch break, Stellar checked her phone multiple times, but Stephen’s reply never came. "Stellar, any news?" At the cafeteria, Lilian leaned in curiously. "Did Stephen reply? What did he say? Is he going to help investigate?" Stellar set her phone down on the table, screen facing down, and tried to keep her expression calm. "He hasn’t replied." "Huh? How’s that possible? Aren’t you two a couple? I thought you were practically glued to each other all the time." Lilian blurted the words out, half-joking. But Stellar’s expression subtly shifted. "You’re overthinking it. He and I… aren’t in that kind of relationship." Her tone was light and indifferent. Yet, the moment the words left her lips, an inexplicable emptiness settled in her chest. Lilian, realizing she might have touched a nerve, awkwardly rubbed her nose and exchanged glances with Simon and Nathan, silently urging them to say something to ease the tension. "Actually, S