Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath [Stella] (Chapters 641 to 650) – Daisy Novels

Chapter 641

Just Ask Directly?

Honestly, talking things over with Stella is about as useful as talking to a brick wall. Her approach is always the same, straightforward, zero sugar-coating, and not a hint of subtlety.

With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder Ursula always ends up outsmarted by her. If Stella could pick up on even a little bit of nuance, Ursula would have her running in circles in no time.

Because of Ursula? She’s a pro at setting traps. If you step into one of her carefully laid plans, you’re basically toast.

But Stella? If she feels even the slightest bit of injustice or thinks she’s been wronged, forget talking. She’ll just throw down. Not exactly the person you go to for clever advice.

Yeah, not happening.

But then again, it’s not like Susanna could figure this mess out herself either. Her head was pounding just thinking about it.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, snapping Susanna out of her thoughts. Barnaby’s voice floated in from the hallway, “Hey, Susie! The boss is heading out, so you’re on your own for dinner tonight.”

Susanna grimaced. Did he really have to keep calling her Susie?

“Got it,” she replied, a little sharper than she meant. As if she’d ever actually had dinner with Hull, anyway.

She was already walking on eggshells, trying to avoid causing trouble.

“Oh, right! Could you help me out with something?” Barnaby added.

Susanna tensed. What kind of ‘help’ did he mean? Was it something to do with Hull? Because if it was, there was no way she was getting involved.

Barnaby hesitated, “It’s about the boss’s injury—”

“Nope, not happening,” Susanna cut him off before he could even finish.

There was a stunned silence from the other side of the door.

“You’re really just gonna say no like that?” Barnaby sounded almost offended.

“Find someone else. Seriously, I’m already under enough suspicion as it is. Don’t ask me for help, I’m not getting involved in anything.”

She could hear him sigh.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Good or not, I’m out. Deal with it.”

She’d already gotten in enough trouble last time she tried to help Hull. Everyone had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since. No way was she making that mistake again.

“Alright then. Just don’t forget to eat,” Barnaby said, finally giving up.

She listened as his footsteps faded away, releasing a long, shaky breath.

Jeez. That was close.

Star had warned her to keep her distance from Hull. Get too close and something always went wrong, like accidentally seeing him half-dressed or, worse, messing up his bandages and nearly sending him to the ER.

Nope. She was done. This time, she was actually going to listen.

Meanwhile, at the party…

Stella arrived to find Yvonne already there, rocking a sleek black cocktail dress.

Honestly, it was the only color she could pull off these days; anything else just made her look washed out.

Spotting Stella, Yvonne called out, “Star!”

“You got here early! I thought we were coming together,” Stella said, glancing around for the drinks table.

“Don’t get me started. It was Xander’s fault,” Yvonne grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Just mentioning Xander was enough to get her worked up.

Weren’t you planning to punch him?” Stella teased.

“I did! But the idiot just won’t get the hint.”

She was clearly fed up with him, but it didn’t stop her from grabbing Stella’s arm and dragging her toward the buffet table.

They didn’t get far before Ronald stepped in, catching Stella by the elbow.

“Hey, what’s up?” she asked, a little surprised.

Yvonne glanced at Ronald, confused.

“Heading for the food?” Ronald raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, we’re gonna eat and vent. You know how it is,” Stella replied, grinning.

But Ronald wasn’t letting go. Instead, his big, warm hand slipped around her waist, pulling her closer as he murmured, “You already had plenty earlier, didn’t you?”

Chapter 642

People bustled all around them, glasses clinking, laughter ringing out across the grand hall.

From the moment the Quinn family walked in, all eyes in the room seemed to turn their way. After all, in these circles, everyone wanted Ronald Quinn at their party.

But Ronald rarely made appearances at events like this.

Tonight, though? Not only was he here, but he’d brought Stella and Yvonne along. Clearly, the host of this evening’s gala meant something special to Ronald.

Stella could feel the weight of all those curious glances. Her cheeks flushed pink. “Would you-can you maybe not do that?” she muttered, squirming under Ronald’s protective arm.

Ronald just glanced at her, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“If you’re not letting me have any more hors d’oeuvres, just let go already,” Stella whispered, pouting. Seriously, it’s not like she was going to eat all the shrimp cocktail.

“Come on,” Ronald said, gently ushering her forward. “Let’s go greet our host.”

“Okay,” Stella nodded obediently.

