NovelApexMarvin cheered enthusiastically. "Yes! Let's celebrate Stella taking first place!"
Stella hadn't seen Marvin in quite a while. Smiling at him, she said, "The next round isn't for another three days.
I'm free until then-why don't you cstay withfor a few days?"
Marvin's eyes lit up instantly, and he almost blurted out his agreement on the spot. But then something seemed
to occur to him, and he hesitated.
"You have to prepare for the concert and the competition," he said, uncertainty flickering across his face. "Are
you sure | won't interrupt your practice if | stay with you?"
Stella shook her head, still smiling. "Not at all."
Abby chimed in from the side, "A little break is good for you-work and rest in balance, right?"
Antoney nodded in agreement. "You've been working nonstop lately, Star. You definitely deserve a couple days
off."
That was exactly what Stella had in mind. She wanted to make the most of her free twhile she still had it-and
show Marvin a little fun before things got even busier.
She leaned down to Marvin, her voice gentle. "How about it, Marvin? Tomorrow, Aunt Stella will take you to the
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtamusement park. Sound good?"
Marvin's eyes practically sparkled. "Yes, please!"
The group headed together to the dining room, settling in for dinner. After they'd taken their seats, Abby glanced
around and suddenly asked, "Star, where's Joshua today? Why didn't he come?"
Stella replied, "He had something he needed to take care of, so he askedfor the day off."
Abby checked the time, frowning slightly. "It's pretty late. He must be finished by now, right? I'll give him a call."
She pulled out her phone and dialed Joshua. The call was brief; Abby hung up with a smile. “He just finished and
said he'll be here soon."
Neville, seated to Stella's right, spoke up unexpectedly. "Star, has he still not remembered anything?"
Stella shook her head. "Abby and | have taken him to the hospital several times. The results are always the
same."
Neville gazed at Stella, his expression serious. “If he never recovers his memory... are you planning to let him
stay here forever?"
The question caught Stella off guard. "I haven't really thought about that," she admitted.
She'd always assumed that Joshua would remember eventually-it was just a matter of time.
"My people have been investigating his identity," Neville continued, his eyes dark with concern. "But we haven't
found a single lead. Star, | don't think he's just an ordinary person."
Even if Joshua wasn't from around here, after all this time, Neville should have cup with something. The fact
that he hadn't was more than strange-it was downright unsettling.
Stella's expression grew thoughtful.
Her own past had been erased so completely that even Haynes and
Neville couldn't uncover it. Comet
Joshua have gone through something similar? If so, whoever was behind him might be just as powerful as the
Williams family.
Abby suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Star, did you sort out your academic records?
What did the Williams family samet
about fixing your identity? I'm a little worried that, once the competition gets serious, Rachel will stoop to
anything. She might evemattack your credentials."
At the mention of this, an uncharacteristic shadow passed across Stella's face. "I talked to my father about it,"
she said quietly.
She'd had a private conversation with Skyler Williams the last tshe'd visited the Williams family with Haynes.
Stella's expression darkened. "They're using my academic record to threaten me. They wantto go back to
the Williams family-otherwise, they won't helpclear up my identity."
Abby stared at her, shocked. "Are they serious? They're really threatening you with that?"
She shook her head in disbelief.
"What kind of family does that? When you were living with them, they treated you terribly and
eventually kicked you out. Now that you've left, why do they suddenly want you back so badly?"
As Abby's words hung in the air, Antoney's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. After a moment's hesitation,
he spoke up. "Star..."
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