Chapter 86
He looked at the young woman in front of him, the admiration in his eyes deepening
“Hmm, I have no doubt in your a
abilities, Miss Rivers. But there’s no need to be so formal–just call me by my name.”
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“Alright, then you can call me Stellar. I’ll be heading off now.”
She waved at him and quickly walked away.
Shane watched her retreating figure, unable to tear his gaze away for a long moment.
A storm of emotions swirled inside him, an unshakable frustration lingering in his chest.
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and called Stephen.
“Hey, got time tonight? Even if you don’t, make some. Considering I just landed you a major deal, the least you can do is come have a drink with me.”
There was a rare hint of dejection in his tone.
Stephen paused, setting his pen down before teasing, “What’s this? Did you just get your heart broken?”
The other end of the line fell into an awkward silence.
A few seconds later, Shane huffed, clearly annoyed.
“Are you coming or not?”
Now, Stephen was genuinely intrigued. “I’m coming.”
Thirty minutes later, inside a private lounge at Dusk
“This is ridiculous. That restaurant must be cursed or something. There’s no other explanation for why my love life just took a nosedive!”
Shane grumbled, downing his beer in one go.
His cheeks were already flushed, and he looked downright miserable, completely different from his usual carefree, confident self.
“Alright, how much longer are you planning to keep me here drinking?”
Stephen leaned back on the sofa, propping his chin up with one hand, his posture relaxed and indifferent.
“Hic-”
Shane, clutching a beer bottle, let out a tipsy hiccup before slurring drunkenly,
“You–you have no idea how incredible she is. Not only is she stunning, but she’s also smart, emotionally intelligent, and
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actually managed to develop the upgraded CM material. Girls like her are practically nonexistent in our industry”
He sighed heavily.
“I’ll be honest… when I’m around her, I actually feel like I’m not good enough.”
It was the first time he had ever experienced something close to self–doubt.
Stephen swirled his wine glass, taking a slow sip, his expression unreadable.
“All this over a woman? Is it really that serious?”
Seeing how detached Stephen was, as if he couldn’t care less about women, Shane felt both frustrated and resentful.
“Oh, easy for you to say! I’m telling you, karma’s a thing. Just wait–when you finally meet the one who turns your world upside
down, you might just go crazier than I am!”
After all, having known Stephen for years, Shane was well aware that he had spent ages searching for a certain girl from his past.
He expected some kind of rebuttal, maybe a scoff or a sarcastic remark.
But to his surprise, Stephen simply lowered his gaze, deep in thought.
After a long pause, he spoke in a low, restrained voice.
“I met someone… she reminds me a lot of that little girl.”
“What?”
Shane’s eyes widened with interest.
“You’ve had no leads for so long–how did you find her?”
This was huge news.
“A junior in the same field. She resembles her a lot.”
But that was all it was- a resemblance.
Without meaning to, an image of Stellar surfaced in his mind.
Shane perked up at his words.
“A junior? Or are we talking about something more… like a sweetheart?”
Stephen’s expression darkened. “You must have a death wish.”
But the way he responded–it almost felt like he was trying too hard to dismiss it
Shane burst into laughter.
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“Looks like it won’t be long before you’re just as lovesick and frustrated as I am. But if that’s the case… what about your family’s arranged marriage?”
