Stella was taken aback seeing that Marshall Moore was calling her.Since their last disagreement, she hadn't been in touch with Marshall. Plus, the timing was odd–well past one in the morning, which didn't fit Marshall's usual habits.She furrowed her brow but didn't reach for the phone.Keegan glanced at Stella. "Aren't you going to pick up?"Stella tossed him the phone. "No."Keegan nodded approvingly, but still handed the phone back. "Calling at this hour must mean it's urgent. You should take it."Stella remained silent. Keegan wasn't being jealous or passive-aggressive; he genuinely believed it was important.He knew the kidnapping case might be connected to Marshall, but he couldn't ignore Marshall's situation completely. Their childhood friendship meant a lot to him. While he had once advised Stella to steer clear of Marshall, now he couldn't ignore him either.That's why Stella couldn't contain her emotions toward Marshall after learning the truth.Keegan covered her ha
Stella was feeling a bit on edge. On one hand, she was concerned that if Luanna's death was indeed connected to Ricky, the Adam family might exploit that photo to thrust Keegan into the spotlight. Despite their preparations, causing more harm than good wasn't the ideal solution.On the other hand, she couldn't shake the subconscious hope that Marshall could genuinely assist Lina in uncovering the true culprit behind Luanna’s death. The once diligent and ambitious girl shouldn't have vanished from this world in such a mysterious manner.Sensing her unease, Keegan gently rubbed her head, offering reassurance, "When the enemy comes knocking, we'll confront them head-on. Your husband isn't one to be underestimated."Stella sighed and rolled over to hug him.In a hushed tone, she asked, "Are you enduring all of this because you feel guilty about telling Marshall about his aunt looking for Willow Jenning, which led to their car accident?"Keegan fell silent for a moment before softly re
Stella vaguely remembered.At that moment, Jayson said something to Keegan about Willow's death.He said, "Was it the doing of the Moore family?"And when Marshall was brought up, he spoke with a hint of resentment, asking Keegan, "Why wasn't it him who died?"Jayson held resentment toward Marshall and even the entire Moore family, but Marshall didn't even know Jayson, so his resentment could only be due to something related to Willow.Keegan went over the events several times, but this was the one point he couldn't figure out, so he felt that the crux of the matter lay there.On the day of the accident, all the recordings in the car were destroyed, so no one knew what really happened in the car. But when Willow was critically ill, she didn't say a single word to Marshall, except for asking Keegan to contact Jayson.What kind of situation would cause former lovers to not even exchange a word in a life-and-death farewell?When he and Stella faced a life-and-death separation, all
Based on what Keegan knew about Marshall, he wouldn't rush into any decisions in the near future. Even though Willow was his only family, he'd carefully weigh the options and act with caution for her sake.Stella paused for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe it's best for Coco to stay at the Royalpark Villa. Firstly, Grandma is getting old and genuinely doesn't have the energy to look after her. Secondly... from Marshall's point of view, Coco is the reminder of Willow's betrayal. I'm concerned he might take it out on Coco if he loses his temper."Initially, Keegan wanted to assure that Marshall wouldn't do such a thing; he knew him well. But the words got stuck in his throat. If he truly understood him, the kidnapping incident wouldn't have occurred. After a brief silence, he nodded. "I'll go along with your suggestion."In reality, when Vermont hinted to Marshall about Coco's parentage, Keegan had another motive—to leverage the Moore family to investigate the true cause of Jayson
Stella averted her gaze and addressed Baldwin, "Baldwin, I'm here to pick up Coco."Baldwin replied, "Coco is practicing the piano. I'll take you to her."Stella nodded and was about to follow him when Dahlia stopped her, resentfully saying, "Stella, you must be feeling so proud, kicking me out of the Kane family and separating me from my son."Stella paused, calmly looking at her. "I guess. Give it a little more time, and I might even be prouder."A hint of hatred flickered in Dahlia's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She clenched her fists and whispered, "I want to talk to you."Stella smiled coldly, "Is there anything left to discuss between us?" She hadn't forgotten why Dahlia ended up there. A woman who had tried to harm her baby wouldn't get a second chance from her.She was puzzled, though. Why would Dahlia suddenly demand a share of her late father-in-law's inheritance?Even though Dahlia had been kicked out of the Kane family and Keegan had cut her off, providing
Stella glanced at her. "Keegan deposits your living expenses into your account every month. He also has evidence of the money you've been withdrawing from the company's account over the years. Do you think you can win this case?"Dahlia sneered, "Even if I can't win, do you think such a scandal won't affect The Vinci Rivera Group's stocks or his election votes?"Stella's smile faded gradually. She couldn't fathom how there could be such a shameless and despicable mother, selfish enough to ruin her own son's life.Darcie Arnold and Hylda White were so malicious, yet they stood by their children. What was Dahlia?Stella looked at her in silence for a moment, then spoke, "What do you need so much money for?"Dahlia impatiently replied, "That's none of your business. Just transfer the money to me. I'll give you three days. If you don't, I'll sue Keegan immediately!"Stella's expression turned serious. "If it weren't for a paternity test, I would seriously doubt if Keegan is your biol
"No way!" Dahlia exclaimed anxiously. "Two weeks is just too long! I'll give you a week at most!"Stella furrowed her brow. "Ten days. I really can't gather it in a week."Dahlia didn't buy it. “Do you think I'm clueless about how much money Keegan has?"Stella's expression turned icy. "You expect me to ask Keegan for the money? Do you think he won't question such a large sum? Or do you want me to personally inform him that his own mother is pressuring me for money?"Dahlia didn't care about Keegan, let alone his feelings.She knew Keegan well enough to understand that if he found out about this, he wouldn't give her a penny. He wouldn't be swayed by her threats in the least.Initially, Dahlia had wanted to find Stella, but Keegan had shielded her too effectively, leaving Dahlia with no opportunity to get close. So, she shifted her focus to her deceased husband's inheritance. Little did she know she would run into Stella herself.After Stella's words, Dahlia calmed down slightly
She recalled the amusing scene from earlier and, now, observing the sluggish fish, couldn't resist kicking a pebble into the water. With a splash, the plump fish jerked in alarm, its tail nearly swatting the nearby small koi.Cordelia's eyelid twitched. How much did this impulsive act resemble her mischievous grandson?Stella realized the effect of her action and quickly withdrew her foot guiltily, mustering a smile as she called out, “Grandma."Coco bounded over, clutching onto Stella's leg and chirping, "Stella, why did you take so long to come? I missed you~"Stella tousled the little girl's soft hair and said gently, "I bought you some little gifts, which took a bit of time."At the mention of gifts, Coco's eyes sparkled. She tugged at Stella's sleeve, eager to leave with her."Go with this big brother first. Great-Grandma and I need to talk for a bit."Coco obediently nodded and was led away by Samuel.Once the child was out of earshot, Cordelia inquired, “What did you two