Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath [Stella] (Chapters 71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80)

Chapter 71

Ronald dropped Stella off at the Orient Nexus Building.

As she stepped out of the car, he mentioned that the driver would pick her up in the evening and advised her to have a good dinner when she got back.

Stella expressed a desire to dine with Susanna, to which Ronald agreed but insisted the driver take her to the restaurant.

Stella was unwilling, for she intended to have hot wings with Susanna, but Ronald’s attitude suggested she wasn’t allowed to do that.

“Alright then,” Stella responded meekly, clearly disappointed at missing out on the hot wings experience.

Ronald glanced at her, offered a smile, and instructed Idris to drive off.

Stella stood still, cheeks still flushed with emotions.

Returning from lunch, Tabitha noticed Stella’s reddened face at the entrance of the building. She approached, examining closely Stella’s expression.

Startled by her moves, Stella stepped back, “What are you doing?”

“Boss, your face is all red. Are you in love?”

The mention of romance brought back memories of Stella’s engagement to Yorick, a time when everyone at the studio felt sorry for her.

It was well-known that Yorick’s heart belonged to Ursula, leaving many to believe Stella could do better and would be miserable if she married him.

But it turned out, Stella had never planned to marry him to begin with.

“What in love? Stop talking nonsense,” Stella denied.

That was his brother, the one who raised her!

“You’re free now, there’s nothing wrong with dating,” Tabitha pointed out.

Stella remained silent. She knew Tabitha was right, but she just didn’t want to. A hint of sadness flickered in her eyes that Tabitha couldn’t quite decipher.

…

The studio was bustling in the afternoon.

Stella was swamped with work, fielding calls from a couple of major clients.

Just before closing time, she received a series of personal calls, beginning with Yorick.

“Stella, tell me exactly who that man is!”

Stella responded indifferently, “Why do you need to know?”

Yorick was livid. The bruises he got at Silk-River Residences hadn’t recovered and today a broken wrist. His pride wouldn’t allow him to let the assailant off easily.

“Stella!” Yorick roared again.

Stella ended the call with a curt, “Crazy,” and promptly blacklisted the number.

Soon after, Cloudia called.

Stella replied, “Hiding? Is there a need?”

She had never concealed anything, especially not from the Larkin family, feeling no obligation to disclose any details.

Cloudia exploded, “What do you mean by ‘is there a need’? I’m your mother!”

“Having Jaxon and Ursula, these two losers, call your ‘Mom’ should be enough. Don’t drag me in it.”

Stella was implying anyone who called Cloudia “Mom” ended up a loser.

Cloudia was accustomed to Stella’s sharp tongue, but today’s venom was particularly potent, almost driving her to fury.

Especially since their recent conversations hinted at Stella wanting to cut ties, which Cloudia hadn’t understood until now.

Realizing Stella had made money last year explained her newfound boldness.

“Where are you? I’m coming right now.”

Stella retorted, “Better you look after Ursula, that sickly one. I don’t have time for you.”

Busy making money, Stella had no spare moments to waste. She hung up the phone, regretting not using separate phones for work and personal matters to avoid picking up every unknown call for fear of missing her clients’.

Chapter 72

The Larkin family had never been big on calling her, nor had Yorick for that matter. But lately, their calls had been coming in more frequently than all of last year combined.

It was driving her nuts!

…

On the other side, Cloudia handed the phone back to the nurse, her face a portrait of irritation. At this rate, she mused, the entire hospital’s nursing staff would be on her block list.

“Find out where she is now.”

Cloudia could barely contain her fury.

Jaxon replied, “She’s on the 26th floor of the Orient Nexus Building 1.”

He had managed to track that much, at least. His expression was grim as well; the assistant had called him earlier to say that since word got out they weren’t partnering with Stella, companies had been backing out left and right, as if scared of something. And the details? They wouldn’t be willing to share.

