Keegan was not one to meddle in other people's affairs. However, the girl's heartbreaking cry made him stop in his tracks for no apparent reason. The girl tried not to make too much noise, but her sobs and trembling shoulders were painful to watch.The usher who sent Keegan downstairs saw the scene and told him about what had happened. "The girl was harassed by a man during the exhibition, and she slapped him across the face. Her guardian, who came to deal with the matter, did not take her side and even gave her a tough time about wanting to claim her salary. She must be crying because of that."Keegan looked at the girl's back and asked, "How much is her salary?"The staff informed him that the company normally paid $8000 to those who worked for six days straight, but due to the incident, they would likely have to spend more money for damage control. As a result, the girl would not receive payment. "She has to face the consequences for causing a disturbance," the staff said.After
Stella shot Keegan a glance and said, "Why? Did you want to do something to me while I was drunk?""I like doing things to you while you're sober, darling."Stella was taken aback. "I'm deducting ten points," she said.That made Keegan stunned. "Why does the point system still exist? Aren't we already together?" The man frowned."Since when were we officially together?" Stella turned her back on her own words and refused to give in. "We're still in the probationary period. We're not official until you finish your probation. Of course I'm going to deduct points if you don't perform well."Keegan was at a loss for words. 'I'm still on probation after all that?' he thought, not wanting to talk. Stella took his hand, and they continued walking."Albert is going to have a wedding soon," she suddenly said. Keegan froze for a moment when he heard that. "Before we met up tonight, he called and told me about it. They've finalized the date. The wedding is going to be held next weekend."K
Stella's eyelids twitched, and she said with a cheeky face, "Having great core strength is enough. It's fine if you're lacking in other places." Stella tried to slip away after saying that, but Keegan wrapped his arms around her waist and put her up on the sink.The mist from the shower caused the mirror behind Stella to fog up. Keegan placed a hand on the mirror, looking down at Stella. "Ms. Jewell, did you know there used to be a crime called hooliganism? It's for people like you, who flirt and then run because they don't want to deal with their feelings and the consequences. The sentence could range from less than three years to over ten years, depending on the severity."Keegan's voice was low, matching the sound of the running water. It was oddly captivating. Stella sat across from Keegan, wanting to lower her head to avoid his intense gaze. However, she realized he was naked when she glanced down.Stella quickly looked back up, her eyes darting around, unsure where to look. He
After a lot of agony, Stella finally picked up the phone and called Daniel.Daniel had just finished taking a shower and was reading a script at that time. He was a little surprised to receive Stella's call since it was late. 'She wouldn't call me at this time of the night if it wasn't an emergency, right?' he thought as he quickly pressed the answer button."Hey, Mr. Wood. It's me." Stella sounded squirmish, but Daniel could not tell.Instead, he teased her by saying, "So excited to become famous that you couldn't sleep?"His words made Stella speechless. She laughed dryly and replied, "Hahaha. You're so funny."Daniel recalled the moments when Stella teased him and shrugged. He leaned against his couch and happily asked, "So, why did you call?""It's nothing, really. I just wanted to know if you still have the royal mantle I wore when I played the queen?""I think the costume crew has it. Why?""Well..." Stella stammered. "Is it for sale? I want to buy it as a souvenir."Dan
Stella did not comply with Keegan's request. "It's all just layers of clothing. There's nothing new to see here," she said.Hearing that, Keegan looked at her and grabbed his phone to make a call. Stella was about to ask him who he was calling when Marshall's voice came on the speakerphone. "Keegan?"Stella recognized the voice and was shocked. 'What is this mutt trying to do!?'"Mhm," Keegan casually replied.Marshall sounded a little tired. "It's pretty late. What's wrong? Why are you still up?""Vermont wants to meet up later this week and wants you to bring your girlfriend along. Would she be able to come?"Stella was completely speechless when she heard that.Marshall paused. "Didn't you guys always say no chicks around when we're hanging out?" he asked.Keegan put the blame on his friend and said, "Vermont wants to meet her since he didn't get to talk to her much at Duncan's wedding."Stella's face darkened, beckoning him to stop acting crazy and to hang up the phone. Th
"Really?" Stella was happy to hear Marshall's comment. It was the highest praise an actor could receive. "You're not just saying that, are you?""I'm not. You'll see it when you come to the law firm next time. Everyone here is a fan of you," Marshall chuckled."Including you?" Stella teased."I'm the leader of the fan club," Marshall joked back. "I asked them if they would rather watch The Palace or do overtime, and they clearly love the show since they chose the prior."Stella immediately laughed. As she was about to continue with the conversation, a hand quietly wrapped around her waist. Then, she could feel hot, wet lips kissing her neck. Stella was startled and let out a yelp.Marshall paused and asked, "Stella? What's wrong?"Stella pushed Keegan's head, trying to stop him from causing trouble. However, the man did not stop. He smothered his lips all over Stella and even slipped his hand under her shirt.Stella's goose bumps rose as the hot palm touched the skin around her
