Bella was speechless. 'After everything I told her, she was only thinking about taking back her property?' Bella was bewildered. "Stella, are you dense? I just told you that Keegan doesn't love you, and I have his child now. Don't you think you are a little brazen for occupying the position of Mrs. Kane?"Stella chuckled, "Miss Young, you're a celebrity. Have you ever considered the outcome if I posted the things you said to me online? You know it's wrong, but you still want to be his mistress. And, you even force the original spouse into a divorce. Do you think it's worth it to destroy the image you created all these years? And, maybe a sky-high breach of contract?"Bella was not frightened by her words, as she smugly smiled, "Stella, I've been in the industry for so long. I've experienced all kinds of news before. Remember the last rear-end accident which caused a whole lot of fuss? In the end, the dispute was resolved. Do you have any idea how I was able to get away with it every
"Sir, I brought you a cup of earl grey tea."Keegan took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes really hard, and said tiredly, "Thank you. Just leave it there."Maya set down the tea and left. Keegan took a sip of it and narrowed his brows. It tasted different from the past and was too sour to drink. He stopped drinking and set the tea aside. Just as he wanted to take his book, his phone beside him rang. He glanced and ignored the phone call as it was an unidentified number. After the ringtone was cut off, he only answered the call when it rang once more."Hi, is this Mr. Tard? Could you come and pick up your drunk wife in our bar?""You have the wrong number," Keegan said in a cool manner and hung off. After a moment, the phone call rang again. Keegan's brow scrunched as he answered the call."It's the correct number. She told us this number. Mr. Tard, is your wife currently at home? How would you know it's not your wife?""My surname isn't Tard," Keegan said impatiently and hung up a
The stoic-looking man dressed in a suit pushed his way into the bar, looking out of place compared to the rest of the guests in the tavern. His outfit seemed more likely to appear in high-end places where gentries gather, rather than their bar. But, of course, who would know what the rich were thinking. Maybe they just wanted to have a little taste of the city-style tavern.The bartender put on his classic smile and greeted, "Welcome to..."Stella tapped her glass with dissatisfaction, as she said, "Who are you welcoming? You haven't poured me my glass of wine! Hurry up!"The bartender had no choice but to patiently coax the alcoholic. "Miss, there is no wine anymore. We are closing soon.""Liar! Why don't I have wine when the rest do?"The alcoholic was not easy to fool, and the bartender had an idea when he saw the owner of the Bugatti coming over. "We are really out of wine. This gentleman over here had bought all the wine. Why don't you come back tomorrow?"Stella frowned and
Stella raised Keegan's chin with her finger. Her thumb inched downwards from his lips and brushed across his Adam's apple. She gave him a tipsy smile and moved closer to him. With only Inches from his lips, she spoke in a low voice. "If you're handsome, then I'm single."Her warm, intoxicated breath was laced with an eerie trace of allure.Stella caressed Keegan's chest with her slender fingers. Her half-closed eyes were sultry and enticing. "I'll give you three thousand dollars. Would you be my boyfriend?"Keegan's expression darkened, and his daunting eyes sharpened into an intense gaze.Stella creased her pretty eyebrows and replied, "Three thousand dollars is not bad compared to the current market price.""Current market price?" Keegan sneered. "You seem to know a lot about this."Stella hesitated and finally decided to give in. "Fine! Your good looks deserve a higher price. I will throw in another five hundred dollars for you. That's three thousand and five hundred dollars.
Stella has big, almond-shaped eyes. When she was sober, her clear eyes brightened up whenever she smiled. However, when she was drunk, her eyes were clouded with intoxication, and she looked exceptionally alluring.Keegan gulped as he looked at her. "That depends on where you want to sleep tonight."Stella tilted her head and thought for a while. She then smiled and said, "Let's go to your place."Keegan raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure?"Stella felt too dizzy to focus on Keegan's blurry figure. She frowned, shook her head, and held his face with her hands. "I gave you three thousand and five hundred dollars. If we went to a hotel room, that would cost me too much. Let's go to your house to save up some money. I might have to go through divorce proceedings."Keegan could feel the veins popping out of his head.'Am I supposed to compliment her on her thriftiness?'Keegan looked stern. "My place? Aren't you worried about your husband finding out about this?"Stella shook her hea
Stella was stunned. Her eyes lost their shine, and they gradually reddened. "You're right. He wouldn't take any notice of me..."'When I almost died in the tracking incident, he was with someone else,' Stella thought.Keegan frowned. He had a strange feeling in his heart."What I meant was," he explained. "Who would fall for a stupid plan like that?"Stella did not respond again, as if she did not hear what he had just said. She turned her head away and rested it against the car window.Keegan wanted to say something, but he felt wrong about it.'No point talking to a drunkard. No matter what I say, I would be pissed off by her illogical responses.' Keegan kept quiet too.They reached Royalpark Villa not long after that.Maya heard them from afar and hurried out with an umbrella. When she came out, she saw Keegan carrying someone out of the car.When she approached them closer with the umbrella, she realized that the person being carried was Stella."What happened to Mrs. Kan
Stella froze. Then, she slowly turned her head around.Keegan was lying on his side next to her, and his eyes were half-closed. One side of his face was buried in his pillow, while the other visible side showed a frown. He was displeased to be woken up out of the blue.Looking down, Stella noticed her hands were still resting on Keegan's chest.She abruptly took back her hand. Her whole body went numb, and she was not able to get her thoughts straight. Stella then asked an obvious question."Why are you here?"Keegan did not even bother to open his eyes. "I thought you rented me for the night?" he replied lazily.The memories of her being drunk were suddenly coming back to Stella."How much for a night? Your good looks deserve a higher price... I want to sleep with you," she recalled what she had said.Stella was so embarrassed. 'There's no way I said that!' She thought.She pretended not to hear what Keegan said. She grabbed her clothes and attempted to get up.But, suddenly
It was a bite and not a kiss.Stella protested with all her might, but Keegan pinned her down along with the blanket. Her limbs were trapped inside the blanket like a cocoon. He ravished her lips recklessly.Because of the gendered difference between their strengths, Stella had no chance of resisting him. When she quieted down, Keegan became gentler toward her, and his bites turned into kisses.As his lips reached her pale collarbone, Stella suddenly spoke. "Keegan, are you mad at me because you're jealous?"Keegan stopped to look at her. Stella, who was under him, stared into his eyes and enunciated her question word by word. "Did you fall in love with me?"Keegan loosened his grip and sat up. He gave her an icy glance. "Don't flatter yourself. Stella Jewell, before we officially divorce, you're still a member of the Kane family. Know your place. Don't mess up and expect others to clean up after you."He put on his clothes and left the room. Stella raised her head up and stared
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