After settling the bill, Stella put on her mask and grabbed her coat before heading outside.Although the cocktails she had consumed did not have a strong alcoholic taste, their alcohol content was not to be underestimated. Having enjoyed a number of drinks, Stella felt fine while she was sitting down. However, when she stood up, she noticed a slight dizziness after taking a few steps.As she navigated her way out of the pub, she inadvertently bumped into a young man holding a drink. The man's beverage spilled all over him, and he grabbed Stella's arm, demanding an explanation.Stella retrieved a banknote from her wallet and handed it to the man. "Is this enough for dry cleaning?"Stella's hands were shaking, and the note fell to the ground. The man misinterpreted her intentions and refused to take the money. Instead, he seized Stella's arm and ordered an apology.Stella struggled to free herself. "Let go!" she yelled.However, the man persisted. "How dare you throw money at me?!
Stella, who was irritated by the questions, turned around and dismissively said, "So what if I did? Why are you following me? Do you want to be Keegan's stand-in?""Why would I want that? I'm not crazy," Spencer instinctively retorted."Then, why are you following me?"Spencer did not know what to say."I-I'm just enjoying the spectacle." He came up with a plausible excuse. "You dumped me back then, and now you're the one getting dumped. I'd say it's karma."Stella's anger surged when she heard that. Spencer noticed the change in her facial expression, and he felt a sense of satisfaction."Hey, if you genuinely miss Keegan, you can beg me. I'll pretend to be him reluctantly."Stella remained silent, and her face was tense."Alright, no need to beg. Just apologize to me and say you shouldn't have dumped me back then."Stella stared at the puddle of water on the road in front of her. She gestured him over and said, "Come here."Thinking that she was giving in, Spencer adjusted
Spencer's words were casual, but they triggered a moment of realization in Stella's mind. She had a perplexing expression on her face, which made Spencer feel uneasy. He assumed she might have seen through his thoughts, and he felt reluctant to meet her gaze.Spencer turned his face away and feigned indifference. "Take your time to consider. We can treat it as compensation for what happened back then."After waiting for a response that never came, Spencer turned around only to find that Stella had already gotten into a cab.When he was about to rush over, Stella had already closed the door, and the car sped away.Spencer's mouth twitched, and he cursed, "You heartless woman!"Stella arrived home around 9:00 p.m. Wenham and Trevor were about to go out and look for her if she were to return any later than that.Stella returned with a scent of alcohol. This made her father and brother worried. However, she acted natural and asked, "Dad, is Jaylene back yet?""Yes, she finished dinn
"Hey, guys, the hotel is not far from here. I'll take them there, let them rest, and then explore the night market nearby later. You two have had a busy day. You should head home and get some rest," Jaylene suggested.Stella considered for a moment and agreed. "Sounds good. I actually have plans to meet a friend for a hair appointment."After leaving the restaurant, Stella used the excuse of her friend picking her up to part ways with Trevor.Not long after Trevor had left, a white Audi pulled up. Stella opened the passenger door and got in. The driver was her best friend, Felicity.Felicity took Stella by surprise, as she was dressed in all black, along with a black mask."What's with the ninja outfit?" Stella asked."Don't you know that you've got to dress the part to avoid drawing attention? Spies often wear black in old movies."Stella rubbed her temples and said, "That's because there were no lights.""Huh?""Wearing dark clothes made sense back then. But, nowadays, with
Stella clutched the coat, and her breath was hitching with emotion. The nurse struggled to get the garment out of Stella's hand and called for her to let go.Snapping back to reality, Stella released her grip and apologized.The nurse found that Stella's behavior was odd, but she was in a rush to wash the coat. So, she did not dwell on it much and left.Suddenly, Stella's phone vibrated in her bag. She answered the call and whispered, "Come up to the twelfth floor."Felicity arrived promptly.Stella shared her discovery with Felicity, who was astonished. "Did you get a clear look?""Felicity, that coat is the same size as the one Keegan wore, and it has bloodstains on the back. I don't believe this is just a coincidence. I feel like Keegan is here. I can feel it." Stella responded in excitement.Felicity was always supportive of her best friend. Although she found that the situation was odd, she said, "Then, let's go in and see what that wolf is up to!"Stella had considered th
The elderly man in a wheelchair watched the unfolding chaos and tried to defuse the situation. However, his wheelchair slid forward and bumped into Jaylene. Unable to maintain her balance, Jaylene tumbled to the ground. Meanwhile, the wheelchair was about to tip over when Trevor entered the room.The girl accompanying him was visibly startled and rushed over to support the wheelchair. Feeling annoyed, she turned to Stella and said, "Why would you push Jaylene?"Felicity promptly defended Stella and said, "When did she do that? The old man slid over in his wheelchair and bumped into Jaylene!""Who are you two? How dare you barge into my grandfather's hospital room and try to justify your actions?" the girl asked.Trevor stepped forward quickly to apologize. "Sorry, Mr. Foster. This is my sister, Stella. She probably had something to discuss with Jaylene and followed her here."While helping Jaylene up, Trevor pulled Stella aside and whispered, "Let's talk outside."However, Stella
Felicity was taken aback. She thought that Stella would eventually give up after searching for so long, but it turned out that she did not give up at all.Felicity thought that what happened was somewhat miraculous, so she immediately told Vermont about it as soon as she arrived home. "Let's not talk about whether the handwriting and bloodstained clothes that Stella saw are real or not. But what are the odds that Trevor appeared at a time like this? It's just too coincidental, don't you think?""Me?" Vermont took a bite of an apple and said, "I think Stella has a ridiculously good imagination for thinking that Keegan was hidden away by Jaylene. Don't you think that Keegan would've at least given us a call if he's fine? No matter how capable Jaylene is, she can't possibly stop a living man from leaving, right?"Felicity propped up her cheek and frowned. "That's true, but I've always felt that Jaylene isn't a good person. She said that she was going out with a friend, but how did she
Marshall chuckled softly upon hearing what Stella said. "If you really want to learn, I'll teach you. But getting a skydiving license isn't that easy. I can take you to experience it first."Stella immediately asked, "When?"Marshall asked her back, "When do you want to do it?""Tomorrow," Stella said."Tomorrow?""Are you busy?"Marshall looked at the documents on his desk, pursed his lips, and said, "No, I'm free. I'll pick you up tomorrow.""Sure." Stella then softly said, "Thank you.""Rest early and wait for my call tomorrow," Marshall said goodbye to her warmly. After ending the call, he went to his wardrobe and took out some clothes.When he was done and went downstairs, Ariel came up with a cup in her hand. When she saw her son dressing up and going out late at night, she immediately stopped Marshall. "Marshall, where are you going so late?"As Marshall put on his shoes, he said, "I left something back at the office. I need to go get it.""What is so important that y
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