No one was looking at Catherine Campbell anymore.

Everyone-male and female students alike-seemed to be holding their breath, their gazes locked on a different figure entirely.

"Wow, she's breathtaking."

"Is she a student here? She looks quite young."

"Definitely not a freshman-perhaps a sophomore?"

"How can someone be that beautiful?"

The surrounding murmurs didn't faze her in the slightest. She continued forward with an air of casual indifference.

A boy quickly stepped into her path. "Hi, I'm Zack Nelson, a sophomore in the Foreign Language Department. Would you mind if I-"

"I'm a junior. Art Department," Stella Dawson replied with a polite but distant smile.

She didn't feel like elaborating. Her major was highly specialized-only one class offered in the entire university.

"Oh, you're an upperclassman! You look much younger." He gave a sheepish grin. "Could we exchange contact information?"

Stella was about to decline when Lucas Campbell unexpectedly approached.

He looked at her with a calm, assessing gaze, then offered a slight smile. "Hello. I'm in the Finance Department. Let's exchange numbers."

Zack froze, his face a mixture of disappointment and anxiety. Lucas shot him a cool glance that made him retreat immediately.

At City University, the heirs of the three great families were practically royalty. Wealthy, powerful, and each with their own distinct quirks. No one dared cross them.

The message was clear-Lucas had claimed interest in Stella. Even if Zack resented it, he had no choice but to back down.

Catherine's eyes followed her brother, eventually settling on Stella. Her heart clenched, a wave of tension washing over her.

She hurried over, reaching for Lucas's arm.

"Very well," Stella said with a soft nod, her demeanor shifting the moment she noticed Catherine's reaction.

"What's your name?" Lucas asked, eyebrows lifting slightly. "I'm Lucas Campbell."

"Stella Dawson."

"Pleasure." He grinned, putting his phone away after saving her number.

Stella slipped her phone into her pocket, turned, and walked toward the main academic building without another word.

Lucas blinked, caught off guard by her cool dismissal.

Was his status not impressive enough? He was a Campbell, for heaven's sake. He'd never been brushed off like that before.

Evan Sterling, who had been observing less than discreetly from the sidelines, froze the moment he heard her name.

"What did she say her name was?" he asked, voice tinged with shock.

His younger brother grinned, scratching his head. "She said Stella Dawson. Even her name sounds lovely."

Evan's expression shifted instantly. He fumbled for his phone and fired off a message to his brother.

"Bro, we've got a situation!"

"If you have something to say, get to the point," Alexander Sterling replied bluntly.

"I just saw your wife. Lucas Campbell started a conversation with her-and she actually responded."

"You saw Stella Dawson?"

"Yes, and she was all smiles. Pretty sure she's interested in him. What are you going to do about it?"

"How do you know her?" Alexander's response came faster this time. "And what makes you think she's flirting with Lucas?"

His fingers flew across the screen, his anger barely contained.

Damn it. First male models, now more men? How many does she need?

Evan Sterling stared at the rapid-fire texts, his eyes widening in disbelief. A low whistle escaped his lips.

Props to his sister-in-law-he'd never seen his brother this agitated. The man barely spoke this much under any circumstances.

"Of course I recognized her," Evan typed back, still somewhat amused. "She introduced herself to Lucas. I mean, she's stunning and attends City U. It wasn't hard to connect the dots that she's your wife."

Then, seizing the opportunity to provoke, he added: "You probably didn't notice, but both Lindor Mitchell and Liam Sterling couldn't take their eyes off her either."

He was mid-text when he spotted Lindor striding purposefully forward. Evan quickly fell silent and jogged to catch up.

Just after Stella walked away, Catherine Campbell caught up and grabbed Lucas's hand, her expression dark.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped. "Mom said you're supposed to focus on your studies, not pick up random girls!"

A note of unease crept into her tone as she added, "Delete that girl's number. Now."

Lindor had drawn closer by then. As his eyes landed on Catherine's upset face, his expression softened.

Her eyes were slightly red, lips pressed tight in frustration-yes, she was clearly bothered by Stella Dawson.

No one enjoyed being overshadowed.

If he confronted Stella, Catherine would surely be grateful.

That thought alone filled Lindor with smug satisfaction.

