Vermont continued, "But with Willow, Marshall was genuinely happy. "Yet, the Moore family would never have approved. We all sensed this but remained silent, hoping Marshall would become strong enough to defy his family."We kept his relationship a secret among close friends. However, no secret remains hidden forever. The Moores found out and demanded Marshall end things with Willow. "When he refused, they targeted her directly. She faced constant harassment from them. During her preparations for postgraduate interviews, she abruptly sent Marshall a breakup message and then disappeared."Felicity, shocked, interjected, "Disappeared? But wasn't she preparing for postgraduate studies at Trinity University? Did she abandon her plans?"Vermont murmured, "That's what's baffling. She left no trace behind. "Her exam results were excellent and she only needed to complete her interview to secure her spot. "But she never appeared for it. Marshall searched everywhere to no avail. She ha
Stella, skeptical, rolled her eyes. "So, you improvised the second half of the story?"Vermont replied, "Not exactly. It's a rough account of the events. Willow had a small family so Keegan organized her funeral, which I attended. "The emptiness of the hall reminded me of my exam answer sheets. If her husband truly loved her, wouldn't he have been there?"He continued thoughtfully, "Willow's disappearance might be tied to the Moore family. The car accident was due to Marshall's condition, but they likely covered it up. It's a complex situation, and perhaps it's better that Marshall doesn't remember."Felicity, frowning, interjected, "He's fortunate to have forgotten. Willow's life was lost because of him. Stella, whatever happens with you and Keegan, avoid someone with baggage like Marshall. He and his family are a web of problems."Stella had been silent until Felicity mentioned her name.Suddenly, Stella asked, "Did Willow and Marshall have any children?"Vermont, taken aback
Stella's questions only deepened her confusion. She had hoped Vermont's insider perspective would clarify things, but crucial details remained murky.Vermont's account hinted that Keegan had been involved in handling the fallout from Marshall and Willow's incident. Stella found it hard to believe Marshall would be ungrateful, yet if he was implicated in the kidnapping case against Keegan, perhaps Willow's accident was not as straightforward as it seemed.Stella, deep in thought, suddenly asked, "When did Willow's car accident happen?"Vermont replied, "Seven years ago, in September. I remember it very clearly. I was doing a double degree and graduated a year later than them. That summer, I went abroad with some friends and didn't return until mid-September."Stella froze. 'That was the same month me and my mother had a car accident. So why was Keegan at the accident scene?'She remembered Detective Karl's findings about a cab involved in their collision. Two fatalities and a pregn
"Got it. I won't spill the beans, and don't let Keegan know I asked you about this," said Stella."I would never. He'll be the first to come knocking if he knows that I talked to you. Back then, he was the one helping Marshall's mom silence people like us. I'm sticking my neck out here just telling you all this. So, don't screw me over," Vermont replied.Felicity sneered, "Look at you, all weak-kneed. Is Keegan gonna eat you alive?""You go up against him if you're so brave," Vermont said.Felicity hesitated for a moment, suddenly recalling the time when Keegan landed her in the slammer. She cleared her throat and said, "He hasn't crossed me. Why the hell would I go up against him?"Vermont laughed and taunted, "You're just a little chicken. The only person you dare mess with is me."Stella left the group voice call and dropped a WhatsApp message to Detective Karl, whom she hadn't contacted in a long time. [Can we meet up?]Detective Karl shot back instantly. [I don't provide ad
"Stella, I've saved a lot of money. Can I take you out to play tomorrow? No Uncle Keegan this time," Coco said via voice message.Stella paused for a moment, then grinned. "Sure, but I've got something going on during the day. Can we meet up in the evening?"Coco, who hadn't slept yet, texted almost instantly, [Okay!]Perhaps feeling she was too forward, she took a while to type another message, [Stella, why are you not asleep yet?][Just waiting for your Uncle Keegan,] Stella replied.[Is he working overtime again?] Coco questioned.[Sort of.]Coco then sent another voice message saying, "You're a nice person, Stella."Stella was confused."Uncle Keegan said you're a good-looking, a good cook, and a good actor. Now that I've met you, I think you're better than he described. Chatting with you is great. You're good at comforting me. And you're nice because you wait for Uncle Keegan. Everything about you is nice. I really like you," Coco explained.Taken aback, Stella thought,
Stella suppressed laughter and spoke warmly, "It's hard to tell with kids. I used to spend a lot of time outdoors as a child, and I didn't get fair right away. As you grow up and take care of yourself, your skin will naturally lighten over time. But even if it doesn't, that's perfectly fine. What matters is that you're healthy and confident. All skin tones are beautiful."Coco perked up when she heard that. She then set a time to meet up with Stella and turned off her phone.Stella looked at the photos Coco had sent her. She couldn't quite pinpoint who Coco resembled, but it definitely wasn't Marshall.'Marshall must have seen Coco during Keegan's "funeral". At that time, he didn't seem to have any particular reaction,' thought Stella.'Am I overthinking things?' she sighed.Meanwhile, Cyrene and her friends were playing poker."Cyrene, your luck is really something today. How much did you win?" asked one of her friends.Cyrene grinned and replied, "What do you mean? I just mana
"Who do we have here? The heir of the Kane family. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Cyrene's tone was casual, but upon closer inspection, it carried a hint of sarcasm.She still harbored resentment toward Keegan for reporting Jackson to the police earlier. Even though Jackson returned safely, Cyrene couldn't swallow her pride as a mother.If it weren't for Chandler consistently advising him not to act impulsively, she would have had her whole family come over and demand justice.Keegan remained composed facing Cyrene's cold remarks. His tone was mild, "My mom got arrested."Cyrene chuckled. "Well, what goes around comes around."Keegan pressed on, "Chandler's not home, is he?"Cyrene paused. "Why do you ask?"Keegan explained, "My mom needs reinforcements. Who else can she turn to in the Kane family besides Chandler?"Cyrene's expression darkened. "Are you calling to mock me?""No, I'm here to pick you up."Cyrene was taken aback. "What did you say?"Keegan explained calmly,
Cyrene had firmly decided that under no circumstances would she allow Chandler to bail Dahlia out tonight. With that determination, she sent a message to her two brothers at home.Turning to Keegan, she remarked, "I didn't know you were cold-blooded toward your mom."Keegan responded with calm indifference, "She's not exactly a loving mother to me either, Cyrene. Have you ever seen a mother so eager to divide the family property when her son was missing?"Cyrene remained silent.To be honest, she didn't dislike Keegan. If it weren't for Dahlia flaunting Keegan's achievements in front of Cordelia and belittling her son every time, she wouldn't mind if Jackson spent more time learning from Keegan.Unfortunately, Dahlia didn't know when to shut up. Jackson's grades weren't good, and every time they met, she would deliberately bring it up in front of many people.After asking about Jackson, she would immediately mention that Keegan scored several perfect grades again and that she was