Chapter 54
Claude seemed to anticipate her hesitation.
His warm, reassuring voice came through the phone again.
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“Stellar, you’re living on your own now, and taking taxis all the time isn’t safe. I’d never feel at ease knowing that. Having your
own car will make things much more convenient.
“Besides, you’re the little princess of the Rivers family–you deserve to be spoiled. You don’t need to feel burdened by it.”
A wave of warmth flooded Stellar’s chest, a mix of happiness and bittersweet emotion swelling inside her.
“Thank you, Uncle Claude. I really love the gift.”
In the end, she didn’t refuse his kindness.
Still, it would take some time for the car to be delivered, so the next morning, she set out on foot as usual.
She had barely stepped outside the gates when she unexpectedly crossed paths with a familiar figure.
Stephen.
He had just exited the villa across the street.
His car was already waiting by the entrance, and his assistant stood beside it, holding the door open for him.
So… he lived right across from her?
How had she never noticed before?
The surprise lasted only a second before she pushed the thought aside..
She wasn’t expecting him to acknowledge her, but this time, Stephen spoke first.
“Morning. Heading to campus?”
Stellar responded with a simple nod.
“Good morning, Senior.”
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
She didn’t linger and try to make conversation or even look back.
Stephen’s assistant, standing off to the side, was utterly stunned.
Was this really happening?
In the entire academy, and even within the elite circles, Stephen was practically untouchable, surrounded by admirers who
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clamored for his attention.
Cold and distant as he was, people still fought for a chance to speak to him.
Yet here she was, brushing him off like it was nothing?
Now that was something worth watching.
Stephen’s assistant fought back a grin, amused by the whole exchange.
Meanwhile, Stephen’s expression had darkened as he climbed into the car.
Catching a glimpse of his assistant’s barely restrained laughter, an inexplicable irritation flared in his chest.
“What are you standing around for? Drive.”
Snapping back to reality, the assistant quickly started the car.
“Right away.”
Half an hour later, Stellar arrived at the research institute and met her project team for the first time.
There were four graduate students in total–two men, two women.
One of them, a petite girl with a round, doll–like face, immediately lit up upon seeing her.
“Hi, I’m Lilian Yates! I’ve heard so much about you. You’re Professor Stone’s favorite genius student! Your achievements are incredible, and I can’t believe I get to work on the same project as you!”
Her bright, sincere enthusiasm was obvious, and Stellar found herself instantly warming up to her.
“I’m happy to meet you too, Lilian.”
A slightly chubby, round–faced guy stepped forward next.
“I’m Simon Bates, the team leader. Everyone calls me Simon. Looking forward to working with you!”
“Nice to meet
you, Simon”
Beside him stood a tall, lanky guy with black–rimmed glasses.
Unlike the others, he simply gave a curt introduction
“Nathan Scott”
That was it. No extra words.
But Stellar didn’t mind his reserved nature and simply nodded in acknowledgment.
The last team member was a tall, impeccably dressed woman.
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As she flipped her hair back, a limited–edition designer bracelet on her wrist caught Stellar’s attention. It was a brand she recognized instantly.
“Vivian Reynolds. I’ve been one of the professor’s graduate students for a year now. This will be my third research project, so I have quite a bit of experience.
“You’ve been out of school for a while now, so if you need any guidance, feel free to ask me.
Her words were polite, but the subtle arrogance in her tone was hard to miss.
Stellar wasn’t particularly interested in playing along with that kind of attitude.
So, she simply responded with a brief, “Thanks.”
Vivian’s brows furrowed slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the lack of a more deferential response.
A flicker of disdain crossed her eyes, but she said nothing.
Thankfully, Lilian was a natural mood–lifter, effortlessly keeping the conversation light.
Simon also shifted the topic to their project, and before long, Stellar was fully engaged in the discussion, quickly settling into the
team dynamic.
