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
Stella turned toward the voice and saw Ariel standing there in a light beige dress, holding a gift box. Unlike Dahlia and Irene, who always exuded extravagance, Ariel's appearance was elegantly understated. Even though she had gained a little weight, she still radiated grace.The last time Stella and Ariel met was at the jewelry exhibition over half a year ago. In her memory, Ariel had fair skin and a healthy complexion. But now, looking at her, she seemed to have lost some weight, and her spirit did not seem as vibrant as it did half a year ago.With a smile, Stella nodded politely. "Hello, Mrs. Moore."Marshall subtly furrowed his brows, as he was annoyed. "Why did you come along? I'm leaving after a few words.""I want to talk to Ms. Saun too," Ariel replied.Marshall's frown deepened, and he stood there in silence.Ariel turned to Stella and spoke warmly. "Ms. Saun, I remember you helping Marshall when he was injured a while ago. Initially, I wanted to come and thank you pers
Ariel suppressed her words and bid farewell before leaving the venue with her son. Once they were gone, Stella turned to Keegan and said, "Marshall's mother is a little strange. Why did she give me her younger son's pendant as a sign of gratitude? It feels like a movie where the protagonist can make requests by holding on to a certain family heirloom."Keegan stayed silent. At first, he did not understand Ariel's intentions. However, after hearing her words, he seemed to grasp it.Ariel likely sensed Marshall's feelings for Stella. She came here to sever any lingering romantic ties between them. Whether it was adopting Stella as her goddaughter or giving her the pendant, her objective was clear. She wanted to push them into a sibling relationship and extinguish any romantic sentiments Marshall might have.Stella tugged at Keegan's sleeve. "Hey, I'm asking you a question. Why aren't you responding?"Keegan returned to reality and calmly said, "How should I know what she means? Maybe
Stella smiled.Mrs. Chapman...No, Olivia Warren was a very clever person who knew exactly what to do at the right time.If she were to make any demands, she would be seen as someone who could be mutually beneficial to Stella at most, but she did not take the opportunity to claim any credits. Instead, she told Stella that there was no loss on her side, and it was a win-win situation. So, there was no need for Stella to be so courteous. Her words suddenly made Stella like her a lot more.Stella was about to say something, but Olivia's husband, Erick Chapman, walked over.He politely greeted Stella. "Hello, Ms. Saun."Stella nodded and said in a flat tone, "Mr. Chapman, are you here for your wife?"Erick smiled faintly. He was an average-looking man who was relatively chubby. His physique resembled the stereotypical boss who loved to brag just about anything and had literally nothing exceptional about their looks.Although Olivia was about fifty years old, she loved interacting wit