Once again, that annoying exclamation mark popped up-it was clear she still had him blocked.

Charles frowned, more annoyed than surprised. He switched to another private account and shot Stella a message.

"I agree to your terms."

He stared at the screen like it owed him money.

And sure enough, the same exclamation mark showed up again.

"This woman's insane," he muttered under his breath, gripping the phone tighter before flinging it onto the chair nearby in frustration.

Not giving in, he picked up the phone again and called his assistant.

"Use your phone and send Stella a message-just say, 'I agree to your terms.' Word for word. Don't change a thing."

At that moment, Stella got the text from an unfamiliar number. She skimmed the message once and instantly knew it was from Charles, probably relayed through his assistant.

Got it. No need to reply.

She tossed her phone aside like it meant nothing and didn't spare it another glance.

Charles, on the other hand, waited for her to respond-kept scoping his phone all night. But nothing. Not a single word. He was so annoyed, he didn't sleep at all.

After that, in front of Old Mrs. Hart, he and Stella put on quite the show-always hand in hand, all lovey-dovey.

Old Mrs. Hart, seeing the two so seemingly in sync, was happy with the sight and eventually stopped meddling in their business.

...

Later, in the Hart Corporation's conference room, the air was thick with tension.

Charles sat there with a stone-cold face, quietly listening to department heads give their updates. His pen moved quickly over the reports, marking notes and circling key points.

When it was the marketing department's turn to present their latest expansion plan, Charles cut in midway.

"The risk analysis here is shallow. And your strategy for dealing with competitors? Too conservative. We need to rethink this approach entirely," he said calmly but firmly.

From the far end of the table, Edward Hart let out a soft scoff.

"Come on, Charles. I think the plan's solid. No need to nitpick every detail. The market shifts all the time-if we go too aggressive, it might backfire on us."

Charles' gaze turned icy. His fingers rhythmically tapped the table.

"Companies grow through forward-thinking decisions, not by clinging to old ways. That's how we get left behind."

But Edward clearly wasn't backing down. He leaned in, tone sharp.

"Charles, I'm just being practical here. If this plan tanks, it's the whole company that pays. Not all of us can afford to blindly follow orders like certain people do."

Charles wasn't exactly known for his patience. His voice carried a cold edge.

"Edward, if you've got a better plan, speak up. But if all you're here to do is throw shade, then shut your damn mouth."

Edward shot up from his seat, palms flat on the table.

"Don't act like this company only belongs to you, Charles. It's the Hart family's legacy. If you can't lead it properly, then maybe it's time someone else took your place."

"That's enough!"

Charles slammed the table and stood up.

"Edward, you've crossed the line and disrupted the meeting. Take a few days off. We're done here."

After the tense meeting, Charles returned to his office, face grim as ever.

He knew Edward had already won over a chunk of the company's people. That internal shift wasn't just a small nuisance-it was dangerous.

If he didn't take action soon, everything they'd built could start to fall apart.Just then, his phone started buzzing-it was a call from Old Mrs. Hart.

Charles let out a slow breath, adjusted his tone, and answered, "Grandma, what's up?"

"Charles, I heard you and Edward had a fallout at the office. You're both part of the Hart family, can't you sit down and resolve things properly? Don't give outsiders a reason to gossip."

Wow, someone tattled real fast, huh.

"Grandma, there's a misunderstanding. He's trying to seize control. I can't let him mess up the company just like that," he said flatly.

Old Mrs. Hart paused for a second.

"I know you've been doing everything you can for the business, Charles. But still, try and find time to talk things through with him. We can't let the Hart family crumble from within."

Charles rubbed his temples, his voice low. "Alright, Grandma. I'll try to talk to him."

Ever since Isabelle was injured by Old Mrs. Hart, she'd been staying at the Rosehill Villa recovering.

After Olivia's fever broke, Charles sent her back to Isabelle.

And since that incident, Charles rarely went over to the villa.

Given that Jason lived just next door, yet she'd rather run all the way to the Hart residence to stir up trouble, there was no way Charles didn't see what she was doing.

