The others nodded in agreement, rallying around Stellar.Her heart warmed at the gesture, and without hesitation, she tapped to answer the call."Stellar Rivers, you must be feeling pretty smug after stealing all my investors!" Joy’s accusatory voice burst through the speaker, laced with fury.Stellar couldn’t help but laugh. "Miss Shaw, let’s get something straight. You lost those investors because you couldn’t keep them, not because of me. “And trying to pass off my work as your own? This outcome was inevitable. You brought it on yourself.""You…!" Joy choked on her anger, momentarily speechless. Then she hissed, "Don’t get too cocky. Don’t forget, your aircraft modification technology was signed over to SA Base from the beginning. “Even if you published the paper, you’re not allowed to use it. If you do, I have every right to sue you for infringement!"The crowd around Stellar bristled with outrage. Some were even visibly worried for her.But to everyone’s surprise, she remain
Stellar’s gaze flickered. For a moment, she seriously questioned her own sanity.How had slipping on a pair of gloves sent her spiraling into such absurd thoughts?“They fit perfectly. I really like them,” Stephen said, the smile on his face deepening. “I made your favorite—grilled salmon. Want to stay for dinner?”The warmth in his smile completely threw her off. Without thinking, she nodded, only realizing what she’d done after stepping inside the house.God, she’d fallen for it again, completely swayed by his charm. Then again… his cooking was amazing. ... The recent scandal turned Stellar into an overnight sensation. Praise flooded in from all corners of the internet, and she was well on her way to becoming a national icon. But admiration always came hand-in-hand with jealousy. The brighter someone shone, the harder it was for the ones lurking in the shadows to stay silent. Soon, someone dug up her past relationship with Percy, twisted the details, and shared his cu
Something stirred in Stephen’s chest. It was the first time he’d heard her speak in that soft, almost clingy tone, like she was leaning on him. "I’ll walk you back." "Okay." They strolled side by side, exchanging idle conversation along the way. The atmosphere between them was quiet, easy—something warm and unspoken hanging in the air. ... Elsewhere— In a dim, cramped rental apartment, Percy sat crouched in the corner, staring blankly at a video playing on his phone. He watched as Stellar was surrounded because of him… and then rescued by Stephen.Guilt flickered deep in his eyes. Without warning, he raised a hand and slapped himself hard across the face. "Percy! What the hell are you doing?" A well-dressed middle-aged woman walked over, clearly startled. "I know the bankruptcy’s been tough on you, but come on. You’ve still got your father and me. You can’t just throw in the towel like this!" Before Margaret was sent to prison, she’d begged her younger sister,
Percy was knocked to the ground, but Chuck clearly didn’t think that was enough.He pinned him down and continued to pummel him.The store staff were all stunned.That evening, Stellar had dropped by to pick out a gift for a friend when she happened to witness the scene.She was speechless for a moment.Northvale really was the kind of place where one couldn’t even go shopping without stumbling into a disaster.Out of basic decency, she walked to the entrance and flagged down security. "There’s a fight inside. Please handle it."The guards immediately rushed in and pulled Percy out."Sir, are you alright?"With a bruised face and a nosebleed, Percy wiped the blood away and muttered awkwardly, "I'm fine."But the guard shook his head, then pointed not far away. "It's thanks to that lady over there. She’s the one who told us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten here in time."Following the direction of the guard’s finger, Percy caught sight of Stellar’s back just as she was turning to lea
Percy was nearly driven mad with anger. Stellar, however, watched the whole farce with a cold gaze. After a while, she suddenly stepped forward with a smile and handed over a gold card. “You want money, right? Fine. Here’s one million.” Dawn was still trying to figure out why she suddenly gave in. But her greedy mother snatched the card away immediately. “Now that’s more like it! So, you finally admit your guilt and want to compensate my daughter. I’ll accept this money.” The crowd frowned deeply, their eyes filled with disgust and contempt as they looked at Stellar. The three of them strutted off triumphantly. Percy looked at her, touched. “Stellar, I didn’t expect you’d go this far for me…” But Stellar didn’t even spare him a glance. She took out her phone and made a call. “Hello, is this the police? I’d like to report a crime. Someone spread false rumors about me and extorted one million from me. Please send officers over immediately. The address is…” She clearl
“Stellar, my sweet granddaughter!” “Let me have a look at you—you’ve lost weight.” Martha gently pinched her cheek with a heartache. “No, I haven’t,” Stellar said with a playful pout, linking arms with them on both sides. “Grandpa, Grandma, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? If you missed me, you could’ve called. I would’ve gone to see you!” Laurence looked at her seriously. “We just wanted to see how you’re doing, and if anyone’s been bullying you. If they have, Grandpa’s here to back you up!” Though he was already in his seventies, the commanding presence he carried hadn’t faded with age. Stellar felt a wave of warmth rush through her. Her eyes curved with a smile. “Who would dare bully me? Besides, I’ve got Uncle Claude and the others around!” “That’s true,” Laurence nodded, finally relaxing a little. The three of them chatted as they walked out of the airport, the atmosphere warm and cheerful. Seeing that it was still early, Stellar suggested taking them o
