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Chapter 402

Author: Warm Cocoa
Stellar's heart fluttered, though she still tried to sound casual. "Someone like you is pretty hard to forget, even if I wanted to."

Stephen’s smile deepened at her words.

He spoke up, seemingly offhanded. "You free tonight? A friend gave me two tickets to a play. It would be a shame to let them go to waste."

When Stellar heard the name of the theater troupe performing, her interest piqued instantly—it was one of her favorites.

"Absolutely!"

She agreed without hesitation, delighted by the coincidence.

Stephen, of course, knew it wasn’t one.

But in truth, Stephen had deliberately gone out of his way to win over Claude, just so he could subtly learn about Stellar’s interests from them.

But when the car pulled up outside the villa, his good mood faltered.

Claude was already standing by the gate.

He gave Stephen a nod of acknowledgment before turning to Stellar. "Stellar, your grandparents said we’re having a family dinner tonight—just us. A little reunion."

Stellar blinked. "Tonight? Is
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    But Stellar couldn’t help hearing a faint trace of loneliness in his voice."Stephen, do you want to come over for dinner? My uncles are all here. But if you’d rather not…"She hadn’t even finished when Stephen answered right away, "Give me ten minutes. I’ll be there."Even through the phone, she could hear the happiness in his voice.Her lips curved into a smile without her realizing it.Of course, this little exchange didn’t go unnoticed by her uncles.They exchanged a look—an unspoken agreement passing between them. They’d keep a close eye on Stephen. No way would they let him off easy.The doorbell rang exactly ten minutes later.Before Stellar could move, Adrian, stood up. "I’ll get it."He was curious to see just what kind of man Stephen really was.As he opened the door, his eyes locked onto Stephen’s with a gaze as sharp and penetrating as a hawk’s.Having come from a political background, Adrian didn’t even need to speak to give off a commanding, oppressive presence.He staye

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    "I’ll walk him back."After dinner, Stellar helped Stephen to his feet and headed toward the door with him."Stellar, let us give you a hand…" her uncles stood up, ready to help.But she turned and shot them a glare, snapping, "No need. Didn’t you all want to drink? Then drink up—drink more, take your time!"The uncles were stunned.They only realized what had just happened when the two disappeared from view."Did she just snap at us… for that guy?""We tried to make things hard for him, and she ended up siding with him. Are we seriously the ones helping him win her over?"Laurence gave a cold snort and shook his head. "Bunch of rookies. You’re all still too green."…Outside, Stephen leaned on Stellar, one arm draped over her shoulder, his head gently resting against hers as she helped him toward the villa across the street.His warm breath, laced with the sweet scent of alcohol, brushed against her skin.It made her neck tingle, her whole body heating up.The evening breeze swept pas

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    “Well, if it isn’t the Harlow family’s precious ‘heiress,’ Stellar Rivers.”A mocking laugh rang out as Yvonne, dripping in jewelry and arrogance, crossed her arms and blocked Stellar’s path.Behind Yvonne stood two bodyguards dressed in all black, their dark sunglasses adding an air of intimidation.Stellar didn’t want to engage. She stepped to the side to avoid her, but Yvonne grabbed her arm, yanking her back.“I wasn’t done talking. Who said you could walk away?”“I have nothing to say to you,” Stellar said, shaking off her grip. Since Yvonne had been reunited with the Harlow family, Stellar endured nothing but cruelty. To them, she was the villain who stole Yvonne’s life for eighteen years, a parasitic fraud who took what wasn’t hers.And Yvonne...What she did to Stellar had ruined her reputation, her innocence, and her entire life. Yet no one believed it was Yvonne’s doing.Everyone thought Stellar deserved it, calling it karma for taking Yvonne’s place.But who ever considered

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  • As the Fake Heiress Rose to Power, the CEO Falls Apart   Chapter 404

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