And more so, StarRiver Corp., a powerhouse that had moved into Portis City just a couple of years ago, had been particularly brash.

When his assistant reached out to them, they’d been met with a storm of curses, “What’s it to you who we partner with? Mind your own business!”

Their audacity was staggering, hardly what you’d expect from a newcomer to Portis City. They even had the gall to badmouth the Quarry family, showing a level of arrogance that was all too reminiscent of Stella.

Hearing this, Cloudia could no longer sit still.

“So, these companies are refusing to cut ties with her?”

Jaxon’s face darkened further at her question.

Ursula, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up, “How did she even secure those partnerships in the first place?”

Her question sent a ripple through the room, Cloudia, and Jaxon exchanging looks that conveyed their mutual anticipation of an impending storm.

Apparently, with Ursula’s words as a catalyst, Cloudia and Jaxon’s mind ran wild.

Could Stella have a certain relationship with those people in charge?

The thought was understandable. Raised in a modest rural family, what could she have possibly done to earn over seven hundred thousand in a year without paying some sort of price?

Cloudia refused to believe there wasn’t more to the story.

…

Just after she hung up, her phone rang again.

“Can’t make it,” Stella replied.

Susanna teased, her concern for Stella evident. Ronald had only just arrived, and already her diet was being monitored. It was more attention than Stella had ever received from her birth family, though she supposed that wasn’t saying much. After all, wasn’t it natural to feel closer to those you grew up with? Stella had grown up beside Ronald, after all.

“Yeah. If I want to eat out, only something bland I could choose.”

At the mention of a light meal, Susanna rejected the idea without a second thought. She couldn’t accept something without much flavor.

“Then I’ll head back for dinner.”

“Alright, let’s plan for hot wings when you’re not so tightly monitored.”

After agreeing with a noncommittal grunt, Stella knew that as long as Ronald was in Portis City, her chances of indulging in that food were slim.

Their conversation continued for a bit before they hung up.

It was nearly quitting time, and Ronald called, “About to get off?”

Stella responded gloomily, “Have the driver pick me up and take me back to Mist Bay, will you?”

“No plans with friends?”

Stella ventured, “We all wanted hot wings, is that okay?”

“Not okay!” Ronald shot back without hesitation. Stella had always been a handful as a child, and she’d been in and out of hospitals more times than he cared to count. The idea of her casually deciding to have hot wings was out of the question.

Chapter 73

After hanging up on Ronald, Stella shoved everything into her purse in a frenzy.

When Tabitha walked in, she found Stella recklessly packing her purse, worrying that she might scratch it just by looking at her haste.

“Boss, let me do that for you.”

Tabitha quickly stepped in, rescuing the purse from her grasp, and carefully started packing the items into it.

Such purses were delicate and expensive. A scratch would devalue them instantly.

Stella asked, “Why all so cautious?”

Tabitha replied, “This purse is made of a very fragile material. Next time, why not just use a tote? You can stuff it as much as you want without a care.”

At least that way, there wouldn’t be heartache over rough treatment.

At the moment, Stella might not care, but Tabitha felt pained just looking at the expensive purse being mishandled.

Stella said, “Fine, buy me one then. I’ll pay you back.”

The purse was indeed too small to fit all her stuff.

Tabitha was speechless, surprised that Stella actually meant it.

“Oh, by the way, there’s a Ms. Lawson asking to see you. Judging by her face, she’s not here for pleasantries.”

Stella frowned upon hearing this.

Ms. Lawson? Cloudia Lawson? She came all the way here?

Stella’s expression darkened, “We only have one exit, right?”

“The front and back doors are connected, you know that.”

Since the front door provided a clear view to the back, Cloudia waiting at the front would spot Stella trying to leave through the back instantly.

Tabitha nodded and left, leaving Stella alone to scheme. She needed to come up with something tough this time, or her office wouldn’t be peaceful anymore.

“Boss,” Tabitha respectfully glanced at Stella.

