Episode 1 – Stella Allen

Author's POV

Morning arrived slowly.

The clock on the bedside table read 10:00 AM.

A slightly messy white bed occupied the center of the room. An open book rested beside a notebook filled with handwritten notes, while a pen lay carelessly across the pages. Tangled headphones were abandoned next to a phone that had stopped ringing long ago.

The room looked as though someone had spent hours studying... or perhaps overthinking... until sleep had finally won the battle.

Silence lingered peacefully.

Then it shattered.

The bedroom door opened.

Soft footsteps approached before a familiar voice echoed through the room.

"Stella Allen. Wake up right now."

There was no response.

The voice came again, louder this time.

"If you don't wake up now, I'm not saving your breakfast."

Stella's POV

I groaned before I even opened my eyes.

Why do mornings always feel like a personal attack?

Turning deeper into my blanket, I mumbled sleepily,

"Mom... why? I slept really late..."

A disappointed sigh answered me.

"That is exactly your problem."

Slowly, I forced my eyes open.

Rain tapped gently against the window while warm sunlight filtered into my room, creating the perfect atmosphere for another hour of sleep.

Unfortunately...

Reality had other plans.

Then it hit me.

"...Wait."

I shot upright so quickly that the blanket nearly fell off the bed.

"The engagement!"

My heart skipped a beat.

I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, unlocked it, and froze.

Missed calls.

Unread messages.

Every single one of them...

...was from Gray.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before whispering to myself,

"I'm dead."

"There is absolutely no way I'm surviving today's engagement meeting."

Episode 1.2 – A Race Against Time

Author's POV

The peaceful morning lasted only a few more seconds.

The moment Stella remembered the engagement meeting, panic took over.

She jumped out of bed, nearly tripping over the blanket as she rushed across the room. The once-quiet bedroom instantly turned into a battlefield. Clothes were pulled from the wardrobe, drawers opened and shut in seconds, and skincare products disappeared into her hands one after another.

Time had officially become her greatest enemy.

Standing at the doorway with her arms crossed, Lily watched the entire scene without saying a word.

After a moment, she let out a long sigh.

"What will become of this girl..."

She shook her head.

"No one listens until panic arrives."

With that, she quietly headed downstairs, leaving Stella to deal with the consequences of her own oversleeping.

Stella's POV

Okay... don't panic.

I wasn't late.

I was simply...

...running on a different schedule.

Yes.

That sounded much better.

Now I just had to convince everyone else.

I hurried into the bathroom, turning on the shower as quickly as possible.

Warm water filled the room with steam, but my mind was already racing faster than my heartbeat.

Excuses.

I needed excuses.

Should I apologize?

Pretend there was an emergency?

Fake tears?

Would anyone believe that?

...Probably not.

Still, confidence could make almost anything sound believable.

Almost.

Ten minutes later, I rushed back into my room, stopping briefly in front of the dressing table.

There wasn't enough time for anything complicated.

A simple skincare routine.

Light makeup.

Good enough.

I quickly ran my fingers through my hair before grabbing my bag and rushing downstairs.

If I moved any faster...

...maybe I could still save whatever dignity I had left.

Episode 1.3 – The Allen Family

Author's POV

By the time Stella reached the ground floor, the Allen residence was already full of life.

Or, more accurately...

Full of noise.

It was always like this.

No matter how early or late the day began, the Allen family somehow managed to fill the house with laughter, conversations, and harmless arguments.

As Stella stepped into the dining room, every pair of eyes immediately turned toward her.

For a brief second...

Silence.

Then her father smiled.

Liam Allen adjusted the watch on his wrist before looking at his youngest daughter with gentle amusement.

"Finally."

His voice carried no anger—only affection.

"Good morning, my princess."

A smile naturally appeared on Stella's face.

"Good morning, Daddy."

Across the table, Nicole Allen calmly sipped her coffee before speaking.

"She overslept again."

Her expression remained perfectly composed.

"At this point, I should stop being surprised."

It wasn't a question.

It was simply a fact.

A chuckle came from beside her.

Zake Allen leaned back comfortably in his chair, unable to hide the grin on his face.

"Honestly, I think Stella fights alarm clocks as a hobby."

Stella immediately pointed a finger at him.

"Excuse me—"

"You lose every single day," he interrupted without hesitation.

"I didn't even finish talking!"

Nicole nodded in agreement.

"Consistently."

Stella stared at both of them in disbelief before dramatically placing a hand over her chest.

"I need emotional support... not statistics."

A small smile appeared on Lily's face as she placed another plate on the table.

"Eat first."

She paused for a second before adding,

"Then you can suffer emotionally."

The dining room burst into laughter.

Stella let out a defeated sigh before finally taking her seat.

For now...

She was safe.

At least until someone mentioned the engagement meeting.

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Thank you for your time.

Bye.

May everyone's days be filled with peace and happiness.

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