Without another word, he spun around and rushed forward, cutting Stella off just before she could get far.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

He thrust an arm out to block her path. Stella glanced up, brows furrowing as she took in Lindor's arrogant posture.

His entire demeanor screamed troublemaker, as if he went out of his way to provoke others.

With a slight roll of her eyes, she moved to step around him-which only infuriated Lindor further.

"Are you deaf or just stupid? I told you to stop!"

As the youngest Mitchell, Lindor was notorious for his hot temper and lack of self-control.

Seeing Stella ignore him, he instantly lifted his foot, aiming a kick at her knee-likely intending to force her to her knees.

But Stella? She calmly sidestepped the attack without so much as a flinch.

Honestly, it happened too fast for anyone to clearly see how she avoided it.

"Ah-!" Lindor Mitchell missed his step and landed flat on the ground, a complete mess.

It felt as if he'd been subtly tripped from the side, his leg smacking hard against the pavement with a dull thud. He practically sprawled at Stella Dawson's feet.

She paused, a flicker of amusement in her eyes, and let out a light laugh.

"I don't believe we've met. What's with the dramatic gesture?" Stella smiled innocently. "You're really making me uncomfortable, you know."

Shrugging, she bent slightly and patted his back in an exaggeratedly polite manner. "If you plan to kneel before me next time, perhaps give me some warning? Dropping like that is rather unsettling."

Her fingers, cool and casual, brushed lightly across his still-handsome face.

By the time Lindor had gathered his wits, she was already long gone.

His lackeys finally scrambled over, panicking as they hauled him up from the ground.

"Careful! Damn it-my leg!"

"I SAID be gentle! Are you freaking deaf?!"

He roared in pain, face contorted with a mix of fury and humiliation as he clutched his leg as if it were shattered.

One moment he was all arrogance, the next he looked utterly pathetic.

"Tch. Pathetic." Catherine Campbell scoffed, then yanked Lucas Campbell in the opposite direction without a backward glance.

"Wait, Cathy, listen-" Lindor panicked.

He seemed to forget his injury, hopping awkwardly after her with a miserable, pleading look.

Liam Sterling quickly closed the distance to Catherine, his grin a blend of excitement and obsession. "Cathy, let's go together."

Evan Sterling rolled his eyes at the spectacle, frowning in utter disappointment.

Was his younger brother always this much of an embarrassment?

What was so special about Catherine? Why were all these men chasing after her like whipped dogs?

"What happened over there?"

Emily Dawson rushed to the entrance, only to see the crowd beginning to disperse.

"Not sure, but Young Master Mitchell just took a nasty fall," someone answered dismissively.

"Lindor Mitchell?" Emily's eyes lit up.

What a perfect opportunity.

She quickly adjusted her outfit and strutted forward, her voice dripping with sweetness.

If Alexander Sterling wasn't an option for now, perhaps another wealthy heir would do.

Lindor, limping and sulking while leaning on a lackey, looked up and noticed Emily approaching. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but her soft, seemingly innocent aura had its appeal. And the way she looked at him with open admiration? Well, that certainly stroked his ego.

"Hello, Mr. Mitchell, I'm Emily Dawson." Emily smiled shyly. "Would you mind if we exchanged contacts?"

He might still be hung up on Catherine, but there was no harm in keeping other options open.

"Sure, why not? I'll give you a chance." He flashed a smug grin. "Emily, was it?"

Meanwhile, far removed from the chaos, Stella sat in a quiet corner of the campus, calmly pulling out her phone.

She had no idea about the budding connection between Lindor and Emily-and frankly, she couldn't care less.

Unhurried, she dialed Kevin Porter's number.

"Look into which hospital Catherine Campbell was born at, and her exact date of birth."

"Stella, are you thinking she might be..."

"Keep it quiet for now."

"Alright, I'll dig into it. Oh, and by the way, Aidan Campbell was ranked the wealthiest man the year before last, but he got knocked down to second place-dethroned by Alexander Sterling!"

Kevin sounded excited over the phone. "Stella, if this turns out the way we suspect, you might end up being the heiress sister! I mean, if not his daughter, being his sister is still an incredible twist!"

"Just go and verify it," she replied with a soft sigh, cutting off his enthusiasm.

Ending the call, she aimlessly climbed the steps of the academic building.

After her class, she headed straight back to the dormitory.