Tabitha nodded, turned, and exited.

“Spill it. How did you land those partnerships? We are someone respectable, and here you are, disgracing yourself.”

“You barge in, not knowing the full story, and accuse me of disgracing myself? Who told you this? Or do you have proof?”

Cloudia retorted, “Do I need proof? A young woman making seven hundred thousand a year -don’t tell me, Stella, that all of it is because of your ‘talents’ and convincing people to hand projects over to you.”

Cloudia had lost her reason to anger on her way here, speaking harshly to Stella.

Stella’s eyes flashed coldly. “Who told you?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. Just tell me how you secured those projects!” Cloudia snarled.

Though Cloudia didn’t say, Stella knew it was Ursula’s doing. That fake angel always managed to twist the minds of these fools with her innocent acts.

Facing Cloudia’s aggressive interrogation, Stella replied, “How I got them is none of your business. Who are you to me?”

Cloudia stuttered, “I am…”

“What? My mother? Have I ever acknowledged you as my mother? I recall, I went back to the Larkin family and left after less than three months, right?”

Two months in the hospital. And after seeing what the Larkin family was really about during the third month, she immediately removed herself from the equation.

Chapter 74

It was always the same group, reaching out to her whenever they felt like it, acting all familial while brandishing their supposed superiority, hoping to lord it over her.

The words “Have I ever acknowledged you as my mother?” sent Cloudia into an apoplectic rage.

Stella retorted, “Questioning me? And on what grounds, pray tell?”

“Even if you refuse to admit it, I am your mother!” Cloudia was livid.

Without hesitation, Stella dialed Susanna’s number.

The phone was picked up promptly, “Star.”

Glancing at Cloudia, Stella spoke decisively into the phone, “I need you to publish an article stating that I am not a daughter of the Larkin family. It should say the Larkins made a mistake. I’ll send you the paternity test later to include.”

“You’ve lost your mind!”

Cloudia was in disbelief, snatching Stella’s phone and abruptly ending the call.

“You actually are going to cut ties with us? Have you gone mad?” Cloudia, hysterical, yelled at her.

Stella snatched back her phone, “Is it really so strange to want to sever ties?”

“You, you, you ingrate…”

“Ingrate? Ha!” Stella’s scoff was laden with irony. The notion felt like a ridiculous joke to her. “If I were to be ingrate, it certainly wouldn’t be directed at you. Who even are you?”

Cloudia was speechless.

Every word was a clear line drawn, distancing herself further.

Cloudia was nearly breathless with fury, her gaze towards Stella filled with resentment.

“I nearly died giving birth to you, and this is how you repay me?”

“Trying to guilt-trip me?” Stella uttered.

As if intimidation wasn’t enough, now she was resorting to moral blackmail?

“Well, when you had people bring me back, Ursula had reclaimed the price for your sake. I got hit and bled profusely, nearly lost my life.”

“My life was saved by doctors. You might have stayed in the hospital for a month at best when having me? I was hospitalized for two, twice as much!”

“Well then, if not severing ties with you works, how about letting Ursula go, would that be fine?”

The mere mention of Ursula set Cloudia off even more.

“The accident wasn’t her fault, don’t you dare take it out on her.”

To say Stella didn’t feel disappointed would be an understatement.

“So, you can’t cut ties with me, can’t let Ursula go either, quite greedy, aren’t you?”

“Anyway, you dare publish that article, I will publicly denounce it as a lie. If you want to avoid embarrassment, I’d advise against such actions.”

“Threatening me now, after everything?”

Stella found the idea laughable. It seemed these people hadn’t learned enough of their lesson yet.

“You kept the daughter of the nanny who swapped your child close, and now you threaten the daughter you had so much trouble finding because of the nanny’s daughter?

Mrs. Larkin, there’s something seriously wrong with your brain.”

Really, what kind of sane person wouldn’t despise the nanny responsible for swapping their child?

