Marshall idly spun the glass around before finally offering a light smile. "Maybe he’s seen it, or perhaps it was all just a joke."Stella lowered her gaze and remained silent.Glancing at a group of children nearby, Marshall suddenly inquired, "Is the little girl from the memorial service still with the Kane family?"Stella nodded. "Keegan brought her to the mansion."Marshall appeared somewhat surprised. "Weren't they supposed to hand her over to her relatives?"Stella explained, "Aldor mentioned that the child lost all her immediate family, and no other relatives were willing to take her. Keegan was worried about sending her to an orphanage, so he decided to keep her by his side for the time being."Taking a sip of tea, Marshall asked, "Have you all not considered putting her up for adoption?"Stella chuckled softly. "I did bring it up once with Keegan, and we ended up arguing. He accused me of not being able to accept a child. If it weren't for the paternity test I arranged
Stella quickly filled Keegan in on the conversation.Keegan was taken aback. "Heather? You have quite the imagination."Even though these stories were fabricated, they were told so convincingly that they seemed real.Stella added, "Willow didn't say anything before she died. We don't know why, but maybe he can find out."Pausing, Stella leaned in to whisper, "Actually, I've always suspected the Moore family's involvement—"Keegan squeezed her hand, signaling her to keep quiet.Stella hesitated, following Keegan's gaze to Luanna Saab—no, Lina Saab—walking hand in hand with Ricky Adam at the appreciation banquet.Lina's makeup mirrored Luanna's, her eyes alluring and her features radiant. Dressed elegantly, she looked almost identical to when Stella saw her at the hospital.They appeared together, their mannerisms intimate and familiar."Mr. Kane, congrats on the successful press conference," Ricky said, raising a cup to Keegan.Stella suddenly noticed that Ricky, the addict, l
Stella and Keegan exchanged glances before turning abruptly to look at Vermont, who was muttering to himself behind them.Startled by their stares, Vermont exclaimed, "Why are you glaring at me?"Stella hurriedly asked, "What rumor? What do you know?"Vermont blinked. "The rumor is that Ricky fell in love with his stand-in. When she disappeared for a year, he was completely devastated. But when she came back, he was suddenly full of life again. So, the other girl got upset and started causing trouble for the stand-in every day."Stella and Keegan were both speechless.Stella frowned. "Didn't you say he indulged in all sorts of vices—drinking, gambling, and so on? How could someone like that have a good woman by his side?""Even pigs eat rotten cabbage. Besides, given Ricky's background, if someone from a good family isn't interested, it doesn’t mean someone from a poor family background won’t be."Next, Vermont told them an extremely melodramatic story.He said Ricky had a chil
"Keep going, what happened next?" Stella urged."It gets even crazier," Vermont continued. "He couldn't decide between that girl and the stand-in. Both women fought fiercely for him, and in the end, the girl accused the stand-in of drug use. After her reputation was destroyed, the stand-in disappeared."When the stand-in left, everyone assumed Ricky would reconcile with that girl, especially since their previous conflicts revolved around her. But Ricky remained passive, and the Adam family hinted that that girl would never be accepted. Within a few months, they even arranged for Ricky to meet Mrs. Chapman's eldest daughter."Over the years, Ricky's been causing trouble, disappointing the Adam family. They had hoped he'd continue the family line, but his drug abuse left him sterile. They planned for his father to carry on with the arrangement, but after the Chapman family incident, the marriage arrangement fell apart."But then the stand-in returned, and seeing how Ricky's mood chan
Stella's eye twitched.Did he have to show off like that?She was about to speak when Keegan chimed in, "Luck's on your side, but hitting that 0.5% chance for twins, like us, would be even better."Stella was rendered speechless. The snide remark on her mind suddenly felt out of place.Vermont's mouth twitched. "Keegan, can't you go one day without bragging?"Keegan earnestly replied, "I can’t."Vermont audibly ground his teeth, seething internally. When the time came, he’d make sure to have a daughter and snatch Keegan's son away, then repeat it again and again, relentlessly! He’d ensure that Keegan would not be able to have grandchildren! Let's see how smug he'd be then!Marshall didn't return after leaving his seat.Jaylene's injuries hadn't healed, so she didn't show up today. Trevor left after the press conference, and her dad was a no-show all day. Without a second thought, she knew he was furious.Stella sent her dad a few photos of good wine. "Dad, these are from Kee
Wenham was getting impatient.Trevor nonchalantly removed the previous emoji and handed the phone back to Wenham. When Wenham noticed the emoji was gone, he exclaimed, "How did it disappear?"Trevor replied, "Probably just a network delay."Wenham grumbled, "This app keeps getting worse with each update!"Trevor fell silent.Wenham held the phone, typing a response to his daughter while scolding Trevor, "From now on, don't send me so many weird emojis. One slip of the finger, and I end up clicking the wrong thing. If your sister sees them, it ruins my image in her eyes, you know?"Trevor pondered to himself; he wasn't sure if it affected his image, but surely she recognized his intelligence.Wenham hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He'd have to ask his son, whom he had to bribe with prepaid phone credit. "Trevor, how can I reply without upsetting Stella but still expressing my frustration with Keegan?"Trevor suggested, "Tell her that his mom sent medicine, and he sent wine.
Stella didn't see Wenham's reply until she got home, and it brought a mix of laughter and tears.With that response, Stella felt relieved. It meant her dad, though upset, was open to reconciliation.Regarding the customization, she figured it was all about pleasing the father-in-law; Keegan would make it happen.After replying to Wenham, she turned to Keegan lying on the bed.With Aldor and the others' help, his suit was off. His tie hung loosely around his chest, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a flush.His glasses still perched on his nose, his sharp features softened.Stella leaned over and whispered, "Keegan, honey..."Keegan, a bit annoyed, buried his head deeper into the pillow. His Adam's apple protruded, inadvertently enticing.Stella reached for his glasses, gently stroking his forehead. "Honey, get up, shower, then sleep. I can't move you."Keegan groggily opened his eyes, gazing at the blurry figure. Suddenly, he hugged her, planting a ki
Keegan settled into silence, gently reaching out to touch his face, her palm moist with tears.That evening, after the successful conclusion of the press conference, they huddled together, crying for a long while.Aurora Kane crouched outside the master bedroom, ultimately lacking the courage to knock on the door.Her phone buzzed incessantly, Dahlia's messages flooding in one after the other, "Aurora, have you spoken to your brother?""I was deceived by your uncle. Family ties run deep. Of course, I can tell the difference. I can't bear to see your grandfather's legacy being tarnished like this."I never intended to cut ties with Keegan. He's my son. How could I abandon him? Stella tricked me into writing that severance letter. I knew it held no legal weight when I signed it. Who knew she'd pull a stunt like this!"Aurora, ignore the online chatter. Keegan is my flesh and blood. How could I not care for him? It's just that he's been under your grandmother's influence for too lon