chapter1886

"Ms. Quinn, what brings you here?" Stella asked.

"I happened to be grabbing lunch here," Laurel Quinn said evenly. "I saw you and figured I'd come over and say hello."

Stella smiled, neither believing nor doubting the excuse. "What a coincidence."

"I forwarded some collaboration materials to your email," Laurel said. "Whenever you have some free time, feel free to take a look. If you're interested in partnering up, you can contact me anytime."

Without lingering, Laurel turned on her heel and walked away.

Stella watched her retreating figure, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

She headed back into the private room and finished lunch with the group.

Afterward, Joshua had business to attend to and took his leave.

Stella took Antoney and Lauretta out to show them around the city.

It wasn't their first time meeting, and they already knew a fair bit about each other.

They clicked easily, with no awkwardness or forced small talk.

Maybe because they were already so comfortable, Antoney was completely oblivious to the fact that Stella was trying to play matchmaker.

That afternoon, Stella took them to the aquarium.

The cool, deep blue exhibits surrounded them, with stunning sea life gliding right overhead. It was peaceful, beautiful, and undeniably romantic.

Antoney, being the typical clueless guy, completely missed the romantic vibe. Instead, he couldn't stop talking about Stella's wedding.

"This time, it absolutely cannot be rushed like last time. Every single detail has to be perfect. My father and I already talked it over-we're transferring some Watson Group shares to you as a wedding gift. Oh, have you guys picked a venue yet? Are you doing it here, or are you looking at some romantic private islands? The Watson family has developed a few exclusive ones; I'll send you the photos and brochures so you and Joshua can look them over."

Antoney obsessed over every minor detail, taking the planning far more seriously than the bride herself.

Hearing all this, Lauretta's interest was piqued. She had attended countless high- society weddings and knew exactly how they worked. She eagerly jumped in with her own suggestions.

"This is Star's first real wedding,"

Lauretta insisted. "You have to make up for skipping the ceremony last time It needs to be a massive celebration-three days and three nights, at the bare minimum."

"Exactly," Antoney agreed solemnly. "One day is entirely too rushed. You end up having to cut out too many traditions."

Hearing them plot a three-day extravaganza, Stella felt a headache coming on.

She tried to get a word in, but they completely talked over her.

"On the day of the wedding, the whole city needs fireworks, maybe a synchronized drone show," Lauretta suggested.

"Good idea," Antoney said. "And for the music, we should feature some of Star's most famous pieces."

"Let's bypass a standard planning team," Lauretta added. "Give me a second, I'll start a group chat with all of Star's friends so we can brainstorm."

Lauretta and Antoney had been friends for years, so she already had his number. They chatted excitedly, and feeling like it wasn't enough, started adding all their mutual friends into the new group chat.

The three of them spent the entire afternoon walking around a beautiful aquarium,

doing absolutely nothing but aggressively planning a wedding.

By the end of it, Antoney and Lauretta had completely given up on looking at the exhibits. They simply sat down at the aquarium's cafe to debate floral arrangements and venue layouts.

Stella was left utterly speechless.

It wasn't until dusk fell that Joshua finally called.

"Star, are you finished over there?"

Stella practically jumped at the lifeline. "Yes, all done! I'm heading back right now."