This Larkin family saga was truly a spectacle for the ages!

Chapter 75

Those words of “something seriously wrong with your brain” were like a sharp sting to Cloudia’s nerves.

Cloudia fumed, “That woman has already paid the price. She’s dead. Isn’t that enough?”

Stella’s responded, “Not enough!”

Her cold demeanor seemed utterly merciless in Cloudia’s eyes.

“She died to atone for taking me away from you back then. The price Ursula should pay is her own debts she’s made.”

“She didn’t do it. Why can’t you believe that was just an accident?”

Cloudia was on the verge of losing it. What she despised the most was Stella’s relentless grudge against Ursula, always clinging to that incident from the past.

Stella scoffed, “You don’t want to cut ties with me, do you? Fine.”

Whenever they got into it, Stella had no interest in dredging up all those old stories from back in the day. She had no patience for it.

Getting up, she grabbed her purse, ready to leave.

Cloudia, seeing her about to walk out, protested, “Where do you think you’re going? We haven’t settled this yet.”

Stella turned, “And how exactly do you want to settle this? What right do you have to demand anything from me now?”

At this point, she still required an answer? If she had that demand, she’d fulfill her wish.

With that, Stella dialed Idris’s number, and he picked up immediately. Before Idris could even speak, Stella cut in, “I need you to handle my so-called relationship with the Larkin family.”

“Will do.”

Cloudia, overhearing the conversation, felt a sudden tightness in her chest, “Who are you calling? Who did you ask to handle? Handle what?”

A bad feeling washed over her.

Stella didn’t bother to explain, shooting Cloudia a look before heading out with her purse.

As she opened the door, she called out, “Tabitha, show the guest out. And don’t be too polite about it.”

Cloudia’s temper flared even more at those words. This was her own daughter treating her this way, clearly showing the lack of bond from not being raised by her side.

Cloudia, glancing at Tabitha, felt her head pounding with anger.

…

“Did you go to Stella again?”

Listening to Cloudia’s constant complaints, Blaise felt a headache coming on, barely listening. All he knew was the backlash they were facing now because of Stella.

“What do you mean by that?”

Stella had infuriated her to this extent, and she was supposed to give in to whatever Stella wanted?

Impossible!

Blaise explained, “Half an hour ago, I got a call saying if we don’t meet her demands, we can kiss the company goodbye.”

“And you believe that?”

In Portis City, who could threaten them so easily? And more importantly, who made that call?

It had been just half an hour since she left Stella’s.

Blaise retorted, “You think I’d believe it? But in this half hour, I’ve received calls from two partners canceling their contracts.”

Those partners were crucial to the Larkin Group. To lose two major projects in such a short time indicated the power of the person behind it all.

Cloudia was shocked.

“So you’re saying, it’s because I confronted Stella and didn’t agree to her demands?”

Chapter 76

“They’ve mentioned her name. It can’t be mistaken.”

Cloudia was at a loss for words.

Blaise pressed on, “What did she demand from you?”

“She wants to cut ties with us all. How could I agree to that?”

Reflecting on the last call from Stella, Cloudia had thought it was just an empty threat. But now it seemed all too real.

A young woman raking in over seven hundred thousand a year surely had some powerful backing. But her approach…

The thought alone was a stab to Cloudia’s heart. How could she bear the thought of severing ties with her own daughter?

As Blaise heard Stella’s demand, his breath caught in his throat.

“Did she really say that?”

“What else could it be? What else could she possibly ask for that I couldn’t give her?”

Since things had escalated to this degree, Cloudia had hoped for any other demand from Stella – jewelry, a house, money, anything. If she just had these requirements, Cloudia would have done anything, especially if it meant getting Tegan and Finley on board to treat Ursula.

But Stella wanted none of that; she wanted to cut ties.

Cloudia was fuming.

Blaise was equally infuriated, “What did you argue about this time with her?”