Keegan almost let out a laugh, but he held himself back and cast a cold glance at Stella. "I want you to show me affection, not buffoonery," he said, unsatisfied.Stella's lips twitched, and she said, "Don't push it, Keegan."With that, he found another thing to argue about. "You keep getting impatient with me. You can't even last a minute, yet you were patient with Marshall from the beginning."I was clearly injured more badly than him when we had that horse race at Grandma's place."But you left with him without even looking back. Don't you think that it was too much?"Keegan's words left Stella stunned. "Aren't you standing right in front of me now with no injuries?"Keegan immediately felt wronged. "I dislocated my arm, Stella! He just scraped himself a little. I'm sure the wound scabbed over when the two of you reached the hospital!"Stella was taken aback when she heard that. "Why didn't you tell me you were injured?"Keegan thought that he had already let go of that matt
"No!" said Keegan."You're such a Scrooge when it comes to information!" Stella snorted.Suddenly, Keegan's phone rang. Stella could see that it was Marshall. He glanced at her and gave her two options, "Do you want to change, or do you want me to answer the call?"Stella gritted her teeth and gave in. "Fine, I'll change!""You may begin," said Keegan as his lips curled into a smile, happy that his plan had worked.Stella began to undress unwillingly. She was not embarrassed to change in front of Keegan since they had seen each other naked when they were married. However, things were different when one of them was just there to watch the other take off their clothes.Keegan looked more serious watching Stella undress than when reading documents in the office. Stella was bursting with embarrassment under his gaze. She tried not to look at him, removed her clothing, and grabbed the royal mantle to put it on.Though the faster Stella tried to get dressed, the more difficult it was
Keegan moved from initial resistance to reluctantly listening, and eventually to questioning."Why do these novels portray men as so stupid and brainless, yelling at the female lead as if they have intermittent explosive disorder?""Is the male lead sick? Forcing the female lead to donate a kidney, is he out of his mind?""How many years would they get for calling the police in their world?""Why is he so dumb? The supporting actress claims the female lead pushed her into the water and he believes it? Is checking surveillance footage illegal?""Stella, are you making fun of me?""I can't learn this. It all feels so neurotic. What does the female lead see in him?"Stella retorted, "Who cares if it's neurotic? Just mimic that stupidity, that's how these innocent women like men who protect them like that."Keegan was very reluctant, but his brain was more compliant than his body. Without needing to study deliberately, everything he heard stuck in his mind.So when Keegan mentione
Keegan's expression darkened with anger. "You're being completely unreasonable!"Stella crossed her arms, wearing an expression that seemed challenging. "You let her take it. Let's see if I dare."Jaylene hadn't actually wanted those junk items in the first place; she was deliberately trying to stir up discord between them. Now that her goal was achieved, she put on a sympathetic look."Keegan, I don't want it anymore. Don't be angry. Your health is more important. Didn't the doctor say to keep your emotions stable?"Turning her head, she reproached Stella. "Stella, are you here to help Keegan recover his memory or just to provoke him?""Shut up, you brat! Do you even have a say here?"Acting under the guise of a drama, playing the role of someone lacking in manners, was incredibly satisfying.She’d wanted to curse this brat for a long time!Jaylene's lips twitched, but she held back, tearfully saying, "Stella, if you don't like me, I'll leave. There's no need to humiliate me l
Jaylene understood the situation perfectly. Even though she didn't particularly like these cold, mechanical devices, she put on a pretense of surprise, saying, "Really, Keegan?"Keegan nodded. "Choose one you like.""Keegan!" Before Stella could finish her sentence, she couldn't hold back her sharp voice, "With your pile of junk that I can't even touch normally, she takes a look and now you want to give it to her? What's the meaning of this?!"Keegan frowned, apparently not comprehending her current anger at all. "Jaylene gave me a gift, and I'm giving her one in return. What's the problem?""What problem?" Stella's eyes started to redden. "I can't touch them, so why should she be able to? Have you forgotten, or do you have inappropriate feelings for her?"Keegan's expression darkened. "This makes no sense!"Jaylene secretly delighted in this, hypocritically trying to calm things down, "Forget it, Keegan. Since Stella minds so much, I don't want it anymore. You've strained your r
