Stephen grabbed her by the neck and slammed her hard against the wall.Janet's head hit the wall with a sharp jolt of pain. She could hardly breathe and thought she was about to be strangled to death.But at the last second, Stephen seemed to regain a shred of reason and let go.His whole body was burning up, and he swayed unsteadily.Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to walk out."Cough, cough, cough…" Gasping for fresh air, Janet clutched her neck, coughing until her cheeks flushed red, her insides writhing with pain.By the time she finally caught her breath, Stephen was no longer in the room.Her eyes widened, and she hurried after him.Out in the hotel hallway, Stephen was bracing himself against the wall, his entire body engulfed in heat. His eyes were bloodshot, and his mind was quickly slipping away.Just then, Janet caught up from behind and clung to his arm, speaking softly, "Stephen, slow down. Let me help you back to the room."Stephen’s consciousness was already bl
Back then, Layla felt utterly humiliated and glanced at the maid a few more times, noticing a distinct birthmark on her arm.Not long after she returned, the Rivers family announced that Stellar had gone missing.Layla immediately suspected it had something to do with that maid, but she didn’t dare bring it up to the family. What if they blamed her for not noticing and stopping the maid in time?"What kind of birthmark? What did the maid look like? Any other features?" Stephen pressed further.Janet shrugged. "I think it was a snake-shaped birthmark. As for the rest, it’s been so many years. My mother doesn’t remember the details anymore."Stephen silently committed every word to memory."That’s all you have to say?"Janet nodded quickly, then asked, "So… can this get me those resources?""I’ll have my assistant discuss that with you." With that, Stephen was about to leave.He was eager to see Stellar and share what he’d learned.But the moment he stood up, a wave of dizziness surged
The last time, he had spared her some dignity, only because she was distantly related to the Rivers family.But this time, Stephen had no such patience left.His words froze Janet to the core. A chill spread through her limbs.Why?Why could he be so gentle with Stellar, yet so heartless toward her?What did Stellar have that she didn’t?The more she thought about it, the more bitter and unwilling she felt, but she didn’t dare block his path again.Stephen stepped past her, ready to leave."Wait…" she suddenly called out. "I have something to tell you. It’s about Stellar."He paused, glancing back at her. "What new trick are you playing now?""What trick could I possibly play?" she said, forcing herself to stay calm. "I just want to tell you something. In exchange, I’m hoping to get some support… just enough to keep working in this industry."At this point, Janet laid her cards on the table.Stephen let out a cold laugh. "And you think you’re in a position to negotiate with me?"But
Anger, anguish, hysteria—followed by unshakable resilience.In just three minutes, Suzy delivered a performance that was utterly breathtaking.Viewers were left wanting more, but the video ended too soon."My god, is that really Suzy? Wasn’t she always typecast as the coquettish villain—spoiled, bratty, one-note?""Yeah, I’ve seen her in other dramas. Most of her roles were forgettable throwaways, nothing with depth or impact.""I always thought she only had one style of acting. But this? This changes everything. She’s clearly been boxed into the wrong roles from the start!"Netizens were floored by her performance.Even die-hard fans of the original novel couldn’t deny her acting.If this wasn’t good enough for the lead role, then who else possibly could be?When they thought about the current crop of young actresses in the industry, none came close to what she just delivered.Maybe the older generation of award-winning veterans could match that level, but they simply weren’t the righ
In response, both fans and readers flooded the official “Burning Moonlight” page, demanding an explanation and strongly opposing Suzy being cast as the female lead.At the same time, Stellar’s own social media was bombarded with critical comments."Just because Suzy’s your friend, she gets to play the lead in your novel’s adaptation? That’s a slap in the face to the original fans. As the author, you owe us an explanation!""Some writers really don’t care about their characters. Sold the rights just for the money.""Firmly against Suzy taking the role. If she’s cast, I’m not watching the movie, period.""You’re not even part of the entertainment industry—why force yourself into this mess and ruin your own reputation?"The backlash wasn’t small.Naturally, Stellar saw it too, especially now that the news had climbed to the top of the trending list."Someone’s clearly pulling strings behind the scenes," Julian said, already familiar with the underhanded tactics in this industry. It was o
"This Janet is seriously annoying," Suzy said with a scowl, curling her lip in disgust. "If I’d known things would go down like that, I would’ve come with you and helped put her in her place."Stellar patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You haven’t officially made your comeback yet. Focus on staying grounded and getting ready for your role.""Yes, yes, Star Luna!" Suzy grinned. "I promise I’ll do my best to bring your heroine to life. I won’t let you down."Stellar shook her head with a helpless smile.Julian, watching the exchange, was already turning green with jealousy. "Suzy, the moment Stellar shows up, I’m completely invisible to you. What happened to your dear boyfriend?""You’re really jealous of your own niece now?" Suzy gave him a disdainful look. "Besides, I’ve known Stellar longer. We’re closer. Just deal with it."Julian looked like he might drown in his own envy, pulling a face like a wronged housewife.Suzy burst out laughing at his expression—it was ridiculous and ki