Before Stella could process the situation, the kidnapper angrily hurled the phone into the river. "You lying bitch! How dare you trick me?!"Stella panicked. "I didn't lie to you! I wouldn't dare to deceive you when you're holding him hostage!"Vermont was still on his way. The approaching vehicle was clearly not him.'We're in the middle of nowhere. Who would venture here in the dead of night? Could it be that the police had tracked our location?'As the vehicle drew nearer, the kidnapper grew increasingly agitated. He held onto Keegan tightly, and his hands were trembling. It was evident he was terrified that the approaching car might belong to law enforcement.Keegan had lost a lot of blood at that point. He was ghastly pale and barely able to stand on his own.Stella's heart ached for him. She feared that the kidnapper might impulsively push Keegan off the bridge. "I swear I didn't lie to you! Please release him. He's too injured to escape. Use me as your hostage. Please..."
Landon froze. He instinctively refused to accept the fact his ex-wife was only trying to help him. "That's impossible!"Tears welled up in the woman's eyes. "Why didn't you just ask me when you saw us together? Why would you rather believe those so-called friends of yours than your own wife?! I didn't divorce you because I was in love with someone else. I divorced you because you changed!"A hint of confusion flashed across Landon's face. It took a while before he mumbled, "Could it really be my fault?"Marshall gave the woman a subtle nod. She took a deep breath and softened her tone. "Let's leave the past behind. Stop hurting innocent people. Let them go, and I'll go home with you."Landon was taken aback. "Are you really willing to come home with me?" he asked in a low voice.The woman concealed her fear and nodded. "Of course."Landon stared at his ex-wife for a few seconds, as though he was evaluating the truth behind her words. Suspense was hanging in the air. After a momen
Keegan was also swept about six feet away by the current.With determined effort, Stella swam over and grabbed ahold of his collar.It was impossible for them to communicate in the water. Moreover, it was extremely difficult for Stella to support the weight of an adult male like Keegan alone. She strived to keep both their faces above water as they followed the current, trying to find a way to save themselves.Fortunately, luck seemed to be on her side. It was not long before she came across a branch floating in the river. With Keegan in her arms, Stella struggled toward the floating piece of wood. In the end, they managed to grab ahold of it and catch their breath."Keegan..." Stella's voice quivered. She held back her tears and called out urgently, "Keegan, don't close your eyes! Stay awake! I can't do this alone. Hold onto the branch, and I'll support you. We'll climb up together."Keegan coughed out some water. His body was weakened by his injuries and the cold. Nevertheless,
Keegan closed his mouth and remained silent. Both he and Stella were conserving what little strength they had left in the freezing night. Stella was drained of energy. Her lips were turning into a bluish hue from the cold. Her mind was starting to blur, but she clung to the branch with sheer determination.All of a sudden, a noise echoed from the shore. Stella snapped back to reality and said, "Keegan, they're here! They're here!"She turned her head, but the person behind her had vanished without her noticing.The bitter cold seemed to intensify. Stella's face grew even paler, as she shouted Keegan's name into the empty stretch of water. Yet, all that met her cries was the relentless sound of the flowing river.Stella released her grip on the branch, intending to swim away. However, she discovered that she was tethered to the branch. Before letting go, Keegan had mustered the last ounces of his strength to secure her in place with a belt. Even if she was weak, the belt would provi
"Is there any chance he's still alive?" Felicity's voice trembled, as she asked.Vermont didn't know what to say. Although he was adept at comforting others, he did not feel as optimistic as usual at that moment. The odds of Keegan surviving that night were slim. First, he did not know how to swim. And, secondly, the conditions of the water were nearly impossible to swim in, especially while injured.The body of the man who had plunged off the bridge with Keegan was recovered the next afternoon. Yet, there was still no news about Keegan.Vermont let out a sigh. "No news might just be good news. Stella didn't suffer any severe injuries when she jumped into the water. But she's been unconscious for a long time. Meanwhile, Marshall told us that Keegan was heavily injured. It's possible that someone saved him, but he's still out due to his injuries."Felicity's face turned pale. "What will Stella do when she wakes up?" she asked.For the past few days, Stella had been in and out of fe
"What's that?" Felicity asked."It's commonly known as facial blindness. It's a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces. This means that the perpetrator can't distinguish people, especially strangers. So, he would rely on people's clothing, body shape, and voice to identify them. His previous doctor said he developed this condition because of a tumor in his brain. This all started after he got surgery to remove the tumor," explained Vermont.He continued, "The police have checked with his family, friends, and colleagues. He indeed had this condition. And, because he couldn't recognize faces, he became paranoid and developed a peculiar personality. He even developed bipolar disorder. Due to this, he wasn't prosecuted after the assault but was sent to a mental hospital instead."His ex-wife and friends mentioned that his temperament was unpredictable. He was intensely possessive, especially after falling ill. He would suspect that he was being cheated o
Marshall picked up on Felicity's change in demeanor. He lowered his gaze and asked, "How's Stella doing?""Her fever has subsided, but she hasn't regained consciousness yet," Vermont replied, as he assessed Kayla's presence.Marshall noticed his gaze and clarified, "Ms. Wilson got wind of Stella's situation and wanted to visit her. She got in touch with me, and I gave her a lift since I was on my way here."Vermont nodded. "Please come in, Ms. Wilson."Kayla stepped in while carrying a gift.Meanwhile, Felicity was meticulously tending to Stella's hands with a towel. When she saw Kayla approaching, she nodded at her in acknowledgment before resuming her task.Stella was on the hospital bed, looking pale. Her cheeks seemed slightly sunken, and her features looked sharp. Her current appearance was quite different from the perpetually cheerful and eloquent young woman they knew.After hearing the entire story from her father, Kayla could not fathom just how deeply Stella loved Keeg
Marshall was taken aback by Felicity's remark. He felt guilty and murmured, "There's no doubt that my actions have led to what happened here, but I really didn't foresee that taking on this case would lead to such consequences..."Felicity felt even more frustrated upon hearing that. "What do you mean you didn't foresee this? You literally took on a divorce case. Are you telling me you didn't know about the condition that your client's husband was suffering from? Did you not know what kind of person he was? How many years have you been in this profession? Do you just charge into cases with only passion? It's fine if you don't fear for your life, but don't let your actions drag others into it! How dare you claim you never saw this coming when someone is unconscious while the other is nowhere to be found? You will have blood on your hands if Keegan is found dead!"Marshall's face darkened, as he listened to Felicity's harsh words.Vermont thought that Felicity had gone a bit too far a
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