His tone carried a hint of blame towards Cloudia. The call he received was no joke; he fully believed that the other party had the power to destroy the entire Larkin Group.

Cloudia retorted, “She made seven hundred thousand last year, shouldn’t I find out how? She’s my daughter, after all, I don’t want her degrading herself.”

Blaise asked, “So you confronted her directly?”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“You…”

Blaise was so livid he couldn’t find the words.

In his eyes, every argument between Cloudia and Stella stemmed from Cloudia’s lack of tact.

Stella hadn’t grown up by their side, making her temperament and boundaries unclear to Cloudia.

“I’ve told you countless times, be patient with her.”

On the matter of Stella, neither could critique the other.

“How am I supposed to do that? She’s not taking my calls, won’t see me.”

“If you don’t resolve this properly, you can say goodbye to the good life of being Mrs. Larkin.”

…

Blaise then called Yorick.

When Yorick heard that the Larkin Group’s issues all revolved around Stella, he immediately thought of the man by her side.

Did that man have the clout to halt two major projects of the Larkin Group within half an hour? Who exactly was he?

“Rick, you know how my relationship with your father stands right now. About this…”

The Quarry family had already been displeased with him due to Ursula, and now an unknown factor was complicating matters further.

Blaise felt his life was becoming unbearable.

Yorick’s expression darkened, “Understood. I’ll handle it.”

After hanging up, Yorick glanced at his cast-bound left hand. His tone was icy as he turned to Orion, “Still no word on who that man with her is?”

Orion, feeling a chill down his spine, replied, “We’ve been blocked at every turn, can’t find anything.”

Up to this point, they didn’t even know the man’s name.

Chapter 77

As Stella was getting close to Wave Residence, Ursula called. She sounded way frailer than before, but her words dripped with smugness.

“Bet you didn’t know, huh? Rick’s trying to buy Wave Residence in Mist Bay for me to recuperate.”

Every word was laced with her bragging.

Over the years, that place in Mist Bay has been coveted by many elite families. With perfect views and clean air, big families always fancied that kind of stuff.

Stella replied, “I already knew.”

“Oh? What has Yorick ever bought for you then?”

Stella remained silent.

What had Yorick ever bought her?

Sure, jewelry and stuff, but she couldn’t even recall what those looked like. Probably because she had too much from a young age, so those things never really meant anything to Stella.

Ursula showing off caused Stella to chuckle sarcastically, “Ursula, a dying woman not focusing on the health, yet here you are comparing. Why?”

“You…”

Her direct jab clearly stunned Ursula over the phone.

Stella continued, “Yorick buying you Wave Residence for your recovery? Last I heard, the current owner flat-out refused to sell to him.”

“He’ll find a way to buy it.” Ursula was stubborn.

Yorick had promised, once he got Wave Residence, she’d be moved out of the hospital immediately. She believed Yorick could make it happen.

Stella remarked, “If I were you, I’d wait till he actually buys it before bragging. Otherwise, you might die before you even get to live there.

Ursula gasped for air, “You, you…you’re cursing me?”

Stella’s curse was something Ursula couldn’t bear to hear even a word of. She had everything in the Larkin family; enjoying such a life, how could she bear to die?

Stella countered, “So what if I cursed you? You should be grateful you’re terminally ill; otherwise, where would you find such peace?”

Basically, Ursula was trapped, either way. If the illness killed her, the body would get burned into ashes; if it didn’t, Stella’s retaliation would await her.

Suddenly, Cloudia’s furious voice came from the other end.

Stella’s gaze narrowed slightly.

“Yeah, I am vicious. So what?”

Cloudia fumed, “Tell me, who was that man who threatened your dad over the phone? When you were in your office earlier, who did you call? Stella, a girl should know her worth, do you understand? If you need money, don’t we have enough?”

What a thing to say. As if Stella only had to ask, and Cloudia would’ve given her anything unconditionally in the past.

“Your money has nothing to do with me.”

