Share

Chapter 201

Author: Warm Cocoa
Ten minutes later, Stellar changed into her workout attire and stepped out.

She had deliberately chosen a long-sleeved top today, covering her from neck to waist without revealing anything.

Yet, it only accentuated her slender figure and graceful curves.

Her hair was pulled into a simple ponytail with a headband, making her look light and energetic like a fresh-faced college freshman.

Even Stephen couldn't take his eyes off her.

Let alone the other men around, some of whom were already itching to approach her.

That was until Stephen took two steps forward, casually positioning himself in front of her. His icy gaze swept over the crowd, sharp and piercing like an ice dagger.

The chilling pressure surrounding him made people instinctively shrink back.

Even so, a brave girl couldn't help but step forward.

Gathering her courage, she asked, "Uh, hey, handsome, can we exchange numbers?"

Stephen turned his gaze toward Stellar instead, his expression softening.

Without hesit
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 202

    Five minutes later, Stellar arrived at the Howe Grand Hotel, where Suzy was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing her approach, Suzy grinned and hooked her arm through Stellar’s. “You’re finally here! You have to help me win that consecrated rosary bracelet today. It belonged to my all-time favorite triple-award-winning actress. “They say she was completely unknown before, but after wearing that bracelet, her career skyrocketed—she kept landing roles and winning awards non-stop. “I want to be just as successful as she was.” Stellar couldn't help but laugh. “I didn’t know you were this superstitious.” “You don’t get it. This isn’t superstition—it’s just how the entertainment industry works. “Some people struggle for over a decade without making a name for themselves, while others become overnight sensations after just one drama. “I’ve seen it happen so many times. Sometimes, you really have to believe in luck.” Suzy spoke with conviction, and Stellar had to admit there w

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 203

    Percy didn’t raise the bid again. As expected, but Stellar didn’t care much. With the bracelet in hand, Suzy was overjoyed. Seeing her friend happy, Stellar felt satisfied as well. Now that they had achieved their goal, the two planned to leave early. Just then, however, the next auction item caught her attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on our sixth auction item—the Regency Emerald Pendant—a three-hundred-year-old antique, crafted with the finest techniques of its era..." The auctioneer’s voice brimmed with enthusiasm, but Stellar was utterly stunned. How was that emerald pendant on stage?It was hers. She had always kept it safe. Was the one being auctioned… a fake? The auctioneer continued, “This heirloom has been passed down through generations of a distinguished family, making it truly one of a kind! “However, due to financial difficulties, the owner has been forced to part with it. Don’t miss out on this rare treasure! The bidding starts at two

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 204

    Stephen seemed to be clutching something in his hand, his expression slightly off. It wasn’t until he heard her voice that he finally looked up. Seeing that bright, radiant face before him, for a moment, it overlapped with the image of the little girl in his memories. His heart clenched, a complicated emotion flickering across his features. Stellar noticed something was off and instinctively dropped her smile. Concern crept into her voice. “Are you okay?” Stephen snapped out of his thoughts. “It’s nothing. What a coincidence, really.” No wonder he thought he heard Stellar’s voice upstairs earlier and assumed it was just his imagination. “Did you win anything good at the auction?” Her gaze drifted to his hand, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. Stephen’s grip tightened slightly, and almost instinctively, he responded, “Nothing much.” Until he confirmed the identity of the seller, he didn’t want Stellar to know about it. But that simple action made her expression stiff

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 205

    "We should go find the professor and ask about it!"Stellar suggested, and the others immediately agreed.The group hurried toward the academic building, only to be informed that Victor, Harold, and several other professors were currently in the dean’s office.Those two rivals in the same room?Stellar's eyelid twitched, and an ominous feeling crept over her.Leading her team, she made her way toward the administration office.The door was slightly ajar, allowing them to catch a glimpse inside."Professor Xander, congratulations! After three years, you've once again led your team to victory in the aircraft model competition!"The president, Richard Rowan’s voice was filled with satisfaction."Bringing honor to the school and recognition to my team is simply my duty," Harold responded humbly."No need to be modest—this is all thanks to your efforts."Richard beamed, the wrinkles on his face deepening with his broad smile."After careful deliberation, the administration has decided to on

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 206

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 207

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 208

    "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,

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 209

    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

Latest chapter

  • 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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 397

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 395

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 394

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 393

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 392

    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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 391

    “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

  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 390

    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

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status