Jaylene figured Keegan must still be grappling with what went down at Cotton Rose Restaurant earlier, uncertain how to face her. And after she got hurt by his aunt later, he must be feeling particularly guilty, hence his careful consideration of his replies.Glancing at the message box, Keegan asked, "What did you reply?"With irritation, Stella responded, "Nothing seems to satisfy you. How am I supposed to know what to say? I'm clueless."Before the words could settle, Jaylene's message popped up. "Keegan, about what happened at the restaurant that day, my mom was being pushy. I understand why you replied like that; you had no choice. I don't blame you."Stella and Keegan exchanged looks, both falling silent.The other party had maneuvered themselves successfully; there was no need for further debate.Stella replied, "How's your health? I'm sorry about the Crosby family matter."Jaylene became more certain that Keegan's lack of recent contact was due to this, and quickly replie
Keegan was puzzled, but he got up and handed it to her anyway.Stella took it and whispered, "Turn around, face away from me, and put your hands behind your back."Keegan instantly realized what she had in mind.After giving Stella a deep look, he obediently turned around, clasping his hands behind his back.Excitedly, Stella securely tied Keegan's hands with the belt.After practicing how to tie belts for so long, it finally came in handy today.Once she finished tying, Stella told him to turn back around.Following the same posture as before, Keegan knelt in front of her with his hands behind his back.Having just showered, his hair was still damp, casually swept back with his hand. He slightly bowed his head, with a few strands falling over his face, partially obscuring his expression, revealing only his deeply submissive eyes. Stella felt her heart skip a beat.No wonder everyone enjoys seeing a man in a suit kneeling; it's just too tempting!"Do you like it?" Keegan aske
She cleared her throat, her tone firm. "What's the question? Hurry up and say it; I want to sleep after you're done."Keegan whispered, "You said you like it when you don't want to, but I insist. What if halfway through, you get angry and no longer want to? I can't tell if you really don't want to or if you're pretending, and then if I do something wrong, what do I do?"Stella asked, "Why would I suddenly get angry?" Keegan said. "Look, you're angry right now, even though we were just flirting. You always get angry without warning."Stella was speechless.She rolled over, glaring at Keegan as she began to argue with him. "Are you saying I get angry easily?"Keegan shook his head. "I'm afraid of doing something wrong and mistaking your unwillingness for willingness. What if I really hurt you?"Stella snorted. "If I really didn't want it, I'd bite you!"Keegan seemed to understand. The next second, his hands, which had already been untied, pressed down on her wrists, and he lowe
Keegan had always been considerate in bed, rarely causing her any discomfort. It wasn't exactly disappointment; it was just that sometimes she had some curious thoughts.But with Keegan pressing her at this moment, Stella felt embarrassed. She pulled the blanket over her head and muttered, "Let's just sleep!"Keegan chuckled softly, pulling her into his arms along with the blanket. Teasing her in a low voice, he said, "Let's hold off on sleeping; we need to have a chat about this. How else will I know how to keep you happy in the future?"Drawing closer to her ear, he deliberately called out, "Stella, Stella? Explain it to me clearly."Explain what? Was she out of her mind, teaching him how to please her?Keegan teased her for a while before turning over to lie on his back, slowly beginning to talk to her. "Today, I scrolled through the Facebook posts on my alternate account. I never realized how immature I used to be."Stella snorted, "You've always been a big kid, even your onl
Dahlia was really pushing for marriage, but Cordelia wasn't in a rush. She urged him to take his time, emphasizing that it's a lifetime commitment and he should choose someone he genuinely liked and got along with.As for that…He didn't really feel like he was head over heels for her. Even including the car accident, he'd only seen her four times, and they hadn't even exchanged a word. He just found her easy on the eyes.He didn't want to tie the knot with a stranger.He didn't have time to spare for mingling with strangers; his experiments alone kept him busy enough.She probably wasn't thrilled about marrying that old geezer who could practically be her dad, right?And speaking of the accident, even though it was unintentional, it was her mother who caused Willow Jenning's death. If Marshall were to remember and go off the rails, could she end up getting hurt?He figured it was safer to stick with someone close to him. After all, he was the one who told Marshall that his aunt
Keegan sat up and replied, "Thanks, how have you been lately?"The other person responded, "Pretty good, I'll be landing tomorrow. Do you have time? Let's meet up and grab a meal together."Keegan replied, "Sure."After a while, the other person asked again, "I heard your wife is the runaway heiress of the Saun family, and you and Trevor are now in a brother-in-law relationship. How's that going?"She must be aiming to inquire about Trevor.Keegan responded, "It's alright, he's always been a bit of a mama's boy, never really looked kindly on me. It's been a while since you've seen him, right? Tomorrow, I'll bring him along."The other side said, "Sounds good. If he's not busy, he can bring his girlfriend along too."Keegan pretended not to know that the other person was probing and replied, "He's single, no girlfriend."The other person was somewhat surprised, even their words seemed to convey a hint of exaggeration, "Really?"Keegan said, "Maya, you know him, he's an old play