Now look how things turned out!She was actually starting to feel embarrassed on Percy’s behalf.And as for herself—what kind of bad luck had she run into to get saddled with a crazy family like Dawn’s?No, she had to find a way to turn things around.With that thought in mind, Fancy led them into a boutique. "I need to use the restroom. You go ahead and look around."Using the restroom as an excuse, she finally got a break from Dolly and Dawn. After tidying up her appearance, she headed toward the elderly couple from the Rivers family.Just as Stellar left, Fancy approached the couple with a bright smile. "Sir, ma'am, is this your first time at this store? I come here quite often. Are you shopping for jewelry? I’d be happy to help if you’d like."She put on the poised and experienced air of someone who had long mingled in the socialite circles, her tone warm and friendly, hoping to leave a good impression.The elderly couple had simply been waiting for Stellar to return from the rest
Because of the unexpected situation, it still affected the old couple’s mood.In the end, they didn’t stay out long before driving back.Throughout the ride, the couple kept glancing at her, their eyes filled with worry.Stellar noticed it and gave a carefree smile. "Grandpa, Grandma, I know what you're worried about. But it’s all in the past. The Moores have paid the price, and I’ve already let it go. You should be happy for me instead."Seeing that her expression truly carried no trace of gloom, they finally felt at ease."Stellar’s right. Actually, we came to see you for another reason too."Stellar was puzzled. "What is it?""We saw that news about you online recently," Laurence said, his tone slightly heavy.Stellar’s heart skipped a beat. Were they referring to that rumor about her juggling several relationships?Even though the truth had been clarified later, if her grandparents started asking about her love life and expected her to make a choice...The first face that flashed
Over the years, you changed your identity and deliberately cut ties with them to avoid being found out, living a glamorous life on your own. “If the truth gets out and everyone finds out about your background and what kind of person you really are, do you think you'll still have a place in this circle? “When that happens, my grandfather will be the first to kick you out of the family!”With those biting words, Christopher’s expression darkened, and he was left speechless.“So I suggest you know your place. Do as you’re told and stay out of things that don’t concern you. Otherwise…” Joy’s tone was sharp, thick with threat.Under pressure, Christopher finally kept quiet. Even though he was deeply unhappy with how Joy handled things, he had no choice but to turn around and leave silently.Just as he walked out, a slow round of applause came from the doorway.Joy looked up and saw a laid-back man strolling in.“Joy, you’re really getting good at this. Taming Christopher like that is like
After a round of brief introductions, everyone quickly dove into the project work.With hardly anyone dragging their feet, progress was smooth. For Stellar, things moved along efficiently. After completing the initial stage of her research, she quickly identified a direction for the next phase and decided to use a critical piece of lab equipment for the upcoming experiment.She headed to the relevant department to file a request.“Sorry, Miss Rivers, that high-grade instrument has already been reserved. We only have one available,” the staff member informed her.It didn’t come as a complete surprise.After all, it was a top-tier device, rare even on the international level. It was the world-class equipment and elite talent that drew her to this institute in the first place.“No worries,” she replied. “I’ll go check in with the lab and see if I can borrow it for a bit.”With that, she made her way to the lab and knocked on the door.“Well, well, look who it is. Isn’t this the one and
"If you dare bother us again, I’ll take you to court, and have you thrown in jail."Her words made the man freeze. He looked ready to fall to his knees. "Yes, yes—thank you, Miss Rivers! Thank you! We promise, we won’t cause any more trouble."In the end, the IOU was signed, and Cheryl, reluctantly parting with her precious savings, handed over twenty thousand dollars. Her son matched it with another twenty thousand, and only then did the family leave, utterly humiliated.Once the door shut behind them, Martha turned to her granddaughter with a heartbroken look."Stellar, I’m so sorry. This was all my fault. I never should’ve invited them over. You spent months working on that data, and now it’s gone... You let them off lightly, didn’t you? For my sake?"But Stellar just grinned, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Grandma, you’re giving me too much credit. That file? It’s all in my head."As she spoke, she sat down, opened her laptop, and her fingers flew over the keyboard. Less than f