“Stella!”

“Am I wrong? You haven’t forgotten, have you? You gave me a card with a monthly limit of two thousand dollars. Tsk, you sure are wealthy.”

Chapter 78

Cloudia was speechless, practically seeing red as Stella’s sarcastic tone echoed in her ears.

“So, you think it’s not enough?” she spat out through clenched teeth, clearly offended by the implication that Stella was biting off more than she could chew.

Stella responded, “Seems like you’re still in the dark about what exactly you have gone through, and why.”

The emphasis she put on “gone through” suddenly reminded her of the call she received from Blaise. The thought of losing two major partnerships whitened her face in shock.

“Was that call to your dad’s office you’re doing?”

Stella replied, “If you’ve figured it out, we should cut ties, what do you say?”

Her tone was deceptively negotiable, but the threat behind her words was palpable.

Cloudia couldn’t believe Stella was threatening her. Where did she get the audacity and right?

“Take your time. Bye,” Stella said.

“Wait,” Cloudia said hurriedly as Stella was about to end the call.

Knowing locating her was already difficult and finally, she got in touch with, Cloudia had to get some answers.

“What’s the deal with that guy?”

“Looks like you still haven’t grasped what you really mean to me.”

Cloudia was at a loss for words, her heart tightened.

Before she could respond, Stella had already ended the call. Holding the phone, Cloudia was so angry she wanted to throw it against the wall.

“What am I to her? What does she mean, my place?” she fumed.

Watching as Cloudia intended to throw the phone, Ursula instantly caught her hand, “Don’t throw it.”

Two nurses’ numbers had been blacklisted because of them borrowing their phones to make few calls. Any phone calls made to her from them would be mercilessly sent in the blacklist.

Never had Cloudia expected that her blocking Stella’s card this time would lead to her drastic reaction.

Ursula’s gentle demeanor was the only thing that calmed Claudia down a bit.

Cloudia’s disappointed tone towards Stella was evident.

“She thinks just because she’s relying on any man to make seven hundred thousand a year, she’ll always be on top?”

“But this wasn’t good, Mom. Do you really want her to ruin herself?” Ursula said, sadness in her voice.

“What can I do then?”

“I’ll talk to Rick. We’ll make sure the partnerships we offer her are carefully vetted, to keep her away from any shady deals,” Ursula plotted, determined to block Stella’s career paths.

She was hell-bent on preventing them from realizing Stella’s merit in business.

Sure enough, her words “shady deals” reignited Cloudia’s fury.

Chapter 79

“You’re right, we can’t absolutely let her mingle with those messy partners.”

If ties were to be cut, so be it. But even then, it was her – the Larkin family’s reputation at stake. After all, she had been acknowledged by the Larkin family for two years now.

Cloudia tried to suppress her anger, taking Ursula’s hand in hers, “Then talk with Rick about it, hmm?”

Ursula nodded, “Sure.”

Cloudia said, “If possible, cut off all dealings with that studio and shut it down for good.”

She felt that the existence of that studio was a ticking time bomb.

This time Stella dared to defy Cloudia with the studio’s earnings. Who knew what kind of embarrassing stunts she would pull off with that studio in the future.

Ursula felt a twinge of satisfaction upon hearing Cloudia’s words, but pretended to be concerned, “But won’t she make a fuss if that happens?”

“Let her. Hasn’t she always been a troublemaker?” Cloudia replied irritably.

She was only acting up because of that studio. Without it, let’s see what she can do.

Thinking this, Cloudia was even more convinced that shutting the studio down was the right move.

“Better than having her drag the entire Larkin family through the mud later.”

“You’re right.” Ursula agreed. “I’ll talk to Rick about it.”

Seeing Ursula siding with her made Cloudia feel a bit better.

Thinking back to Stella cursing Ursula over the phone, Cloudia had heard her say, “to be burned to ashes” just as she entered.