Stella adjusted her clothes in front of the mirror. "What's her name?""Maya Cadman.""I like her name," Stella paused. "Did you mention before that Trevor wasn't into blind dates because he couldn't forget about her?"Keegan said, "I think so.""Why didn't they end up together then?"Keegan said, "Only Trevor knows the specifics. All I know is, back in high school, Maya's aunt reported her father for corruption, bribery, and affairs. It involved many people, and her father got a lengthy sentence. Her mother couldn't cope, went mad, and the Cadman family fell apart. At that time, Maya hadn't even graduated from college."After our college entrance exams, she went abroad with her mother. Two years later, she got married to a wealthy man. They had a wedding in Hustuabourg, and Trevor flew back from Mystonia just for it. After the wedding, they went abroad, and our contact decreased until her divorce two years ago, and then we started talking more."Stella asked, "Are you trying to
Stella remained silent. Once outside, she conferred with Keegan about giving Maria a raise.Not long after Keegan and Aurora departed, Larry arrived to pick her up. Shortly after leaving the villa area, Stella suddenly spotted a familiar figure swaying by the roadside. As the car drew closer, she realized it was Wren Adkin.She promptly asked Larry to stop the car, rolled down the window, and called out, "Wren!"The person turned around, looking surprised. "Ms. Hall, what brings you here?""I live nearby," Stella replied. "But what about you? What brings you here?"Apart from the villa area, there were hardly any houses nearby, just cars on the road, with few people in sight."My house is close by," Wren said.Stella was surprised. "You live around here?"Wren nervously responded, "Yes, I overslept today and couldn't catch a cab."Stella didn't say anything, she glanced at Wren for a moment before saying, "Get in the car, we'll talk inside."Wren breathed a sigh of relief, th
Keegan moved from initial resistance to reluctantly listening, and eventually to questioning."Why do these novels portray men as so stupid and brainless, yelling at the female lead as if they have intermittent explosive disorder?""Is the male lead sick? Forcing the female lead to donate a kidney, is he out of his mind?""How many years would they get for calling the police in their world?""Why is he so dumb? The supporting actress claims the female lead pushed her into the water and he believes it? Is checking surveillance footage illegal?""Stella, are you making fun of me?""I can't learn this. It all feels so neurotic. What does the female lead see in him?"Stella retorted, "Who cares if it's neurotic? Just mimic that stupidity, that's how these innocent women like men who protect them like that."Keegan was very reluctant, but his brain was more compliant than his body. Without needing to study deliberately, everything he heard stuck in his mind.So when Keegan mentione
Keegan's expression darkened with anger. "You're being completely unreasonable!"Stella crossed her arms, wearing an expression that seemed challenging. "You let her take it. Let's see if I dare."Jaylene hadn't actually wanted those junk items in the first place; she was deliberately trying to stir up discord between them. Now that her goal was achieved, she put on a sympathetic look."Keegan, I don't want it anymore. Don't be angry. Your health is more important. Didn't the doctor say to keep your emotions stable?"Turning her head, she reproached Stella. "Stella, are you here to help Keegan recover his memory or just to provoke him?""Shut up, you brat! Do you even have a say here?"Acting under the guise of a drama, playing the role of someone lacking in manners, was incredibly satisfying.She’d wanted to curse this brat for a long time!Jaylene's lips twitched, but she held back, tearfully saying, "Stella, if you don't like me, I'll leave. There's no need to humiliate me l
Jaylene understood the situation perfectly. Even though she didn't particularly like these cold, mechanical devices, she put on a pretense of surprise, saying, "Really, Keegan?"Keegan nodded. "Choose one you like.""Keegan!" Before Stella could finish her sentence, she couldn't hold back her sharp voice, "With your pile of junk that I can't even touch normally, she takes a look and now you want to give it to her? What's the meaning of this?!"Keegan frowned, apparently not comprehending her current anger at all. "Jaylene gave me a gift, and I'm giving her one in return. What's the problem?""What problem?" Stella's eyes started to redden. "I can't touch them, so why should she be able to? Have you forgotten, or do you have inappropriate feelings for her?"Keegan's expression darkened. "This makes no sense!"Jaylene secretly delighted in this, hypocritically trying to calm things down, "Forget it, Keegan. Since Stella minds so much, I don't want it anymore. You've strained your r
