Keegan hesitated for a moment, feeling his heart soften, and gently reached out to her.Trevor quickly swatted his hand away, pulling Stella closer to him, his expression darkening. "Let's talk without any physical contact!"Keegan bit his lip. "Trevor, I didn't handle things well before. I promise I won't let Stella suffer again in the future.""In the future?" Trevor sneered. "First, sort out the mess in your family before talking about the future."With that, he took hold of Stella's arm. "Come with me."Stella resisted. "All my stuff is still at Royalpark Villa. It's too much hassle to move back and forth.""Forget about it. We'll buy new things! Do we lack money at home?"Stella sighed. "Trevor, I'm an adult now. Please don't treat me like a child. I can distinguish right from wrong. If Keegan treats me poorly, I can walk away on my own. I'm capable of supporting myself now; I don't need to depend on him. And worst-case scenario, I still have you guys. I'm with him because
She asked Keegan to leave a comment too, hoping to calm Trevor down a bit. But when Keegan couldn't find Trevor's social media post, a red exclamation mark popped up as he tried to message him, indicating that Trevor had blocked him.Stella reassured him, "It's okay. Next time we argue, he'll have to unblock you and scold you."Keegan was speechless.She was bad at comforting people. It was better if she did not do it again.After the commotion, Keegan became serious. "Don't use that trick again to fool people. Did you see how pale Trevor's face turned? He was genuinely scared."Stella chuckled, "Your face seemed even paler than his though?"Keegan replied softly, "I was scared too. Grandma said we should avoid taboo topics; some things shouldn't be said casually."His expression was very serious. He used to not believe in these things, but it seemed that both of them had become superstitious and timid ever since Stella got pregnant.Stella held his hand, gently rubbing it agai
Cordelia might have held traditional beliefs, thinking that having more children brought more blessings, instilled a sense of responsibility, and stabilized marital relationships. Perhaps she was worried that her own body couldn't withstand many more years, and since Dahlia was unreliable, choosing to conceive a child earlier could put an end to her unpredictable behavior.Whatever the reason, it left Keegan feeling somewhat resentful.Fortunately, because he and Stella didn't share a room frequently before, it took a while for her to conceive. Stella's body was also in good shape, and the fetus developed healthily. If she had conceived earlier but couldn't carry it to term, he feared he would hurt her again.Keegan sighed and said softly, "Stella, I'm sorry."Stella understood he was speaking on behalf of Cordelia.She gently patted the back of his hand without saying a word.Now that the child was conceived, there was no point in questioning Cordelia's motives anymore.Stella
Stella whispered, "I was worried you're still upset with me."Handing Trevor the breakfast, she asked, "Where’s Dad?""Dad went to rest. He left around four. He should be here soon.""You've been here all night?"Trevor opened the bag, taking a bite, "Gotta keep up appearances."With over twenty years of being family, being too nonchalant could easily raise Darcie's suspicions.Stella glanced at the dark circles under his eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy, "There's a restaurant downstairs, grab a seat there and eat. I'll get you a bowl of soup."Trevor waved it off. "I drank enough water last night."Stella was speechless.That sarcastic streak seemed to be a family trait.Seeing it in Trevor made Stella realize how stubborn she used to be.She couldn't help but laugh, "Trevor, did you scare off all your ex-girlfriends with that sarcasm?"Trevor nodded. "Yep, those with thick skins like Keegan are rare."Stella was rendered speechless once more.In the end, Trevor did join
Trevor stayed silent for a moment. He had initially thought his sister was blinded by love, but it seemed that Keegan was the one with the love-struck brain from start to finish, like a silly dog. Quite pitiful, really. After a brief consideration, he asked, "What if Dahlia doesn't do those things later on? Wouldn't your plan fall through?"Stella responded gently, "The mom who raised me didn't just teach me to seek revenge but also to forgive. If there are no further incidents, it means she still cares for Keegan to some extent, and she's not inherently evil. As long as she doesn’t create trouble, I don't mind Keegan taking care of her in her old age."Keegan had given Dahlia too many chances, and all she ever gave him in return was escalating cruelty. It was actually good to finally make Keegan lose heart without disappointing herself."What's the plan now?" Trevor inquired.Stella's tone remained calm, "What I do depends on what Dahlia chooses to do."She skipped over that
"She's rushing to earn money to regain custody of her son, so I'm still hesitant to transfer her. She's quite capable at work, but I figured since it's challenging for her to balance work and taking care of her child, it might be better to have her get close to Dillon."Dillon hasn't been back long. Besides donating some money to the welfare home and occasionally wandering around Rivera, she hasn't done much else, suggesting she just wants to make amends for her past mistakes. However, she doesn't intend to admit to what happened back then. I just had a thought."Stella raised her eyes, "Trevor, do you think the fire that Dillon and the others encountered back then was accidental or deliberate?"Trevor countered, "Do you think it was deliberate too?"Stella said, "It just strikes me as odd. Back then, there were four people, including the anesthetist. Two died, one fled abroad and can't return, and one nearly died. In the end, she survived under her fiancé's name. Don't you find th
Stella accompanied Trevor to Jaylene's hospital room. She even picked up a fruit basket downstairs, splurging $99. When she pushed the door open and laid eyes on Jaylene, Stella was taken aback. Jaylene looked dreadful, with numerous red scratch marks on her face and neck, and a bruise on her forehead. Without makeup, she appeared completely washed out, particularly pale.As soon as Jaylene spotted Trevor, her expression twisted. "Trevor," she began, but seeing Stella trailing behind him, her words caught in her throat, morphing into sharp accusations. "What are you doing here? To ridicule me?"Tsk, she was quite perceptive when she shouldn't be, immediately seeing through Stella's intentions.Trevor furrowed his brow. "Jaylene, Stella came last night when she found out you were injured. When she heard you had woken up this morning, she came again with gifts to see you. Why are you saying such things?""She's here to ridicule me!" Jaylene's eyes reddened. "Trevor, it's all be
"It's not too late for you to go to the police and explain the situation. Even without an IOU, you've got transfer records. You and Dahlia aren't family, so this money can't be seen as a gift. If you sue Dahlia, and considering she has shares in the Crosby's company, when they sort out the assets, you can definitely get back your twenty million."Jaylene pushed her hand away, her tone icy, "So this is your real motive for visiting me, right? You want me to sue Dahlia, make Keegan turn against me, so you can reconcile with him? Now I see why you steered me toward Dahlia; you had this plan all along!"Stella was ready. When Jaylene pushed her, she tightened her grip on the orange to keep it from falling.She looked up at Jaylene with a smile, clicked her tongue, and said softly, "So you've figured it out, huh? But it doesn't matter. Even if you don't sue, with you injured like this, your mom won't just let it slide, will she?"Jaylene's expression shifted.Stella arched her eyebrows