"What happened to playing fair?" mouthed Marshall.Keegan pretended not to notice and avoided the subject, while Felicity managed to score two presents due to her brave intervention.With the kindergarten issue grabbing headlines, Marshall was aware of the situation.Stella was mildly concerned that he would be displeased at her for consulting another lawyer since he was the one who first helped her with the investigation. However, her worries were unfounded. This was proven when Marshall nodded affirmatively and said, "Ted is a great attorney. I'm sure he can help you deal with this matter well."He even offered some advice saying, "However, keep an eye on the account called @ShilohTalks. His posts might appear pro-public, but they often carry a provocative tone that fuels division among the people.""He's practically a leech. Remember that viral incident about a girl wearing a Lolita costume taking her wheelchair-bound grandmother with her when she enrolled in university?" asked
That night, while netizens were still speculating about which celebrity might be behind the incident, Ted immediately posted Stella's recently obtained land license, along with relevant documents and images, on the internet.His caption meticulously refuted each inconsistent point in the article by @ShilohTalks.[1. The rights to 83 Brightway Road, Greenwood Grove, is owned by my client—Ms. Jewell. She possesses all the necessary legal documentation and paperwork, which contradicts the baseless claim made in @ShilohTalk's article about my client maliciously seizing the land. (Images 1, 2)2. Sunlight Kindergarten was built illegally on private property without the required permits from the relevant authorities. This constitutes a case of property encroachment.3. Ms. Jewell has consistently advocated for peaceful negotiation and never requested the suspension of classes at any point. Her approach has always been to resolve the matter discreetly while minimizing any disruption to th
In a swift turn of events, another group of netizens uncovered a startling revelation. It turned out that the former motivational influencer, Soph's Trove, who had publicly revealed her status as an illegitimate child during a seminar at Trinity University, was none other than Hylda's biological daughter.The timelines of these events intertwining revealed that Stella was actually the "abusive" older sister who was mentioned in Soph's Trove's Facebook account.Stella was robbed of her parents, and her once peaceful family was never the same after Hylda and Sophia came into the picture. Many internet users did not like learning that they were now trying to claim Stella's rightful inheritance.In response, the public reported Sophia's account @Soph's Trove for spreading false information. As a result, her account was suspended that night due to an overwhelming number of reports.Sophia was fuming when she realized her account was banned. The incident at Trinity University had already
Hylda was feeling increasingly restless. Albert had frozen her accounts and strip her of her position at the company. Now, she was left completely incapable of withdrawing a single penny from the company's funds. While she did invest in a few small projects, these ventures barely yielded any significant returns. Most of those investments had been made simply to blend in with the social elite. She saw them as a payment to gain entry into the exclusive circle.Therefore, the kindergarten remained her primary source of income, and she refused to let it slip through her fingers without a fight."Is that license of hers genuine?" asked Hylda."The documents come with official seals. They posted them online. Do you honestly think she would dare to fabricate something like that?" Sophia impatiently replied. When she thought about how the account she had worked so hard managing in Hylda's favor all these years was banned, she could not help but complain, "I can't believe you put me in this
Meanwhile, Stella was not idle either. She decided to reach out to relevant authorities and discuss a potential collaboration. She got up at six in the morning and set off with Ted. All parties showed up by around 8:00 a.m., and they delved into the matter for over five hours. It was almost 1:00 p.m. when they finished the meeting.Stella glanced at the documents in her hand, and relief swept over her."You could always retain a portion of the land, you know," said Ted.Everyone knew how expensive land was in Rivera."This plot of land was originally in my grandfather's. He entrusted it to my mother before passing, and it became my responsibility since her departure from the world. My grandfather knew that his two younger brothers probably would not be heard from again. Still, he guarded the land, seemingly awaiting a reunion. What I'm doing is not precisely a donation, either. The land inherently belongs to the state. I'm just giving it back in advance by donating my grandfather's
Keegan was worried about being photographed. So, he had Aldor pick out a discreet Yostrainian restaurant with good music. The restaurant was located on the top floor of the Empyrean Luxe, the tallest building in Rivera. It was a rotating restaurant that allowed diners to enjoy a panoramic view of the Cobalt River.When Keegan and Stella rode the elevator, a kid accidentally stained Keegan's shirt with their ice cream cone. Once they reached the top floor, he told Stella she could wait for him at the restaurant. Meanwhile, Keegan headed to the restroom to clean himself up.Stella grabbed Keegan's phone and made her way to the restaurant. While the staff was checking her reservation, a familiar voice sounded behind her. "Let me scan the PayPal QR code real quick."Startled, Stella put on her hoodie."We have received your payment, sir. Thank you for dining with us, and have a good day.""You too. Which way to the restroom, by the way?" The voice asked in disdain.With a warm tone,
"Uh-huh," Keegan casually responded.Penn lowered his voice and said, "I'll talk to him."When he hung up, Spencer's phone buzzed. Rather than answering immediately, Spencer glanced at Keegan and inquired, "Do you find this amusing, Mr. Kane?"Keegan looked at him indifferently and said, "It's alright."Before Spencer could react, a young man called out to him. "Spencer, your dad called me. He's on the line right now."Spencer was expressionless. "Just hang up," he said.When his friend opened his mouth to speak, Penn's voice came through the phone. "Who are you trying to hang up on, you rebellious child?"Spencer did not reply. His face tensed, as he took the call. The others could not hear what Penn said, but they witnessed Spencer's face turn sour.Seeing that he ended the call, Keegan muttered, "Be a good boy and listen to daddy. Now, apologize.""Pfft—" Spencer's friend tried to hold back his laughter. It sounded like Keegan was calling himself "daddy", even though it was
"I don't see anything wrong with calling for backup," said Keegan nonchalantly."Yeah, yeah. You're a genius," Stella said, as she guided him to a chair. "Let's eat before I starve to death."Keegan reluctantly went along with her and picked up the menu to place an order. As he made his selections, he turned to Stella and asked, "What kind of soup do you want?"After several failed attempts to get her attention, he looked up to find Stella engrossed in scrolling through her Facebook feed.@ShilohTalks had just posted another article questioning the lawyer's claim of settling the matter privately.[Why involve the police during regular school hours if the matter was meant to be handled privately?]She wrote about how parents would become suspicious when they see the authorities at the kindergarten and start asking questions, making it impossible to keep things discreet. She also pointed out that Stella's name was not mentioned in her article, yet she rushed to come out with a stat
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