Stella was at a loss for words after hearing Vermont's comment. 'Is he the one who pushed Keegan to do all this and make things difficult for me?' she thought. However, Keegan just did not want her to get bullied."Felicity said she is going to invite Dr. Steven over for dinner this week. You know Dr. Steven quite well. Do you know what kind of dishes he likes, so we can buy the proper ingredients?" Stella asked.Vermont's eyelids twitched. "What? Why wasn't I told about this?""Didn't Felicity tell you? Dr. Steven was the one who got her the new job. Everything's settled once she passes the physical examination required for the job. She has to thank him somehow, right?"Vermont's face darkened in an instant. "Corbin was the one who introduced her to the job?"Stella nodded and asked, "Why does it look like you're lost? Don't you two talk about these kinds of things?" She originally wanted to stir up some jealousy in Vermont, but she did not expect him to not have a clue about the
'I can't believe how good Keegan is at flirting when he has to,' Stella thought. She would melt just from looking at his face, let alone him taking the initiative to patch things up between them. Stella tried to hold back her smile and sneakily put her hand under the table to receive the envelope. "I'm honestly baffled by how thick this envelope is. Does your money grow on trees?""It's not a lot," Keegan whispered.Stella pinched the thick red envelope and glared at him. "It's as thick as a brick," she said.Stella had given Vermont a hard time earlier, so he wanted to get back at her through Keegan. He knew that Keegan would not mind a few insults unless they were targeted at Stella."Keegan doesn't know what it feels like to not have money. He literally booked the whole place when Duncan got married that day. Carter grabbed a few bottles of red wine that were worth more than ten thousand dollars when he left, and Keegan paid for all of it. Do you know how much he spent that day?
'Extra points? To what?' thought Vermont.Keegan's expression loosened, seemingly hesitant. Vermont gritted his teeth and said, "It's just a few points, Keegan. Is it worth ruining our friendship? Man up, dude. Don't make me look down on you."Keegan paused. Just when Vermont thought that he had successfully recalled Keegan's conscience, he heard him say, "How many points are we talking about?"Stella wanted to know Vermont's secret, so she said, "A thousand!""Deal."Vermont's face darkened. "Do you even have a heart, Keegan? Do you remember who helped you out when you didn't attend your ex-mother-in-law's funeral? Do you remember who gave you advice when you were courting Stella? How could you betray me now that she's yours?!"Keegan turned a deaf ear and whispered to Stella, "His recent ex-girlfriend is his first ex-girlfriend's ex. She used him to get back at her."Vermont did not say a word.Stella was shocked. "Can you elaborate on that?" she asked.Vermont sighed and sh
"Just buy another one," said Stella as she opened up the envelope underneath the table.She froze when she reached into the envelope. 'This doesn't feel like money,' she thought as she looked at Keegan suspiciously."What's wrong?" Keegan asked."Is it a lot?" Vermont chimed in.Stella did not say anything. Instead, she pursed her lips and drew out the contents. Vermont could not wait to see how much money Keegan had put into the envelope. However, the two went quiet when they saw what was inside.They were a bunch of wedding photography brochures.Stella could not believe it. She opened the other envelope, and the corner of her mouth twitched when she saw different itineraries for honeymoon trips inside."You two are a match made in heaven. You better stay out of my wedding if you're going to pull this shit on me," said Vermont.Keegan ignored him and said to Stella in a low voice, "I've got a lot of travel brochures at my place. Why don't you choose one of the packages for ou
"How do you know Spencer Graham?" Vermont suddenly paused and asked Felicity."I submitted my resume to SP Entertainment when I graduated, but it didn't make the cut. I met him during the interview process. I first thought that he was one of the artists in the company, but the other people there for the job told me he was Penn Graham's only son. His good looks make him unforgettable. I also heard that Mr. Graham's wife was the champion of Miss World back in the day. So, it's not surprising that Spencer is handsome since boys often look like their mothers."Vermont did not like it when Felicity praised other men. "How handsome are we talking about here? Is he better looking than me, or maybe Keegan?"Keegan was stunned by Vermont's question. Felicity, on the other hand, thought hard about the differences between them. "He does give off the same vibes as Keegan, and he looks rather similar to him too. I think they're both equal in appearance, but don't take my word for it. Beauty is s
After a while, Spencer stood right in front of the group. He looked at Stella first, then at Keegan and Vermont. "Mr. Graham, this is Mr. Snyder from Green Hill Media," said the young man beside him.Spencer nodded slightly, stretched out his hand, and warmly said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Snyder."Spencer had just returned to Hustuabourg recently. His father, Penn Graham, had assigned the young man beside him to show him around and familiarize himself with the people in their circle.Although Green Hill Media and SP Entertainment were competitors, Vermont and Penn maintained a good relationship in private. So, he reached out to shake Spencer's hand and said, "Ah, you must be Spencer Graham. I've heard a lot about you. You remind me so much of your father.""My father has also told me a lot about you, Mr. Snyder. He said you are a promising young man with a unique vision and asked me to learn more from you," Spencer politely replied."We can learn from each other," Vermont smil
Spencer frowned when he heard Stella ask him who he was. "Don't you remember me?" He asked in disbelief.Vermont, Felicity, and Keegan were struck hard by those words.After some time, Vermont was no longer shocked. Instead, he was waiting for everything to unfold. 'So Stella knows this man who has similar features as Keegan? Interesting...'He then looked at Keegan, who had slightly pursed lips and an indifferent expression, calmly staring at Stella. She felt so guilty for pretending not to know Spencer and did not dare to meet Keegan's gaze.Still, she was as steady as a rock. "You do look familiar, but I'm afraid I don't remember. Care to refresh my memory?"Spencer was silent. He looked at the woman before him and realized she had actually changed quite a bit since high school.Her facial features were much more refined. 'She looks completely different from the girl who danced on stage during our school's talent competition.' The only thing that remained unchanged was her unf
Vermont did not quite believe Stella's denial of knowing Spencer. He could tell that something was off judging by her reaction. It seemed like there was more to them than just classmates.He was about to say something when Stella interrupted him, "Let's go grab some food, Felicity.""Okay. Sure," Felicity replied.Once the two women left the table, Vermont leaned into Keegan's ear and whispered, "There's something fishy going on with your partner. She's the type who can't take her eyes off a handsome guy, but she barely looks at Spencer. She would even avert her gaze every time their eyes met. Since when she has ever been shy around guys?"Vermont's words caused Keegan to suspect that something was going on. He had also noticed Stella's unusual behavior, but he still chose to defend her for now. "Is she acting shy? I hadn't noticed. It seems to me that she doesn't find him attractive."Vermont did not say a word. 'I didn't know Keegan could be so protective over Stella,' he though
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