"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
Larry hesitated for a moment before quickly greeting, "Ms. Hall, what brings you to the hospital?"Stella and Trevor emerged from the elevator one after the other. "I'm here to visit a patient," Stella said, noticing the fruit basket and flowers in Larry's hands. She asked, "Are you here to visit a patient too?"Larry nodded, "Yes, a friend underwent surgery, so I came to visit."Trevor sized up the casually dressed middle-aged man in front of him and asked Stella, "Who's this, Stella?""Trevor, this is Larry Bard, the driver I mentioned," Stella replied, then introduced him to Larry, "Larry, this is my brother Trevor."Larry politely nodded to Trevor. "Mr. Saun, hello." He slightly hunched his back, making his slender frame appear even more stooped.Trevor's gaze ran up and down Larry before he extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Larry."Larry bent down to shake Trevor's hand, then quickly let go. Trevor chuckled and teased Stella, "Do I look intimidating? Your chauffeur does
Stella retorted, "Just cut Keegan some slack. You're not just his uncle; you're also his good friend. After you punched him last night, Keegan was upset all night and couldn't sleep. The next day, he went to work with two black eyes."As for dealing with Dad, she had other tricks up her sleeve.Trevor wasn't entirely convinced. "Do I really have that much influence on him?""Of course! You've grown up together. If you don't trust him, imagine how he feels." Trevor fell silent for a moment. Just when Stella thought she had him, Trevor smirked and said, "Let him suffer then. If he thinks he can fool me, he needs a few more years of practice."Stella was rendered speechless.No wonder Keegan always called his brother a fox; his schemes were deep!With just one phone call from Darcie, Jaylene decided she didn't want to pursue the issue with Dahlia any longer. It was easy to imagine how angry Darcie must be. The mother and daughter started arguing in the ward.Darcie's face turned gr
Stella paused, taking in Keegan's expression, a mix of upset and annoyance, and couldn't help but let out a laugh.Initially just angry, Keegan's fury escalated upon hearing her laughter, sensing a hint of teasing behind it.Was his refusal really that amusing? Why was she finding it so funny?To Stella, Keegan's outburst seemed utterly endearing.In the past, whenever he was displeased with something she did, he'd keep it to himself, leaving her to guess. But she wasn't a mind reader; how was she supposed to know?Since she pointed out this flaw in Keegan, he had changed his approach.Now, when he was upset, he didn't sulk in silence like before; instead, he waited for her response after expressing his feelings directly.Keegan's expression tightened. "What's so funny? You gave the good one to your brother and kept the inferior one for me. I don't mind coming after your dad, the twins and even money. But why should I come after Trevor? He punched me, and you're trying to appeas
Keegan couldn't stomach such sweet words, so he stood his ground. "Are you saying this just to calm me down?"A hint of hurt flickered in Stella's eyes as she lowered her hand and said softly, "If you don't believe me, I'll take you to the fruit vendor, and let her tell you which one is sweeter. Let's see if I'm lying to you."Immediately, Keegan grabbed her hand, feeding her a piece of the orange and murmuring, "I didn't say I didn't believe you."Stella hadn't misled him; it was indeed very sweet, almost like honey, warming his heart.This knack for being easily appeased was one of Keegan's major strengths.As for whether the big one tasted better or the small one, Stella actually didn't know. Fruit vendors would surely claim they were all delicious. But with her persuasive skills, no matter who got the big one or the small one today, she could smooth things over.As for Keegan calling her words sweet talk, she didn't quite agree. She preferred to call it "the art of conversati
As Keegan picked at the fishbone, he remarked, "Didn't we step in? Didn't Stella give her money?"Vermont's eyelid twitched. Wasn't that money coughed up by Blake Crosby because of the scheme he and Stella concocted? And they called that giving money?From the get-go, Stella never intended to simply hand over the money. He couldn't believe Keegan couldn't see that. They caught him red-handed, and he thought Keegan was going to argue with Stella, but unexpectedly, nothing happened.It seemed the incident at Mrs. Chapman's daughter's engagement banquet really stung Keegan. He really didn't want to meddle in the Crosby family's affairs anymore."If you don't care, can Aurora not care? What if she starts caring then? How will you deal with your wife?" Stella, who was originally talking to Felicity, suddenly chimed in, "Stop trying to sow discord over there."Weren't they discussing the script? How could she hear him when his voice was so low?Vermont turned to Keegan, who smiled and
The copyright fee for short drama scripts wasn't actually worth much; twenty to thirty thousand was the standard price. Unless it was the kind with a blockbuster record, which could fetch over a hundred thousand. If one encountered a somewhat conscientious company, they might even throw in a little extra if the drama made money, but the heartless ones would typically only cough up two or three thousand as a buyout price.Vermont chuckled, "Would you believe that with this copyright fee of yours, I can make a hundred times back?""But it still has to follow the market rate," Felicity believed it, but she kept her public and private matters separate. "Stella and Keegan trust us so much, investing so much money at once. We can't just pocket it. I want a hundred thousand. If I take more, I won't be able to face Stella. Hurry up and change the contract for me."Vermont found her upright stance adorable and teased, "That's how I've been tricking Keegan."Felicity glared at him. "So if he
Felicity blushed, her hand poised to strike, but Vermont grabbed it and pulled her into his embrace. "You know, when you dashed off after that fib the other day and Corbin Steven asked me about you, I instantly knew you were pulling a fast one. I didn't even recognize you. But back then, I just figured it was another ploy from some wannabe celebrity trying to grab my attention. With my looks and wealth, I attract quite the crowd."Felicity made a face of disgust. "Such a narcissist!"Vermont chuckled. "I've seen all sorts of tactics, but you're the first to greet me with a hug as if we've known each other for ages. I thought maybe it was because you were not exactly a heartthrob, so you had to resort to some unique methods to catch my eye."Felicity bristled slightly at the "not exactly a heartthrob" remark but was intrigued by Vermont's initial impression of her. Her curiosity piqued."I was intrigued, though. I thought, 'Let's see what else she's got up her sleeve to win me over.