Ronald shot Yvonne a look, and she quickly fell into step beside them. As soon as Ronald’s attention shifted, Stella leaned in close to Yvonne. “Hey,” she whispered, “who exactly is this Mr. Norton? And why did my brother bring us all here?”

Yvonne grinned. “Not just us. Mom’s here, too.”

Stella’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Where?”

“If I’m not mistaken, Mom’s probably with Mr. Norton right now,” Yvonne replied, her tone teasing.

Stella’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

If their mother was here too, then the Norton family-who’d always been kind of mediocre before, must have made some serious moves in the past few years.

Yvonne caught the look on Stella’s face and explained, “Norton’s younger son went into politics.”

Stella’s eyes lit up. “No kidding?”

Yvonne nodded. “He’s the new Governor of Reidland.”

Stella’s mouth formed a silent “oh.” Suddenly, it all made sense why Ronald would show up for this guy. The Quinns never bothered with people who didn’t have real power.

Ronald turned around just in time to spot Stella and Yvonne whispering, heads together like two guilty schoolgirls. He doubled back, gently pulling Stella to his side.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she protested.

“You don’t need to know everything,” Ronald said coolly.

Stella blinked. “Um… okay?”

Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Overprotective much?” she muttered under her breath. Honestly, Ronald treated Stella like she was made of glass. Yvonne thought Stella needed to know more about the world. Their family’s future depended on it; she couldn’t live in a bubble forever.

A butler in a pressed tuxedo led them down a maze of halls to Mr. Norton’s study.

“Mr. Quinn, our host has been waiting for you,” the butler said politely.

Ronald nodded and glanced at Idris, who immediately handed over a beautifully wrapped box. “A gift from our family to Mr. Norton,” he said. “Thank you, sir.” The butler accepted the gift with a bow.

As the study doors opened, Ronald turned to Yvonne. “You and Idris wait out here.”

Yvonne grinned, already knowing her role was just to make an appearance.

Ronald took Stella’s cool hand and led her inside. The door closed softly behind them.

Yvonne couldn’t help but snicker. “He swears he’s not coddling her, but here she is, at every important event, right by his side.”

She shook her head. “He doesn’t want her to know too much, but someday she’s going to have to learn.”

Idris, ever the loyal right-hand man, just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Who in their right mind would gossip about the Quinn heir? Yvonne nudged him. “Hey, come on-spill. What really happened in Portis City when Star went up against the Quarry and Larkin families? Don’t leave out the juicy details.”

Chapter 643

To be honest, Yvonne was genuinely interested in this topic.

She’d always heard people say Stella never got the short end of the stick with the Quarry family or the Larkin family, but she never really bought it.

I mean, Stella was always the most sheltered kid in their family. Whenever she went out, it seemed like she just got picked on.

Idris: “…”

He’d just said he didn’t want to gossip about the boss, but here they were again, right back at the juicy stuff about their favorite troublemaker.

Yvonne grinned, “C’mon, spill it already.”

Idris cleared his throat, glancing around like he was about to share government secrets.

He really tried to resist, but Yvonne was persistent, and eventually, Idris caved and told her all about Stella’s epic showdown with Ursula.

He told her everything, from before they moved to Portis City to what happened after they got there.

So, before they even got to Portis City-two years ago-Ursula had to leave the country after Stella literally went after her. There was even a story about Stella dunking Ursula’s head in the pool and trashing Yorick’s car.

Yvonne’s jaw dropped so far she looked like she’d just seen the Thanksgiving turkey come alive. “No way. Are you serious?”

Her Stella, that fierce?

If anyone dared mess with her, Stella would just go full-on WWE? One challenger, she’d smack them down. Two? She’d take them both out at once?

From Idris’s description, Yvonne could practically picture the chaos, even though she wasn’t there.

Idris nodded, “Totally serious. Miss Stella sent Ursula straight to the hospital that day-they found, like, a laundry list of ailments.”

Yvonne’s eyes went wide. “A laundry list?”

“So Ursula blamed it all on Stella, as usual?”

“If she did, I swear, I’m about to book a flight to Portis City and put that witch in her place,” Yvonne huffed.

Idris shrugged, “Nah, you can’t really blame someone for being sick just because they got beat up. That’s a whole different thing.” Yvonne nodded. “Fair point.”

Idris continued, “But after that, Ursula kept trying to mess with Stella and turn the Larkin family against her.”

Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Please, the Larkin family? Not exactly worth crying over.”

Idris grinned. “That’s exactly how Stella felt. So when Yorick got punched, and Jaxon got absolutely wrecked, nobody felt sorry for them.”

Yvonne snorted. “Serves them right. If they weren’t already down, I might have flown over there myself just to make sure.”

She paused, thinking about her schedule. She had honestly been considering a trip to Portis City just for that. Too bad Xander and Dan had been keeping her way too busy lately.

Just as she was about to say something else, her phone buzzed. She checked the screen-Dan. Yvonne immediately declined the call.

She was just thinking about that pain in the ass, and now he was calling? Figures.

The phone buzzed again. Still Dan. She blocked the number without a second thought.

Then a new text came in from an unknown number: “Maybe I should just wait for you outside the Quinn family house?”

Yvonne nearly dropped her phone. Are you kidding me?

She called the number back, and Dan picked up immediately. Before he could say anything, Yvonne snapped, “Alright, what the hell do you want?”

Dan’s voice boomed through the speaker, “You and Xander-get divorced. Tomorrow. I’m not kidding.”

Yvonne almost laughed. “Have you lost your mind?”

Divorce Xander? Who did this guy think he was, ordering her around?

Dan barked, “Tomorrow at ten a.m., I’ll be waiting at the courthouse. If you two don’t show up—”

He paused, his voice low and threatening.

Yvonne blinked. Was this guy serious? Most people at least gave you three days, or a week, or a month to think things over. Dan was giving her… what, a few hours?

And what was he going to do at the courthouse? Was he planning to officiate their divorce himself?

She said, “Wait, what exactly are you planning to do?”

This was all getting a little too weird. Lately, her life felt like a game of Whac-A-Mole, and everyone around her was just popping up with one crazy scheme after another.

Dan replied, “I want to see with my own eyes that you and Xander are actually divorced.”

Yvonne just stared at her phone. Was this guy for real?

Idris, who’d overheard the conversation, shook his head. Watching a divorce in person? That’s a whole new level of nosy.

But honestly, did Dan really think things would go that way? With how Xander was acting lately, there was no way a divorce was happening-least of all with Dan meddling in the middle of it.

Chapter 644

If Xander’s in a bad mood, he might just wring the guy’s neck! Yvonne sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you still at the hospital?” “What for?”

“If you are, you better get someone to check if the neurologist is still around.”

“I swear, there’s something seriously wrong with your brain.”

No one with a shred of common sense could say something like that.

Dan growled through gritted teeth, “Yvonne!”

“Oh, what, you gonna yell for your daddy now? Go get your head checked, seriously, you might need a stay in the psych ward at this rate.”

With a brain like that, something’s gotta be seriously off.

Yvonne hung up without another word.

She turned to Idris beside her. “Did my brother have you look into this guy?”

Ronald always found out about things before she did, so he must’ve had Idris check.

Idris nodded. “Yeah.”

“So, is his amnesia for real?”

Yvonne really couldn’t buy the whole “Dan lost his memory” story.

Idris hesitated, then finally said, “Mr. Murray’s amnesia is genuine. After he left Ferrowland, there was a stretch of about six months where nobody knew where he was.”

“He went missing for half a year?”

Idris nodded again. “Yeah. We’ve never been able to pin down where he was during those six months.”

They’d guessed Montreal at some point, but that turned out not to be true. Nobody actually knew where Dan had gone.

One thing was for sure: the way he’d shown up in Yvonne’s life back then wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

Yvonne stared at him, mulling it over. “What about his death?”

Missing for six months… There had to be something shady going on. So what about when he “died”? Was it real or not?

Idris replied, “From what we’ve discovered, Mr. Murray took a drug that made him appear dead. Whether he took it himself or someone forced it on him, we can’t say.”

Yvonne’s jaw dropped.

A fake-death drug? Seriously?

She wanted to throttle someone.

“Oh, come on-obviously he took it on purpose. No one’s gonna force-feed a full-grown man something like that unless he wants to play along.”

What a piece of work. Guy was clearly a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

So, he cozied up to her with an agenda from the very start?

Unbelievable.

“Manipulative jerk!” Yvonne spat. “Lied right to my face.”

Idris almost choked at her string of insults, his eyes lighting up in surprise.

“That’s… creative,” he managed, coughing.