She took Ursula’s hand sympathetically, “Having such a reckless child is really worrying. If only she was as well-behaved as you.”

“I heard Rick is trying to buy Mist Bay for your recovery. He’s so good to you. It’s just his family…”

If Ursula and Yorick had been together, they would have been happy by now. But with this mess, neither the biological nor the adopted daughter was married in the Quarry family.

“Mom, I’m content with Rick looking after me, considering my condition.”

“Let’s not talk about it. She is your biological daughter, and it was right for you to look for her.”

“You’re the sensible one,” Cloudia lamented even more.

After they chatted for a while, Yorick arrived, bringing with him some food suitable for Ursula’s condition.

Seeing him, Cloudia tactfully left them alone.

Given that they could no longer rely on Stella, and even if the Quarry family disapproved of Ursula, causing dissatisfaction, it wasn’t a concern. After all, Yorick was there.

If the Quarry family wanted to cause trouble for the Larkin family, they’d have to contend with upsetting Yorick first.

Now alone with Yorick, Ursula noticed his wrist was in a cast and was taken aback, “Rick? What happened to you?”

Yorick’s face darkened.

At that moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to find the man responsible and tear him apart. He wanted to make him pay!

Chapter 80

“No worries, just took a bit of a tumble.”

“That’s a bit careless. Must hurt, right?” Ursula’s voice was dripping with concern.

Yorick, opening the lunch box with one hand, didn’t answer her directly but said softly, “This soup’s good for you. Have more of it.”

Seeing him avoid the question, especially with his pallor looking off, Ursula began to suspect something about his injury.

“You don’t always have to run around like this, you know.”

Yorick spoke, “Busy during the day; want to spend time with you at night.”

His words touched Ursula deeply. She glanced at Yorick, biting back the words she wanted to say.

Noticing her hesitation, Yorick’s voice softened further, “What’s up?”

Ursula said, “It’s about Star. Mom just told me, she started her own studio and made over seven hundred thousand last year. I can’t even begin to imagine how she did it.”

“Her own studio?” Yorick uttered.

Ursula nodded, “Yeah, even Mom’s in the dark about how she pulled off making so much money a year.”

To Yorick, seven hundred thousand was trivial. But for Ursula, it was no small sum, especially considering Stella had earned it on her own.

Yorick’s expression darkened even more, a cold glint in his eyes.

Stella had her own studio, started last year, and made seven hundred thousand?

He was in the dark about such a significant event.

…

Dinner at Wave Residence was exceptional tonight.

Stella couldn’t help but go for thirds, only learning afterward that the chef had come from Ferrowland.

It was during her second bowl of soup that Ronald called.

“Eating so much at night, aren’t you worried about gaining weight?”

Stella paused at his words, casting a glance at the butler who guiltily avoided her gaze.

“Didn’t you always want to fatten me up?” she mumbled.

Ronald chuckled, “You were little then. Now, haven’t you been fussing about growing up? Not caring about looks?”

Stella decisively set down her spoon. “When are you coming back?”

“Okay.”

Ronald was in a private room at that moment.

Hull had met Ronald two years ago, their friendship was forged through mutual respect and a shared history of conflict with the Schultz family.

Ronald laughed softly, a hint of warmth spreading in his eyes, “A kid at home, quite the handful.”

“You have a kid? Why didn’t I know?”

The term “kid” caught Hull completely off guard.

Ronald clarified, “A sister.”

“Ah, you mean Yvonne.”

Ronald also had a twin sister, Yvonne Quinn.

Hull remarked, “She’s hardly a kid, then?”

Being the same age, she hardly qualified as a “kid” in his eyes.

Ronald added, “Not Yvonne, another sister. Lost her a few years back, and only found her recently. She’s quite the mischief-maker.”

“Another one?” Hull remarked.

This was news to him. But seeing Ronald’s indulgent smile when he spoke of his sister, Hull could tell she must be quite the charmer.

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