But dragging Olivia into her schemes? That crossed the line. He was pissed, obviously.

Isabelle, on the other hand, didn't have the faintest clue. Right now, she was lazily sprawled on the plush couch, her pale fingers absentmindedly caressing her phone screen.

Her health had mostly bounced back after some rest, but her hatred for Stella had only deepened.

Narrowing her eyes, Isabelle bit her lip and dialed Edward's number.

He picked up almost instantly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Well, well, Miss Smith. What made you remember my number today?"

Swallowing her disgust, Isabelle forced a sugary voice. "Edward, I need a favor... Stella's gone too far."

She gave him a full rundown of what had happened.

Edward chuckled coldly. "All those tricks of yours are useless now-even Old Mrs. Hart isn't buying them anymore."

Isabelle gritted her teeth. "Cut the crap. I want you to kidnap Olivia. Make her look half-dead if you have to. Then frame Stella for the whole thing."

"Charles cares about Olivia more than anything. Once he suspects Stella, he'll be done with her. That's your chance to gain more company shares, and for me... well, it gets Stella out of my way."

Edward went quiet for a beat, then laughed under his breath.

"Damn, Isabelle. You really don't hold back, huh? But hey, the idea's kind of fun. Still, I'm not doing this out of goodwill. You know the deal-I need something in return."

No hesitation. Isabelle's eyes gleamed, voice firm.

"Fine, I'm in. As long as it gets Stella out of the picture and brings Charles back to me, I'll do whatever it takes."

They went on to fine-tune the plan, then ended the call.

Isabelle tossed her phone aside, lips curling into a smug little smile.

Just then, Olivia came bouncing into the room, clutching a giant cotton candy, her voice sweet and cheerful.

"Mama! I brought you my favorite cotton candy. I love you so, so much!"

Isabelle reached out and gently stroked Olivia's hair. "Aw, sweetie, Mommy loves you most too."

Yes, Mommy loves you... because you're the key to getting rid of Stella.

Even though she was still playing the role of a loving couple with Charles, Stella went about her life as usual-getting music arrangement gigs from Renee.

But this time, she made up her mind to ask who the client was in advance. After that chaotic mess last time, she wasn't about to walk into another disaster blind.

Of course, after what happened, Renee was probably ready to chew her out. Stella sighed and dialed anyway, nervously tapping her fingers on the table.

As soon as the call connected, Renee's loud voice nearly blew out her eardrum.

"Stella! Finally! I've been waiting for you to call. That last piece you did? The client absolutely loved it! They've been bugging me nonstop to get you again. You've really leveled up, girl!"

Stella blanked for a second. The last piece... the client was happy?

That couldn't be right. She literally shredded the music and was stuck with a five-million debt. Satisfied? In what universe?

"Renee, are you sure? Maybe you've got the wrong person?"

After all, Renee had multiple clients. Mistakes were possible.

But Renee just laughed it off. "No mistake! Don't overthink it. Client's happy, that's all that matters. Keep knocking out great work and the jobs will keep coming."

So... not a joke.

Charles must've pulled some more strings again.

"Renee, can I maybe talk to the client myself?"

"Of course. Hang on a sec."

Stella got the client's contact and quickly made the call.

A man's calm voice answered, "Hello, who's this?"

"It's me, Mr. Bennett. Renee mentioned you liked that last piece? So this new request-is it from him or from you?"

Once Jason recognized her voice, his tone clearly softened.

"Mrs. Hart, it's from me. Actually, my grandmother's birthday is coming up. She has a deep love for music, and I've heard amazing things about your compositions. I was hoping you could write something special for her birthday."

"This has nothing to do with Charles. Just so you know."

Since it had no connection to Charles, Stella had no reason to refuse. Besides, she really needed the job to stay afloat.

"Sure, Mr. Bennett, I'd be happy to help."

On the other end, Renee overheard that Stella landed another gig-and this one was a big fish-so her joy basically exploded.

"Stella, nicely done! Word is he's Dr. Jason-yeah, from the family that's been the Harts' doctor for generations. You might even run into Charles there. What a golden opportunity!"

