Arthur knew people well. He'd lived a long time and seen a lot, including what his family was really after.He was nearing ninety, outliving even some of his own kids. Over the years, his grandkids became distant, especially after his kids passed away. He spent years mostly alone, with family rarely visiting. But the moment he got that compensation money, everyone became caring relatives again.He knew they were after his money.He'd lived long enough to stop caring about things like money. He also knew that once he gave it away, no one would bother with him anymore.So, when he still had what everyone wanted, he moved to Rivera, and they all let him because he had the cash. Then, he saw Stella on TV and realized he wanted to see his great-granddaughter again.Stella was different. She cared about his health and well-being, always putting others before herself.Stella held back her tears and spoke softly, "I'll make the Kane family say sorry to you."Arthur shook his head. "That
Anthony tugged at Elaine's sleeve, signaling her to quit talking.Anthony figured they all worked for Albert's business, so it wasn't a good idea to pass the buck over something like this.Albert looked around at the silent group and said, "No one's paying for this but me, alright?"Elaine responded, "Brother, that's not what I mean. We can handle the bills. But Grandpa's old and this fall's not gonna help his health. We need to talk about who's gonna take care of him after he leaves the hospital."She had a point.It was an issue they'd talked about before when Arthur was doing better. But back then, they were more interested in his money than in him. Arthur had been stubborn about not living with any of them, so the topic had been dropped. But Elaine brought it up again because of his accident.Albert wasn't after Arthur's money. He was well-off already. But he did want a piece of land that Arthur owned. Albert thought this situation might be a chance to get closer to Arthur an
Stella felt her heart drop, thinking Keegan was protecting Aurora."Wow, Mr. Kane, how noble of you. What do you think my great-grandpa's going to do? He's too old to lay a hand on her. Let go!"Keegan held his grip, speaking softly, "Stella, think. What's going to happen if you actually slap her?"Stella said nothing."Great-grandpa's still in the hospital," Keegan continued. "Do you think he'd recover peacefully knowing you fought with my family?"Stella stared at him. "He wouldn't be in the hospital if not for Aurora.""That's why I brought her—to apologize and make amends."Stella shook off his grip. "Money isn't the answer, Keegan. I won't forget this," she said, walking away.No longer wanting to confront Aurora, Stella stood quietly to the side.Albert was surprised to see Dahlia and her family. Dahlia asked how Arthur was, then headed into his room without even checking if he was awake.Arthur was awake. His expression changed when he saw Keegan. "Ah, Keegan," he said
Albert paused, a little taken aback. "Alright then."Everyone turned to look at Arthur. He had a calm look on his face as he said, "Give the card back."Dahlia quickly spoke up, "It's just a little help from our side."Lydia chimed in, "Dad, you got hurt because of her daughter. Hospital stays aren't cheap. They're just doing what they should."Arthur looked at Lydia. "The fall isn't why I'm in the hospital. Taking the card would be like blackmail. Give it back."Feeling cornered, Albert returned the card to Dahlia.Dahlia's face tightened a bit. "If you need help some other way, let us know."Arthur waved his hand dismissively. "Her apology is enough. You all can leave now."Albert, worried Dahlia might take offense, whispered to Arthur, "Dad, they just got here."Arthur frowned, unphased. "This room is cramped as it is. I can barely breathe with all these people. You want me to suffocate?"Albert was at a loss for words.Dahlia's face didn't look too happy either. She thoug
Stella paused and spun around. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"Aurora grinned. "I said it seems like your family is more into money than morals. But your aunt's more upfront about it."Her phone rang and she picked up, walking away. "Yeah, where are we meeting tonight? The Dawn again? Alright, see you there."Stella's eyes narrowed as she watched Aurora walk away.Back at the hospital, Keegan had arranged for a caregiver just for Arthur.After hanging around for a bit, Stella said she had to go for some work commitments and left.Keegan sat there, peeling an orange for Arthur.Arthur wasn't really hungry and said quietly, "You should go too. Stella didn't seem too happy today. Why not go spend some time with her?"Thinking of the way Stella had looked at him earlier, Keegan felt uneasy."I'll go after you eat two more slices," he replied softly.Arthur quickly popped two orange slices into his mouth. "Alright, off you go. I need to get some sleep."Keegan gave his number
The car door slammed shut, and the vehicle took off."I have to go, I'll call you back," Trevor quickly said into his phone and hung up. "Xavier, follow that black SUV. But keep some distance; don't let them know we're trailing them."Xavier nodded and hit the gas, keeping the black SUV in sight.The SUV was careful, avoiding main roads and surveillance cameras, eventually slipping into an alley. Xavier parked their car at the other end and waited. A white minivan emerged from the alley, but the black SUV was nowhere in sight."Something's off," Xavier said, puzzled. "That alley is just half a mile long with no other exits. There's no way that SUV is still in there."Trevor grinned, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "She's given us the slip.""You think she was in that minivan?" Xavier asked, perplexed."It's the only explanation," Trevor said. "The alley is too narrow for the SUV to hide, and it didn't come out. They must've switched cars. Clever."Xavier's eyes widened. "Are y
Stella squinted at the bright car light before seeing Trevor's Bentley pull up. "Hi, Mr. Saun," she greeted cautiously.Trevor offered to drive her home, but Stella hesitated. "My husband's working late. Would you mind giving me a ride?"Once in the car, Stella was visibly cold. Trevor told his driver, Xavier, to turn up the heat, and Stella thanked him.Trevor eyed her curiously, making Stella a bit uncomfortable. Offering her water, he asked, "Would you like some?""I'm not thirsty, thank you," she replied, avoiding the bottle."Alright, let's head to Royalpark then," Trevor suggested."Actually, could you take me to the city hospital?" Stella countered.Trevor looked concerned. "Are you not feeling well, Mrs. Kane?""Nope." Stella paused before she continued, "One of my family members is staying there."Trevor stopped asking questions and told Xavier to start driving.When they arrived at the hospital, Stella was about to get out of the car, but Trevor stopped her. "Mrs. K
A cleaner found Aurora by the side of the road. She was knocked out and had blood in her mouth.Someone called the police, who then got her to the hospital. They found her phone and ID and called her friend Dahlia.When Dahlia saw Aurora, she went pale and felt weak in the knees.Aurora's cheeks were really puffy, and she had tiny rocks wrapped in cloth in her mouth. She couldn't open her mouth wide because of the swelling, so she couldn't get the rocks out. That's why she still had them in her mouth when she was found.The doctor cut the cloth with surgical scissors to slowly remove the rocks, and that was when the doctor could finally get a closer look at her mouth.There were scratches everywhere inside her mouth. Even though they were not fatal or damaged the crown, the amount of scratches was terrifying to look at.The mouth was nothing like the skin. It would keep producing saliva, and the wound would take a longer time to recover, compared to other parts of the body. Not o
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