"Stella."Keegan turned to look at her, his throat tightening as he struggled for words. "When did you order it?""Probably when you stayed up half the night, sneaking into the storage room to check on the 'ugly thing'," Stella smirked. "I thought to myself, poor thing, like a little puppy. So, I thought I'd pamper you."Keegan chuckled, but tears welled up in his eyes.He reached out and hugged Stella tightly, remaining silent for a long time, though Stella could feel him trembling slightly.She gently patted his back, lightening the mood. "You don't have to be so touched. I used your money, remember? DC is such an old fox; he asked for an exorbitant price."Keegan was speechless.After the emotional moment, Stella spoke softly, "Back then, when your mom said the thing was broken by me, did you ever doubt me?"In reality, it was Dahlia who first told Keegan about the "ugly thing" being smashed, but according to Dahlia, Stella was the culprit.Keegan didn't pursue the matter t
Stella was completely taken aback. She smiled at Keegan and asked, "How did you even come up with such a method?"Keegan appeared slightly uneasy and took his time before responding, "Wasn't there a trend online about romantic gestures from science students? I thought I'd give it a shot."Vermont chuckled, "Haha, trying out your science-student romance in front of us liberal arts folks? Good thing you didn't use this to confess your love, or else you'd be stuck with me for life!"Felicity remarked, "You're a bit of a slacker academically, so of course, you wouldn't get it. Stella's a top student; this is top-student romance."Stella quickly waved her hands. "No, no, I won't get it either."Afterward, she worried about when Keegan might pull another "romantic gesture of a science student" on her and cautioned him, "I don't like these science student romantic gestures. I prefer the tycoon-style romance."Keegan paused for a moment, still not reacting. Vermont jumped in, "Instead of
Keegan suddenly felt nervous and uncertain.When he first learned Stella was pregnant, he simply thought their family would welcome two children who shared his blood. He felt a responsibility to love them and guide them into adulthood, but the connection felt abstract, lacking the natural bond mothers have from carrying a child for nine months.It wasn't until this moment, feeling the movements under his palm, that he truly sensed these two lives. They were his flesh and blood, intertwined with his beloved's, carrying their hopes, destined to enter the world and grow up in his care, calling him "dad."In an instant, Keegan's heart softened. He leaned closer to Stella's abdomen and whispered softly, "Hey, Daddy's here."As if in response to his touch, the little ones inside her settled down.Keegan looked up at her and asked, "Do you think they heard me?"Stella was about to say, "At this stage, what could they hear?" but seeing Keegan's gleaming eyes, she softened as well and sai
Keegan grew serious, "Isn't it too risky for you to go there?"Stella replied, "Shea is smart. She used Dillon's phone to contact the former dean. I can visit her on behalf of the dean.""I'll come with you then.""It's your birthday. Stay here and enjoy yourself. I'll go alone."Keegan sighed, "I can't relax here without you. Come on, I'll drive."When they reached the hospital, Dillon Brook had already been taken to the emergency room. Shea Cheel was outside with her son, visibly relieved to see them."Shea, how is she?" Stella asked as she approached."She hasn't regained consciousness yet. The doctor said she passed out from the pain. When she collapsed, water was still boiling in the kitchen, and she suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. I didn't know initially. Bo won an award at school today and wanted to show it to Grandpa. When we knocked on her door and got no response, I felt something was wrong. I asked the management to open the door, and we found her unconscious
Stella agreed.Before long, the doors of the operating room swung open, and the patient was wheeled out. Stella and Shea approached."Doctor, how is she?" Shea asked.Glancing at them both, the doctor inquired, "Who is the patient's family?"Shea replied, "I'm her neighbor, and this gentleman is a foreigner. I don't know her family."Stella stated, "I'm representing the welfare home where she made donations."The doctor explained, "The cancer has spread extensively. She has at most three months. Please contact her family as soon as possible. Although surgery is no longer beneficial, she requires regular medication adjustments. Without intervention, her pain will be severe, and her final days will be agonizing. Please reach out to her family promptly."Handing them a form, the doctor added, "Please sign this first."Glancing at the form, Stella suddenly noticed the word "male" under gender. She paused, "Doctor, she's a man?"Giving her a strange look, the doctor cautioned, "Don
When Stella followed Shea into the hospital room, Paul was in the middle of removing a catheter. Shea's face went pale, and she quickly intervened."Mr. Morant, you can't take that out yet; the medication hasn't finished," she cautioned.Paul glanced at her, then noticed Stella standing beside Shea. After a brief hesitation, he swiftly pushed Shea's hand away, eyeing both of them warily. "What are you doing here?" he directed his question at Stella.Shea interjected with surprise, "Mr. Morant, you collapsed at home. The doctor told us to contact your family. Not knowing who to call, I used your phone and dialed a number from the welfare home. This lady here came to help me get you to the hospital. Without her, I wouldn't have known what to do."Some of the suspicion in Paul's eyes faded, though not completely.Stella explained, "The director received the call and was very concerned. He asked me to come and check on the situation.""I'm fine. Tell the director not to worry. Beside
"Miss Stella Jewell, where are your family members?" The nurse asked her again and again, but Stella did not know how to respond. She lowered her head to see her cell phone, but the call was still unconnected.A massive pile-up occurred at the overpass Rivera City Route 3 Loop. A bus tipped over and fell into the river. Tens of injured civilians were sent to the hospital. The family members of the wounded, except Stella, arrived at the hospital in droves.Despite the fear from the horrifying accident remained, what filled her heart now was disappointment. 'If I died in the accident today, would anyone know?'"Miss Jewell?" Stella returned to her senses. The blood stains accentuated her pale face. Her voice was slightly hoarse and flustered, but she did not lose her poise. "Sorry, he might be busy. Can I sign it instead?""I'm sorry, but if we don't have a signature from your family, I would strongly recommend that you stay in the hospital for further observation. The severity of a
Keegan's warm breath tickled Stella's ear, causing her ears to turn red. Her lips, in contrast, had paled due to the pain from a bruise on her abdomen.However, with the lights off, Keegan could not see the bruise. Stella lifted her head and kissed his Adam's apple. Keegan's breathing was ragged, and his gaze became much deeper. He leaned in to nibble her neck. Suddenly, he heard her casually say, "I think my ovulation period is due today."Keegan froze, and the lust in his eyes immediately dispersed. He looked disappointed and sounded a bit angry. "Is this all you're thinking about?"Stella gazed at the ceiling, feeling her ears cool down. "Your mom wants us to have a baby. I can't do it on my own. Otherwise, I might consider artificial insemination. Is that alright?"Keegan mocked her. "Did she push you to do this, or are you just afraid of losing the title of Mrs. Kane, so you want to have a bargaining chip?"Stella's heart tightened, but she didn't show it on her face. She chu