...

Stella couldn't help massaging her temples. If Renee ever found out that the last client-Charles himself-was actually her husband, she'd probably interrogate her for three whole days.

Not many people knew Stella had actually married Charles.

He didn't want anyone to know she was his wife.

"Bet he's just another jerk in a suit," Stella muttered under her breath.

Renee shot her a side-eye, smirking. "Oh come on, Charles? A jerk? He's every girl's dream guy! No way he's a jerk."

Stella kept quiet. The Hart family had power that could crush anything in its way.

If Charles wanted a secret kept, it would stay buried.

All anyone ever saw was what Charles wanted them to see. Who would've thought Charles could be so heartless, not even bothering to help his own daughter?

Hearing someone talk trash about her idol, Renee wasn't having it. She curled her lip, clearly annoyed.

"Stella, let's be real-someone with your sharp tongue? No way Charles would be into you. Sure, you're drop-dead gorgeous, but still."

Gotta admit, Renee had a point. Charles really couldn't care less about her.

Following Jason's instructions, Stella made her way up to the villa on the hill. From a distance, she could see Isabelle decorating the place with fancy ornaments. The whole area was buzzing-it was clear there was some kind of party going on.

She knew exactly what it was. A celebration for Olivia's release from the hospital.

What a coincidence.

Charles was standing at the entrance, chatting politely with a few guests. The second he spotted Stella, his eyes slid right past her like she didn't even exist, and he kept on with his small talk.

Stella didn't bother acknowledging him either. Without slowing down, she headed straight to Jason's place.

As soon as she arrived, Jason welcomed her inside warmly.

"Mrs. Hart, thank you so much for coming. My grandma's been looking forward to hearing a song composed just for her. I seriously think your talent will amaze her."

Stella gave a polite nod. "You're too kind, Mr. Bennett. Since I've accepted the commission, I'll do my best with the piece."

"Could you tell me about your grandmother's likes and some of her past experiences? That'll help me understand the emotional tone and style the piece should have."

"Of course."

The moment Isabelle heard Stella had gone into Jason's house, she knew it was time to move up her plans. Quietly, she pulled out her phone and texted Edward.

"Change of plan. Stella's here. We'll act during Olivia's party."

Message sent, and her eyes stayed glued to the screen as her fingers instinctively curled into a fist at her side.

Not long after, Edward replied.

"That fast? Well, this is getting more entertaining. I show up to Charles's daughter's party, Grandma sees it-she'll probably praise us for being all brotherly and united. Sure, I'm in."

Once she had his buy-in, Isabelle finally relaxed and practically lit up like she'd already won.

She leaned toward Olivia with a soft smile. "Sweetie, Auntie Stella will be here soon, and she said she wants to play hide-and-seek with you. Why don't you go hide in the backyard, okay?"

Excited, Olivia skipped off happily without a second thought.

Meanwhile, Isabelle headed over to Jason's place and knocked gently on the door.

Jason opened it and gave her a neutral smile. "Miss Smith, something I can help you with?"

Giving him a sweet smile, Isabelle spoke softly, "Mr. Bennett, today's Olivia's big day-we're throwing her a party for getting out of the hospital. I wanted to personally invite you to join the celebration. Come join the fun."

As she spoke, her eyes casually swept past him into the house, where she spotted Stella sitting on the couch with a notebook and pen in hand.

"Sorry, I'm currently discussing business with a client."

Not missing a beat, Isabelle turned on the charm and said with a cheerful tone, "Well, look who it is-Stella! What perfect timing. Come join us! It's not often we all gather like this. And thanks again for all your help at the hospital with Olivia. She's been talking about you non-stop. She'll be thrilled to see you."

Given Jason's close relationship with Charles, he'd likely go anyway.

Stella had another gig lined up for tomorrow, so waiting around wasn't really a problem. And skipping it altogether? That'd just be rude to Jason.

Just one party-what could really go wrong?

Besides, Stella was kind of curious to see what Charles had prepared for the daughter he seemed to treasure the most.