Stella raised her glass and clinked it against Darcie's. She said, "Thank you, Mrs. Saun." Her smile was friendly, yet it left one wondering if her gratitude was genuine.Darcie returned the smile, her tone kind, "We're family; there's no need for formalities. You're Wenham's daughter and also a kin to Jaylene and me. If you ever need anything, just let me know."Stella nodded and lowered her gaze.After bringing Danny to his seat, Wenham guided Stella to greet the other relatives and friends at their tables.Trevor excused himself for a moment, and Stella was hesitant about following Wenham around. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she worried about handling conversations. To her surprise, she found little need to speak. As Wenham indulged in a few drinks, he became quite chatty. Stella only needed to greet the people and let Wenham do all the talking.Whenever someone paid her a compliment, Wenham would linger for a chat.After finishing their rounds, they went back to the center
The Hall family owned a lot of businesses in various industries. But with the loss of their daughter in their later years, they found themselves no longer interested in managing them. That was when Wenham stepped in and struck a deal with the Saun family. As a result, all of Freesia's shares fell under his name. Even though Darcie was the primary operator of the company, her stake only amounted to thirty percent, with Wenham retaining the majority.Now that he handed Caline over to Stella, he instantly leveled the playing field for the two of them within the company. Darcie felt a tightness in her chest. She quickly pieced together that this was Wenham's way of expressing his displeasure about the hotel selection and also as compensation to Stella.At the same time, Jaylene's face darkened. She had expressed her desire to be part of Caline's management on multiple occasions, only to be met with Wenham's refusal, citing her health as a concern. Yet, Stella did not even need to ask bef
The room dimmed as Stella, Wenham, and Trevor settled into their seats after descending from the stage. Soon, the soft sound of orchestral music filled the air. Suddenly, the stage lit up, and the backdrop changed. A deep, resonant voice filled the room, and a troupe of performers entered in a precise formation. With the progression of the music, the opera unfolded.Cordelia immediately lifted her head upon recognizing the familiar tune. Once she spotted the performers on stage, she excitedly grabbed Keegan and said. "That's Lancelot Lewie! That's Lancelot Lewie! How is he here? You never mentioned he would be performing!"Keegan gently removed his grandmother's hand from his arm and said, "I can't believe you're fawning over celebrities like a teenager at your old age, Grandma."Cordelia's eyelid twitched. "You little scoundrel. Who are you calling old?" She said. She would have hit him if they were not in public.Cordelia was there to witness the official announcement of Stella b
The man met the curious eyes of the crowd as he approached the table where Stella was seated. Once in front of her, he extended his hand and introduced himself, "Good evening, miss. I am the head chef for tonight, Nathan Turner. I am honored to have prepared this feast for you and your family and friends. I hope the food met your expectations."Stella promptly stood and shook hands with the seasoned chef. "It's nice to meet you, Nathan. The dishes were absolutely splendid. Thank you for your hard work."The chef beamed. "It's my privilege."With a graceful motion of his hand, his apprentices promptly served the dishes from the cart.Nathan elaborated, "This is the special dish I've crafted for you. It's called Bitter Moments to Sweet Delight. I hope your journey ahead mirrors this dish—sweetness will follow after a touch of bitterness.""I can't believe it's Nathan Turner! The heir to the Turner family's culinary legacy, winner of the national Master Chef competition five times in
Michael had turned down the gig with Vermont, even if it meant risking their relationship. He believed he had secured a spot on the Saun family's high-profile event, only to realize he had actually passed up the opportunity to work with the true Saun heiress.He and Vermont had known each other for six or seven years. When they first met, Vermont's fame was nowhere near what it is today. Green Hill Media was just starting to make waves in the industry. Vermont recognized Michael's skills from when he did makeup for his artists. So, Vermont would often reach out to him whenever work was available.Back then, Michael did not have much recognition. He would take on any job, regardless of how much it paid. As his reputation grew, he found that the income of a makeup artist was very different when he was famous. After gaining recognition, the price of his services for A-list celebrities increased many times. He became highly sought after, and outsiders would address him as Mr. Caleb. More
The realization of missing out on an opportunity to work for the true Saun family heiress gnawed at Michael. His face grew pale, and his lips quivered before he managed to speak. "M-Mr. Snyder never mentioned that it was you who wanted the makeup."Stella maintained her smile and her tone. "Once you've made a commitment, you should have the integrity to keep it regardless of who it is, no? Did Mr. Snyder offer you less than my sister did, causing you to change your mind at the last minute? Given your close ties with him, I'm sure he would've understood if you just said something."Michael stood frozen, and his face was still pale. He struggled to answer Stella's prompt.Jaylene pressed her lips together, and she attempted to explain. "Stella, this is most likely a misunderstanding. Mr. Snyder didn't provide a deposit, so Mr. Caleb might have thought that it was a casual mention."Stella turned her attention to Jaylene, and her voice tinged with a hint of irony. "I didn't know that.
Jaylene's face flushed, as she struggled to breathe. The veins on her forehead bulged. Many onlookers were witnessing this situation for the first time, and their reactions were delayed. All the guests were taken aback by Jaylene's distressing condition. Some instinctively stepped back to give her space.Stella frowned. She was prepared to approach and assess the situation, but Keegan had already appeared by her side. Then, he gently restrained her by the wrist. "Don't get too close," he murmured to her.Stella complied, holding her position without moving. The sudden commotion quickly attracted attention. Trevor promptly arrived to disperse the gathering. Witnessing her daughter's struggle, Darcie's eyes reddened. She swiftly embraced her and urgently called for someone to fetch her medicine. Jaylene's symptoms showed no sign of improvement after a few puffs from the inhaler. This caused Darcie to worry even more.Wenham's face was tense at the moment. He comforted Darcie while ins
Leighton's younger brother, Noah, noticed that Leighton stayed behind and let go of his mother's hand. "Dad, I want to stay with Jaylene a little longer," he said.Daryl, who usually found Noah quite obedient, agreed. He then advised Leighton to bring Noah back when he leaves.Leighton did not seem pleased. He glanced at the little one beside him and reluctantly agreed.The Kane family departed quietly without a word, just as they had arrived. The revelation of Stella's status as the Saun family heiress was too shocking. Their main concern now was the potential of rekindling Keegan and Stella's past relationship. With the support of the Saun family, Keegan would undoubtedly have a formidable ally, making it less likely for Chandler to seize control of Vinci Rivera.They needed some time to digest this information. Cordelia and Aurora left with Chandler's family.Soon, the guests gradually departed, leaving very few people. Marshall, who had been quietly observing from a corner, fi
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