Stella Dawson majored in sculpture. At City University, the arts department was relatively small, and very few students were enrolled in this specialization.

Their sculpture class had only one cohort, so all the students were familiar with each other.

Last semester, Stella had skipped classes for two whole months.

Given the small number of students, her absence was noticeable to everyone.

Thus, her sudden return to the dormitory somewhat stunned the other girls.

"No way, Stella, you're actually back?"

"Stella, perfect timing-take a look at my design sketch for today. What do you think?"

The girls gathered around her happily, chatting away.

.

Alexander Sterling had been staring at his phone for a considerable time, his annoyance palpable.

His brother had sent him a message, and it had been left unanswered. Now it only fueled his suspicion.

"Stella Dawson." he muttered, his brow furrowing. "Didn't she only complete primary school?"

Jack Holden looked stunned. He cautiously clarified, "At the very least, compulsory education covers middle school."

"Then how is she a student at City University?"

"She's been seen with male models and even conversing with Lucas Campbell?"

It was as if he were talking to himself, yet he kept locking eyes with Jack, seeking confirmation.

Jack finally dared to voice his frustration: "Sir, she's your wife, not mine."

Seriously, how would I know the details of her personal life?

He didn't know Stella well and had no insight into her current activities.

Even if she were unfaithful, it wasn't his place to comment.

Alexander's face turned cold. He stared Jack down, who immediately recoiled.

"Sorry, sir. I misspoke-I meant your ex-wife," Jack quickly corrected, keeping his head lowered.

Alexander's eyes narrowed. "Did you finalize and deliver the divorce certificate to her?"

"No, sir."

"Then she is not my ex-wife!" His voice was sharp and biting. "We are still legally married. What gives her the right to act so freely behind my back?"

"She led me to believe she had only a basic education. Claimed she could barely read."

"She might as well have told me she was a street performer."

Jack looked horrified as he risked a glance at the furious Alexander.

The boss was truly enraged this time-he'd even likened Miss Dawson to a street performer. He was completely unraveling.

Just as Alexander was about to unleash more anger, his phone rang-it was Mr. Sterling.

He really didn't feel like answering, but ignoring his grandfather was not an option.

"Yes, Grandpa? Is something the matter?" Alexander took a deep breath, striving for a calm tone. "I'm preparing for a meeting shortly."

Mr. Sterling snorted. "Always the 'meeting' excuse, isn't it?"

"Why don't you just say you're off giving birth?"

Alexander awkwardly rubbed his jaw, his anger cooling slightly as he attempted diplomacy. "What is it, Grandpa?"

"I can't reach Stella. What is that girl up to?"

"She's likely preoccupied with her studies lately."

"Busy? Her number is out of service!"

"What?" Alexander blinked, clearly taken aback.

"Be honest with me-did you two have a disagreement? Did you do something to upset her?"

That was a perilous question. Mr. Sterling was certain to reprimand him if he answered incorrectly.

"No, I did not," Alexander Sterling replied firmly without hesitation.

He paused briefly, then added, "Her previous phone was malfunctioning, so I arranged a new one for her and neglected to inform you."

"I will send you the new number shortly."

As he ended the call, he turned his icy gaze back to Jack. "Why was I not informed that she changed her number?"

Jack was momentarily stunned, then quickly dialed Stella Dawson's current number.

The automated "number not in service" tone sounded, and he gasped. "Mr. Sterling, her number really has been changed!"

Alexander maintained his frosty glare.

"I-I genuinely wasn't aware she had changed it," Jack stammered in his defense.

"Find her new number immediately. Don't tell me you didn't connect with her on social media either?"

"...No."

"So you have no means of contacting her whatsoever?"

Jack nodded, visibly guilty.

"And what, precisely, is your function here?"

How was I supposed to know the boss would suddenly take such an interest in Miss Dawson's contact details?

Jack muttered under his breath and, unable to restrain himself, said aloud, "She's not my wife..."

If Stella were his wife, he certainly wouldn't be this oblivious.

His boss was completely losing his composure-first assuming Stella had minimal education, now expecting him to know her every move?

As his internal grievances mounted, a dangerous aura suddenly permeated the room. Jack snapped back to attention.

Alexander glared at him as if contemplating murder. "Consider your bonus for the next six months forfeit."