As soon as Stellar finished speaking, Cheryl’s legs gave out beneath her, and with a loud thud, she dropped to her knees.Only then did the weight of the situation truly hit her.She scrambled forward on hands and knees until she reached Stellar, clutching desperately at her sleeve, tears streaming down her face. "Miss Rivers, I was wrong. I swear I know I was wrong! My grandson didn’t mean to do it, he really didn’t. Please, have mercy. Don’t hold this against us!"I’m old, and there’s no way we can afford four million! I’m begging you, for the sake of my friendship with your grandmother, please let us off just this once!"Stellar’s eyes were icy, unmoved.She was about to turn to her grandmother for guidance when Martha stormed over and slapped Cheryl’s hands away."Don’t you dare touch my granddaughter with your filthy hands! How laughable. You finally realize how serious the matter is when you need to pay the four million dollars? “My granddaughter worked for months on that data,
The little brat joined right in with his grandmother, hurling insults. "You filthy woman! Seductress! You’re a liar! Dream on!"Stellar didn’t waste another word. She pulled out her phone and spoke calmly into it. "Hello, is this the police? I’d like to report a case of intentional property damage. Please send officers over immediately."With that, she hung up.Cheryl’s eyes bulged, her face flushing red with rage. "You’ve lost your mind! Calling the cops over something like this? You’re insane. We’re leaving!"She grabbed her grandson’s hand and turned to storm off only to be blocked at the door by several bodyguards."No one’s going anywhere," Stellar said coldly. "Not until the police arrive, assess the damage, and calculate the compensation. Then you can leave."A shiver ran down Cheryl’s spine.The chubby boy burst into loud sobs. "Grandma! I’m scared!"Cheryl, flustered but trying to keep her composure, cooed, "Don’t be scared, baby. They’re keeping us here against our will. Jus
"Who let him into my room?!"Stellar's voice was cold and sharp, carrying a force that made the air around her feel heavy. Even Cheryl flinched instinctively."What happened?" Martha quickly stepped in, alarmed.Only then did Cheryl snap back to herself and immediately launched into complaint. "Martha, you really need to teach your granddaughter some manners. Arguing with a child? Honestly, she’s completely out of line—no patience, no grace whatsoever..."Before she could finish, Stellar cut in, her voice like ice. "Grandma, her grandson went into my room, tore up my bed and desk, broke several pieces of my makeup, and worst of all, he corrupted an important document on my laptop.""What?" Martha’s face darkened at once. "Cheryl, how could you let this happen?"Realizing her grandson was indeed at fault, Cheryl forced a shameless smile. "Oh, come on, it’s just some makeup. He’s just a kid. He didn’t mean it. It’s not like he knew what he was doing. Can't you just let it go, for old t
So, she teased him on purpose. "Then maybe you should consider joining us at Starlight.""Are you trying to poach me?""Yep. Will you let me?"Stephen seemed to think it over for a moment, then shook his head. "Better not."Stellar knew switching bases wasn't something anyone would do on a whim—she’d only been joking. Still, hearing his firm refusal made her feel a tiny twinge of disappointment."Aren’t you going to ask why?""Hmm?" She looked up, puzzled. "Why?""Because…" Stephen looked down at her, eyes warm with amusement. "As far as I know, Starlight doesn’t allow workplace relationships. And that’s something I just can’t give up."Stellar’s heart gave a hard thump. In that moment, she finally understood what it meant to feel butterflies.This man had a way of tugging at her heartstrings with just a simple line."Ahem..." She couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips and quickly turned her head. "Well then, I guess it really is out of the question."They let the subject pass
Earlier, Martha had let Cheryl's endless bragging slide without a word.But this time, her expression turned cold in an instant."My granddaughter doesn’t need to do chores. She’s the pride of our family—born to be loved and cherished. Whatever she wants, we can give her. No one has the right to order her around."Cheryl was taken aback, stunned into silence for a moment before snapping back, "What man would want a wife who can’t even handle basic housework? I’m saying this for her own good! Aren’t you worried she won’t be able to get married?""Then she won’t," Martha replied without hesitation."If she stays with us for the rest of her life, so be it. We’re more than capable of taking care of her."Cheryl fumed, feeling like her good intentions had been thrown back in her face."Grandma, I want a drink! And snacks!"The chubby boy came running back, flushed and sweaty after tearing through the house.Cheryl dropped the argument instantly, her focus back on her grandson."Alright, alri
Martha and Stellar shared a helpless glance before finally giving in with a quiet nod.They drove Cheryl over to the preschool together.All the way there, Cheryl kept bragging nonstop. "This preschool? It’s the top bilingual academy in the area. All the language teachers are brought in from overseas! Tuition alone runs around four or six grand a year. “My son really values his kid’s education, so he’s giving him the absolute best. It’s like pouring money down the drain, but thankfully, he makes enough to support the family. “He even bought a house here and paid four hundred thousand dollars without blinking."The more she talked, the prouder she sounded, completely unaware that the car she was riding in was worth far more than that.Stellar’s ears were practically going numb from the constant boasting. But out of respect for her elder, she held her tongue and didn’t interrupt.When Cheryl finally ran out of things to say and noticed the lack of praise from her audience, she turn