Sean Quinn's schedule was something ordinary people could never get their hands on. He was always flanked by two bodyguards and an assistant, and he was constantly flying all over the world. When he was in the country, he was more punctual about his workday than anyone. His nights were spent attending high-society gatherings for business elites, charity galas, or an endless stream of commercial banquets he couldn't refuse.
In his rare moments of leisure, however, he had a peculiar hobby: he would retreat to a place called Orchid Vale Academy to read and tend to his orchids. There, in a private orchid room, he would bask in the golden sunlight, savor the fragrance of the flowers, sip his tea, and immerse himself in the scent of ink, finding a brief moment of tranquility.
The Orchid Vale Academy was located on Spring Breeze Road, a quiet oasis in the bustling city. Its unique scenery attracted many people of refined taste who came to while away the hours.
Stella Lockwood only knew about Orchid Vale Academy because, in her past life, she had hosted an event there to encourage young people to read after she became famous. She had run into Sean Quinn there, only to be torn apart by him. "You're an uncultured fraud," he'd said. "What can you possibly achieve besides flaunting your looks for the camera? If you want to pass as a woman of culture, you should just start over from scratch…"
At the time, she had just played a rather seductive character. Her acting had been praised, but the role itself was so flagrantly promiscuous that she was seen as nothing more than eye candy. It was also the show where she had her first on-screen kiss, with Don Joyce playing the male lead. The two of them had shared a genuine, open-mouthed kiss—so real you could see the strands of saliva between them, blurring the line between acting and reality…
And Sean Quinn was, through and through, a venom-tongued man. He could spit out a phrase out of the blue that would stab you, choke you, and mock you to death.
...
"I'm not Sean Quinn's assistant, let alone a senior executive at the Quinn Group. Do you think I'm some kind of Immortal, able to get the schedule of a mysterious tycoon like him? Look, I've said what I needed to say. Whether I'm speaking as your agent or as your third sister, I'm telling you: don't dream of finding a shortcut to the top. What we need to do now is take things one steady step at a time…"
After that coolly sarcastic piece of advice, Third Sister hung up.
But that wasn't enough to change Stella Lockwood's mind.
'Third Sister was right, she couldn't get Sean Quinn's schedule. After all, she was in the entertainment industry. She had connections to get celebrity gossip, but Sean Quinn was a tycoon in the financial world. People like them could never reach someone like that—they didn't have the status or the connections. Just getting a meeting was next to impossible.'
However, Stella Lockwood had lived this life once before. With the experience from her past life, she knew a little something about Sean Quinn. More importantly, she had his phone number—his private number.
'Of course, there was no telling if the number would even work. He supposedly had several phones, and she had no idea if the number he'd given her in her past life was one he actually used.'
Stella Lockwood made up her mind. She found her phone and, from memory, dialed the number she had committed to heart but had never once called.
The line began to ring. BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…
After about ten seconds, the call connected. A man's voice, cool yet commanding and as clear as the notes of an electric piano, came through. "Hello, who is this?"
Stella Lockwood had always despised this man. It was probably because of the way he looked at her—his gaze was aggressive, intensely hostile. There was even one time, when he was drunk, that he'd tried to make a move on her.
So, yes, her impression of him was truly terrible.
'Just a pervert hiding behind a mask of arrogant detachment.'
And yet, hearing his voice now, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat or two, and her throat tightened. Still, she moistened her lips and replied with a smile in her voice, "Hello, is this Mr. Quinn? My name is Stella Lockwood!"
The other end went silent. She worried he was about to hang up. After all, she wasn't famous enough now to even register on his radar. A man with his temperament would surely just hang up.
"Mr. Quinn, please don't hang up! It's like this—will you be going to Orchid Vale Academy today? I was wondering if you could spare a moment to meet with me. I have a project I'd like to discuss with you..."
She rushed to get her point across.
The line remained silent.
Stella Lockwood started to feel anxious.
"Three fifteen this afternoon. I'll be at Orchid Vale Academy to pick out some books. I'm in a meeting right now. Goodbye."
"Ah, oh... Yes, of course. I'll be sure to be there on time to wait for you."
After hanging up, Stella Lockwood blinked a few times, rubbed her face, and then slapped her cheeks. 'Am I dreaming? That detestable jerk was actually... agreeable? He didn't ask a single question and just agreed to meet?'
It was too easy.
So easy it made her question reality.
'In her memory, this man was no pushover. He was a notoriously brilliant negotiator in the business world, someone whose words could turn The Cosmos upside down. Did a bodhisattva possess him today, filling him with mercy and compassion?'
'Whatever,' she thought. 'I'll just meet him first and see. No matter what his ulterior motives are, I'll handle whatever he throws at me.'
*
At three o'clock that afternoon, Stella Lockwood appeared near Orchid Vale Academy in full disguise—black cap, black sunglasses, and a black face mask.
Orchid Vale Academy wasn't a place one could just wander into. It was less a bookstore and more a private club, exclusively serving fellow book lovers, orchid enthusiasts, and tea connoisseurs who gathered there to bond over their shared passions. The prices were steep, far beyond what a typical student could afford. It was more like a relaxed, exclusive retreat for the upper-middle class seeking a quiet escape.
Stella Lockwood wasn't a member. To get in, she'd need to register with her ID, but her Third Sister had it. The main reason was that in her past life, a Stella of this age had been incredibly naive, like a high school student, and had once been tricked into signing a bad contract. It was only because Third Sister had discovered it in time that she'd avoided a disaster.
Unable to get a membership, she could only wait by the entrance, pulling her cap down low.
At three-fifteen, on the beautiful path outside the academy, Sean Quinn appeared. Accompanied by his assistant, he was strolling toward her, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a phone to his ear.
He wore a black dress shirt and black trousers, no tie. His hair was neat and impeccably styled, his features cool and distant. He carried an imposing aura, and his stride was relaxed yet confident. With a face like that, he could have been a wildly successful star if he'd entered show business—the handsome, tough-guy type. A single glance from him was enough to intimidate anyone nearby.
'Yes, his looks were undeniably impressive,' she thought. 'But as for his character...' She could only scoff.
But now, she had to deal with this wolf of a man. The next moment, she rushed out, spreading her arms to block his path. She gave a polite bow and plastered on a smile. "Um, hello, Mr. Quinn. I'm Stella Lockwood. We arranged to meet here... I have a project I'd like to discuss with you. This is the PowerPoint for it..."
She immediately turned on her tablet, opened the project's PowerPoint, and held it out to him.
Sean Quinn raised one of his sharp, well-groomed brows. A voice came from the phone: "Hey, do I hear Stella Lockwood's voice? Are you meeting with that young lady? Hey, don't scowl in front of her..."
"Nosy..."
Sean Quinn hung up. Then, he reached out and, with an imperious tug, ripped the mask from Stella Lockwood's face. In a voice dripping with ice, he spat, "You don't wear a mask when you go to nightclubs with that Zhong fellow, so why wear one to Orchid Vale Academy? If you're that afraid of starting rumors with me, then you shouldn't have come!"