Stella Sterling, born into wealth, had always followed the rules. Jaded by the hypocrisy of high society, she suddenly had a whim one day to have an ordinary romance.

Thus, a fabricated rumor that Stella Sterling had spent a fortune to hire a Matchmaker from a dating site to find her a partner quickly spread through her circles.

Those on good terms with her teased and watched the fun.
Those on bad terms with her waited to see her become a joke.

Later, an employee from the dating website revealed, "The company was acquired with an investment from a Vicenzan tycoon, and the profile of a certain female member with the surname Sterling was hidden overnight."

The public speculated wildly about the identities of the Vicenzan tycoon and the female member with the surname Sterling.

-

Later on, a candid street photo that was accidentally captured went viral.

In the dense night of The Spire on Vesper Island—
Beside a Benz, a handsome, composed, and dignified man lifted a striking beauty in a red dress with one arm, pressing her against the car door and lowering his head for a deep kiss.

In the faint light and shadow, the woman's flowing hair was swept by the wind, wrapping around the man's finger, which wore a pinky ring.
Like a footnote to a romance, and even more like a vintage film frame etched into the axis of time.

Someone immediately dug up the man's identity based on clues from the photo.
The eldest son of Vicenza's Rhodes Family—low-profile and inscrutable, cold and untamable, and also the powerful contemporary authority of The Vesper Circle.

And the alluring, glamorous belle by his side was none other than Stella Sterling.

When the street photo spread to the mainland, everyone excitedly exclaimed: "The case is solved, the case is solved—"

The matter of Stella Sterling's further studies had yet to be settled.


Over the weekend, however, a wave of public outcry against foreign capital erupted online.


It was all sparked by an exposé from a certain social media blogger.


the discussion thread under the post had surpassed five thousand comments.


Someone had even guessed the name of the old-school dating site: True Match.


Among them, the most-liked comment was a reply from someone claiming to be an employee of the site.


[DragonSlayerJungle: As a ten-year employee, I just want to say, the foreign capital is coming in aggressively, trying to disrupt everything with a hostile takeover. Everyone at the company is in a panic, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. I'm forty, with parents to support and kids to feed. If I lose my job...]


[123: I feel for you, OP. Hang in there.]


Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: To Forge Iron, One Must Be Strong