"I was wrong! Mr. Sterling, please! I'll find her number immediately!"

Jack could only watch helplessly as his boss turned and walked away.

Still, even with the heavy penalty, he had to admit-speaking his mind had felt liberating.

...

Evan Sterling was slouched at his desk, bored, propping his head up with one hand when his phone buzzed.

It was finally a message from Alexander: "Keep a close watch on Stella. I will not tolerate any indiscretions. I refuse to be humiliated."

"If she so much as looks at another man, ensure she is... restrained."

"If you are incapable of this, do not bother returning to the Sterling family."

The class was tedious enough to induce sleep, but reading his brother's severe texts, Evan's eyes widened in disbelief.

He reread the messages several times.

What is wrong with my brother? Nearing thirty and having a pre-midlife crisis?

"Bro, how did you ever manage to get married?" Evan replied, barely suppressing a laugh.

A man with his brother's abysmal social skills ought to have remained perpetually single.

When he received no response, Evan sent another message, smirking: "Oh, that's right. It was an arranged marriage."

Otherwise, there was no conceivable way his brother would have wed.

Alexander saw the irritating message and nearly stormed into City University to throttle Evan on the spot.

But he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and casually inquired, "How do you know she's at City University? I was under the impression she only had a primary school education."

The moment he sent it, he regretted it.

Sure enough, Evan replied with a slow, sarcastic sticker that read: "Bro, are you suffering from cognitive decline?"

He'd been waiting for the perfect moment to use that sticker, and now was it.

Then followed a stream of unsolicited advice: "Listen to me, bro. When it comes to matters of the heart... perhaps delegate that to someone more capable, alright?"

Alexander didn't bother reading it fully. He blocked Evan immediately, seething.

Evan saw the failed delivery notification, frowning as he rubbed his chin.

Seriously? He blocked me over that?

He'd never seen Alexander this unsettled before.

Stella must truly be a force to be reckoned with.

Stella Dawson had back-to-back classes all day and finally decided to settle into campus life.

She'd be stuck at the university for the entire semester anyway, and staying in the dorm would save commute time and make it easier to focus on her work.

Shuttling back and forth daily? Far too inconvenient.

After her midday lecture, her roommate Olivia Hayes dragged her out to shop for dorm essentials.

As for the other two roommates-Samantha Tate, the arrogant heiress of the Tate family, made no effort to conceal her disdain for Stella. In her view, Stella was nothing but a social climber.

The whole fake-heiress scandal involving the Dawsons might not be public knowledge, but within elite circles, that tea had been thoroughly spilled ages ago.

Samantha looked down on her completely.

Then there was Megan Lindley-she came from an average background. She used to be fairly friendly with Stella, but now? She acted as if seeing Stella was like encountering the plague. Cold stares and all.

So Stella only went shopping with Olivia.

"Did Megan Lindley wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? Her attitude has been absolutely foul lately."

She casually scanned the shelf for shower gel, throwing shade without even looking up.

Olivia gave a knowing smile. "Oh, Stella, I guess you haven't heard-she's got a massive crush on Lindor Mitchell."

Stella paused mid-reach, then let out a short laugh. "Oh, that guy."

A total fool-made a complete spectacle of himself right in front of the university that morning, thanks to her.

No wonder Megan acted like she'd swallowed a prickly pear every time they crossed paths.

"Talk about questionable taste. Ditching a friend over a walking embarrassment," Stella scoffed.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. An unknown number. She answered casually. "Hello? Who is this?"

While on the call, she muttered to Olivia, "The packaging on these shower gels is seriously unattractive."

A sneering voice came from the other end.

"Judging shower gel by its bottle? You really have too much time on your hands."

She was the type to dismiss a product based on its packaging. Not that he particularly cared.

But she had called him old and unattractive-he'd been waiting for an opportunity like this to retaliate.

This woman had no taste-her entire judgment system needed an overhaul.

Recognizing the voice, Stella froze for a second.

Olivia nudged her. "Who is it?"

"No one important. Probably a scammer from one of those overseas call centers," Stella replied coolly. "Claimed my husband is dead. Couldn't even be bothered to do basic research before lying."

"I mean, seriously, I'm a university student. Where would I get a husband, let alone a dead one?"

A quiet, frustrated breath was audible from the other end.

Stella was barely containing her laughter.