The standoff lasted for over twenty minutes before Keegan grabbed a book and knocked the beetle off Jaylene's neck. The beetle fluttered twice and suddenly flew up, landing on Jaylene's face.Jaylene screamed, rolled her eyes, and fainted.As she collapsed, the bug flew off again."Jaylene?"Keegan called out to her.He looked up at Stella and said, "You go start the car, I'll carry her to the hospital."As he spoke, he signaled to Stella.She understood and coldly grunted, "So troublesome."Walking over to Jaylene, she squatted down beside her and slapped her face twice.Jaylene immediately opened her eyes and reached out to push her away. "What are you doing!"Stella was prepared and had already moved back before she could be pushed.She shook her tingling hand and innocently said, "Jaylene, you fainted because of the bug. I was just saving you. Don't believe me? Ask Keegan."Jaylene nearly ground her teeth. Did she think she hadn't heard? She was intentionally exposing h
Her fingertips trembled with a mix of horror and excitement. Just as the teapot was about to slip from her grasp, Keegan suddenly said, "Jaylene, don't move."Jaylene froze, instinctively thinking Keegan had regained his memory. She had barely twitched when Keegan loudly stopped her again, "Don't move, absolutely don't move."Jaylene wanted to say something, but then felt an itching sensation on her neck, as if something was crawling slowly. Goosebumps erupted all over her body.By now, Stella had turned around and saw Jaylene standing stiffly with the teapot in hand. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation and then she noticed the beetle crawling on Jaylene's neck.It was an unknown species, not overly tentacled but as long as a little finger, its mouthparts slightly twitching, genuinely alarming in appearance.Stella murmured, "It's so big."Jaylene couldn't see what was on her neck, unsure if it would bite or if it was venomous. She stood frozen in place, her voice trembling,
Seeing him, Stella even lowered her eyes and softly praised, "Mr. Kane, you acted very well."Keegan glared at her, his voice low and intense. "If you keep watching like this, Coco will cut ties with me tomorrow."Stella replied confidently, "No, she won't. After accepting the red envelope, she can tolerate you a little longer."Keegan asked sharply, "Did you teach her to ask for red envelopes like this?""Don't falsely accuse me; I didn't teach her.""You may not have taught her directly, but you set an example. Have you forgotten how you always make me buy things for you?"Stella was speechless. Whenever she wanted Keegan to buy her something, she would often say, "Gifts are only surprises when given voluntarily. If reminded, it shows they don’t like me that much."It had to be said, Coco had learned the essence of it.Stella also felt a bit awkward, thinking that in the future, she needed to avoid such flirtatious conversations between spouses in front of the children. They
Could she figure all this out?Keegan frowned, casting a disappointed look at Coco. "Are you not listening to me now?"Coco raised her gaze defiantly and stated, "Aunt Stella taught me that if I don't want something someone gives me, I can say no. I don't want this hairpin.""Didn't she teach you that even if you don't like something, you should still say thank you?"Coco fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly said to Jaylene, "Thank you, Aunt Jaylene, but I don't want it."Jaylene hesitated with her hand extended, unsure whether to retract it or leave it there, managing a strained smile. "Then what do you like? Next time, I will get you something you do like."Coco asked, "Do you want me to do something for you?"Jaylene was taken aback. "What?"Coco replied seriously, "Aunt Stella says offering help without reason is either deceitful or thieving. Since you don't like me, why else would you give me something? You want me to do something for you, right?"Jaylene forced a s
Leighton's incident did indeed revive their suspicions.Jaylene was gullible, but Darcie might see through this scheme. "Keegan, why didn't you go to work today?" Jaylene chose to ask directly at first.Keegan remained composed. "I've been busy with the press conference lately and haven't had much rest. Now that things have slowed down, I thought I'd take a break and relax."Jaylene spoke gently, "You should rest well. Since you came back, you've been busy, and you've been postponing Dr. Stone's follow-up appointments. Keegan, I'm really worried about your health. Since you're resting these days, I'll arrange for Dr. Stone to give you another check-up. Stella has been living here to assist your recovery for so long. We need the doctor to give a clear assessment of whether there's been any improvement. Otherwise, it's not good for Stella's reputation to stay here so long, unmarried and under one roof."Keegan nodded. "Okay, please arrange it. Thank you."His response was decisive,
Stella had just descended the stairs when she heard that remark, causing her eyelids to twitch as she thought to herself, “Damn it! He really knows how to come up with excuses!”Upon hearing this, Jaylene's eyes briefly flashed with disdain, but she ultimately accepted the shoe covers Keegan handed her. As Keegan led Jaylene into the house, her eyes continued to scrutinize every corner.There were a couple of pillows on the sofa, couple mugs on the table, wedding photos of Keegan and Stella on the walls, and even headbands and hair ties scattered on the table. The house exuded an unmistakable feminine touch.Jaylene's expression darkened, but when Keegan turned to ask if she preferred tea or coffee, she adopted a gentle, harmless demeanor. "Tea would be perfect."Keegan invited her to take a seat and called for Maria to prepare tea. Jaylene spoke softly, "Keegan, I heard from Stella that you brew Dragon Well tea better than anyone else. Is there a special technique?"Stella paused