The standoff lasted for over twenty minutes before Keegan grabbed a book and knocked the beetle off Jaylene's neck. The beetle fluttered twice and suddenly flew up, landing on Jaylene's face.Jaylene screamed, rolled her eyes, and fainted.As she collapsed, the bug flew off again."Jaylene?"Keegan called out to her.He looked up at Stella and said, "You go start the car, I'll carry her to the hospital."As he spoke, he signaled to Stella.She understood and coldly grunted, "So troublesome."Walking over to Jaylene, she squatted down beside her and slapped her face twice.Jaylene immediately opened her eyes and reached out to push her away. "What are you doing!"Stella was prepared and had already moved back before she could be pushed.She shook her tingling hand and innocently said, "Jaylene, you fainted because of the bug. I was just saving you. Don't believe me? Ask Keegan."Jaylene nearly ground her teeth. Did she think she hadn't heard? She was intentionally exposing h
Her fingertips trembled with a mix of horror and excitement. Just as the teapot was about to slip from her grasp, Keegan suddenly said, "Jaylene, don't move."Jaylene froze, instinctively thinking Keegan had regained his memory. She had barely twitched when Keegan loudly stopped her again, "Don't move, absolutely don't move."Jaylene wanted to say something, but then felt an itching sensation on her neck, as if something was crawling slowly. Goosebumps erupted all over her body.By now, Stella had turned around and saw Jaylene standing stiffly with the teapot in hand. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation and then she noticed the beetle crawling on Jaylene's neck.It was an unknown species, not overly tentacled but as long as a little finger, its mouthparts slightly twitching, genuinely alarming in appearance.Stella murmured, "It's so big."Jaylene couldn't see what was on her neck, unsure if it would bite or if it was venomous. She stood frozen in place, her voice trembling,
Seeing him, Stella even lowered her eyes and softly praised, "Mr. Kane, you acted very well."Keegan glared at her, his voice low and intense. "If you keep watching like this, Coco will cut ties with me tomorrow."Stella replied confidently, "No, she won't. After accepting the red envelope, she can tolerate you a little longer."Keegan asked sharply, "Did you teach her to ask for red envelopes like this?""Don't falsely accuse me; I didn't teach her.""You may not have taught her directly, but you set an example. Have you forgotten how you always make me buy things for you?"Stella was speechless. Whenever she wanted Keegan to buy her something, she would often say, "Gifts are only surprises when given voluntarily. If reminded, it shows they don’t like me that much."It had to be said, Coco had learned the essence of it.Stella also felt a bit awkward, thinking that in the future, she needed to avoid such flirtatious conversations between spouses in front of the children. They
Could she figure all this out?Keegan frowned, casting a disappointed look at Coco. "Are you not listening to me now?"Coco raised her gaze defiantly and stated, "Aunt Stella taught me that if I don't want something someone gives me, I can say no. I don't want this hairpin.""Didn't she teach you that even if you don't like something, you should still say thank you?"Coco fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly said to Jaylene, "Thank you, Aunt Jaylene, but I don't want it."Jaylene hesitated with her hand extended, unsure whether to retract it or leave it there, managing a strained smile. "Then what do you like? Next time, I will get you something you do like."Coco asked, "Do you want me to do something for you?"Jaylene was taken aback. "What?"Coco replied seriously, "Aunt Stella says offering help without reason is either deceitful or thieving. Since you don't like me, why else would you give me something? You want me to do something for you, right?"Jaylene forced a s
Leighton's incident did indeed revive their suspicions.Jaylene was gullible, but Darcie might see through this scheme. "Keegan, why didn't you go to work today?" Jaylene chose to ask directly at first.Keegan remained composed. "I've been busy with the press conference lately and haven't had much rest. Now that things have slowed down, I thought I'd take a break and relax."Jaylene spoke gently, "You should rest well. Since you came back, you've been busy, and you've been postponing Dr. Stone's follow-up appointments. Keegan, I'm really worried about your health. Since you're resting these days, I'll arrange for Dr. Stone to give you another check-up. Stella has been living here to assist your recovery for so long. We need the doctor to give a clear assessment of whether there's been any improvement. Otherwise, it's not good for Stella's reputation to stay here so long, unmarried and under one roof."Keegan nodded. "Okay, please arrange it. Thank you."His response was decisive,
Stella had just descended the stairs when she heard that remark, causing her eyelids to twitch as she thought to herself, “Damn it! He really knows how to come up with excuses!”Upon hearing this, Jaylene's eyes briefly flashed with disdain, but she ultimately accepted the shoe covers Keegan handed her. As Keegan led Jaylene into the house, her eyes continued to scrutinize every corner.There were a couple of pillows on the sofa, couple mugs on the table, wedding photos of Keegan and Stella on the walls, and even headbands and hair ties scattered on the table. The house exuded an unmistakable feminine touch.Jaylene's expression darkened, but when Keegan turned to ask if she preferred tea or coffee, she adopted a gentle, harmless demeanor. "Tea would be perfect."Keegan invited her to take a seat and called for Maria to prepare tea. Jaylene spoke softly, "Keegan, I heard from Stella that you brew Dragon Well tea better than anyone else. Is there a special technique?"Stella paused