"Right? Disgusting. These scam calls are getting more and more absurd," Olivia chimed in, shaking her head sympathetically.

Stella smirked and raised her voice toward the phone, "Hear that? No husband here. Let him die or whatever-it's got nothing to do with me. I don't even have a husband, understand?"

"What are you, pushing sixty and still cold-calling people to scam them? Get a real job!"

With that, she happily ended the call-and promptly blocked the number.

"Some people really have no shame," she clicked her tongue.

Olivia tugged on her arm. "Maybe he's just some unfortunate soul forced into making those scam calls?"

"I'm joking. That was my ex," Stella said with a playful grin. "He cheated, I dumped him, and now he's trying to crawl back."

"Oh-well, in that case, he totally deserved that."

Alexander Sterling sneezed violently.

His face darkened as he looked at his screen-confirmed, he'd been blocked.

"Mr. Sterling? Sir, are you alright-what was that noise?" Jack Holden rushed in, having heard the loud sound from behind the office door.

Before he could finish, he saw Alexander's flushed, furious face, practically steaming.

It didn'take a genius to guess who had managed to provoke him to this extent.

Jack Holden froze for a second, then quickly retreated, pulling the door closed behind him.

"The boss's temper is getting worse by the day..." he muttered under his breath.

That expression seriously looked murderous. What had Stella done this time?

Alexander Sterling stared at the screen, taking a deep breath to suppress the violent urge to hunt her down immediately. He entered her number, searching for her on Facebook. Her account appeared instantly.

Her Facebook ID? "PunchKickAlexanderPig" - it fit her perfectly, in his opinion.

Gritting his teeth against the irritation, he sent a friend request, adding a lame note: "Your classmate."

Meanwhile, Stella stood at the checkout with a large plastic bag, pulling out her phone to pay.

A friend request notification popped up on Facebook. One glance, and her face instantly showed disgust.

The username was outdated, and the profile picture was decidedly middle-aged.

Recalling Alexander's call earlier, it wasn't hard to deduce the sender's identity.

She tapped "Decline" and typed a reply: "Old man, get lost."

Alexander, nearly thirty and deeply offended by the label, tried again. This time, the request was accepted-only for Stella to delete him immediately afterward.

He stared at the screen for a solid ten minutes before attempting to send a message: "Stella, can we talk for a moment-"

The error notification hit him like a physical blow. Message not delivered.

"Damn it!" He snapped, his jaw clenching tightly.

.

Outside the supermarket, Stella had accumulated a small mountain of shopping bags.

"How are we going to get all this back to the dorm?" Olivia Hayes frowned at the pile of daily necessities.

It was far too much for two girls to carry comfortably.

"No problem." Stella grabbed the bulk of the bags without hesitation. "You just take the lighter ones."

Then she strode off toward the dormitory as if it were nothing. Olivia blinked in surprise.

They hadn't just bought toiletries-there were snacks, drinks, and more. Combined, it had to be quite heavy.

And yet Stella carried the majority with apparent ease, not even breaking a sweat.

Holding just two nearly weightless bags, Olivia hurried after her. "Wait for me!"

On the way back, several male students approached them.

"Need a hand, senior?"

"Can I help you carry those?"

"I've got it," Stella replied calmly. "Just please make way."

Ignoring their stunned expressions, she climbed the stairs with steady, quick steps. The elevator was out of service again today, and she lived on the fifth floor.

Olivia stood at the bottom of the staircase, looking up with wide eyes as Stella's slender figure vanished upwards under the heavy load. She glanced at her own legs and sighed, "Man, this is going to be a climb."

At the dorm room door, Stella paused and gave it a light kick with her foot.

Just as the door swung inward, she stepped aside slightly, and-thud-Megan Lindley, who hadn't seen it coming, stumbled out, spilling her water all over herself.

"Stella. what the hell are you doing-" Megan shrieked, flailing with her cup, fumbling for tissues, and slipping on the wet floor.

Thump.

She landed hard on the ground, dazed, clutching her backside as she looked up-directly into Stella's faint, cool smile.

That pretty face showed not a trace of sympathy, only serene composure and a hint of piercing insight.

Megan's face paled, then instantly flushed crimson with humiliation and rage.

The cup shattered loudly, drawing someone else's attention.

"What is going on here?" came Samantha Tate's sharp voice.

Stella lifted her chin slightly, let out a soft, derisive laugh, and walked into the room with her bags. "Excuse me, coming through."

Her voice was light, almost polite, yet carried a distinct edge.

Megan instinctively scrambled out of her way.

Samantha sat on her bed, glaring over with an expensive lipstick in her hand.

As the heiress of the Tate family, Samantha might not be classically beautiful, but the aura she projected was overpowering. Her piercing gaze alone was enough to make most people avoid her.

She sat directly opposite Stella's assigned space, on a bed that looked far too luxurious for a standard dorm room.

Stella tugged the corner of her mouth into a cool smirk, meeting her gaze directly. "Pretty sure that's none of your concern."

Samantha's expression tightened with irritation, but she clearly didn't want to stoop to bickering with someone like Stella-it would be beneath her.

She clenched her jaw and forced a mocking chuckle. Megan, now seemingly emboldened, scrambled fully to her feet and sneered at Stella. "Still putting on airs like you're the Dawson heiress? Know your place."

"A total fraud, pretending to be something you're not."

Stella narrowed her eyes and glanced pointedly at Samantha.

The whole "real vs. fake heiress" situation wasn't public knowledge-only a select few in their social circle were aware. Even when Emily first returned, very few people realized she was the biological Dawson daughter.

At university, Stella had always kept a low profile-except for her flashy arrival in the sports car today.

So, clearly, Samantha had been gossiping about her to Megan.

And she detested people talking behind her back-especially those two, since nothing good ever came from their mouths.

Back when she was still publicly regarded as the Dawson heiress, she might have swallowed her anger. But now? She had no reason to hold back.

"Megan Lindley, and you think you're in any position to comment?" Stella gave her a sweet yet mocking smile.

Megan's face paled for a split second but quickly hardened with renewed venom. "Oh, so the impostor gets offended when confronted with the truth? You stole twenty years of Emily's life. Doesn't that sicken you?"

"You lived in luxury as a Dawson while she grew up in hardship. And you still have the nerve to strut around campus like nothing's wrong?"

"Now that the real heiress is back, it's time you packed your things and disappeared!"

Stella let out a cold laugh. The Dawsons and Emily shared the same sentiment, yet they couldn't force her out no matter how hard they tried.

Not only that-she still held certain. assets from that arrangement.

And the idea of walking away from those hypocrites-and from Alexander Sterling-was gradually starting to feel like true liberation.

She found their petty greed and cruelty utterly repulsive.

"Yeah, you're right." Stella nodded calmly, then flung a plastic bag directly into Megan's face.

Megan, completely caught off guard, fumbled to snatch it away. It didn't hurt physically, but the humiliation was palpable.

"You've lost your mind!" she shouted, gripping the bag as her voice rose sharply. "You complete lunatic-"

Stella leaned her cheek on her hand, watching Megan's meltdown as if enjoying a show, her eyes filled with icy amusement.

Just as the situation threatened to boil over, Samantha discreetly pulled out her phone, aiming the camera at Stella to start recording.

"Whose cup broke? There's glass all over the floor!" Olivia's voice called out from the doorway. "Emily, watch your step, don't cut yourself!"

"Okay," Emily replied, following Olivia into the room.

She was holding a bag containing what looked like Stella's towel and toothbrush.

Everyone turned as Olivia added, "Since everyone's here, this is Emily-she's interning at the design institute. Just came by to visit."

Samantha twisted toward her, narrowing her eyes. "You're from the Dawson family?"

Megan's eyes lit up, and she rushed over to grab Emily's hand, overflowing with excitement. "So you're Emily? Wow, you're so beautiful and elegant-exactly what a true heiress should be. Far more fitting than some counterfeit!"

"What counterfeit?" Olivia asked, looking genuinely confused.

She was completely unaware of the Dawson family drama, and as far as she knew, Stella was the Dawson daughter.

Megan scoffed and shot Stella a triumphant glance. "She's right there-the shameless impostor pretending to be someone she's not."

She looked immensely pleased with herself, as if she'd just revealed a monumental secret.

"Stella? You're here too?" Emily slowly turned her head as if just noticing her, then let out a dramatic gasp as if connecting the dots. With an artificially innocent expression, she reached out to grab Stella's arm.