But Yvonne was too furious to notice. The more she ranted about Dan, the angrier she got. “How did I not see through his act? He was smoother than any snake-oil salesman. I mean, really—me, Yvonne, tricked by a two-faced charmer!”

She was practically fuming.

Idris just listened quietly as she threw out words like “jerk,” “snake,” and “charmer.” Honestly, if you don’t have your act together as a guy, you might just get roasted so hard you forget what gender you are.

Just then, Stella came out from inside and caught Yvonne mid-rant about Dan.

These days, if Yvonne wasn’t venting about Xander, she was cussing out Dan. As far as she was concerned, both men were absolute dogs. Seeing Stella, Yvonne finally calmed down a bit. “Why are you out here alone? Where’s my brother?”

“He’s talking privately with Mr. Norton,” Stella replied, all polite and proper.

Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Well, if they’re talking business, let’s find somewhere to sit down and chill. No sense standing out here.” She grabbed Stella’s hand and marched off, ready to blow off steam somewhere a little more comfortable.

Chapter 645

Lounge Area.

The buffet was getting crowded, and Yvonne couldn’t help but worry about Stella. After all, this wasn’t the time for any accidents.

She guided Stella over to a quieter spot filled with plush couches and said, “Hang tight here, I’ll grab you a plate.”

Stella just blinked at her, a little speechless.

At home, Yvonne was always the one telling her what she could and couldn’t eat.

But before Stella could protest, Yvonne was already weaving back through the crowd. Stella sat down, pulling her cardigan tighter around her.

The room was a comfortable temperature, but ever since the pregnancy, she always seemed to feel cold.

She still had Ronald’s scarf looped around her neck; he’d insisted on giving it to her earlier.

A server approached with a glass of water. Stella took it, smiling politely. “Thank you.”

“Would you like anything to eat, ma’am? Snack table’s just over there,” he offered, gesturing.

“No, thanks,” Stella replied. “My sister’s getting something for me.”

He nodded and disappeared, leaving her alone.

Stella glanced at the water but set it down untouched. Then she pulled out her phone. Susanna had texted:

[Star, remember how I said I’d propose to Hull and he never said yes? So why am I suddenly getting all the perks? Is it just that he wants me for my body? Like, no strings attached?]

Stella nearly snorted out loud.

Okay… that was one way to look at it. Her mind, already a little foggy, felt even more scrambled.

She honestly had no idea what was actually going on between Hull and Susanna. The whole living-together situation? Still a mystery.

Especially when Susanna started in with the “he just wants my body” line-Stella couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

She shot back:

[I don’t think Hull is just after your body.]

Susanna replied almost instantly:

[Why not?]

Stella hesitated.

[Don’t ask me, I really don’t know.]

Being blunt would offend her, but sugar-coating it just felt awkward. Best to say nothing.

Susanna was relentless:

[So you’re saying I’m not hot enough? Not pretty enough?]

Stella’s head thumped against the back of the couch. After a moment, she typed:

[Compared to the girls Hull usually dates… yeah, kinda.]

Susanna went silent.

Well, at least she’d stopped texting.

But before Stella could relax, she caught the sound of voices drifting closer, unmistakably talking about her.

“Hey, did you hear about the adopted daughter from the Quinn family and Mr. Quinn? Why would Lottie approve? I mean, she practically raised that girl; she’s basically her daughter. And now with her own son? How does that even work?”

Stella went stiff, her jaw tightening.

She remembered what Yorick had said on the phone: “Look at all the people talking about you. It’s not just the Quinns they all judge you.” He was right. Even in a place as “open-minded” as Ferrowland, not everyone accepted her relationship with Ronald.

The whispers continued as the two women settled onto a nearby sofa.

“I’m telling you,” one said, lowering her voice, “what if that adopted girl is actually Lottie’s illegitimate daughter from some old affair?” “No way,” the other gasped.

“Why else would she be so supportive? Poor Mr. Quinn, right? And who even knows what really happened three years ago when he died?” “You know, Melissa from the Norton family was supposed to marry Mr. Quinn. She’s had a crush on him since high school, but the adopted girl swooped right in.”

“And Lottie always doted on her. Maybe Mr. Quinn was the real outsider, you know? Lottie picked up her ‘adopted’ daughter from school every day, never did that for her son.”

“Mr. Quinn got the short end of the stick. Can you imagine marrying someone like that? Even before, people said Lottie and that guy had a thing going on.”

With so few people nearby, they were growing bolder and nastier. Now they were dragging the whole Quinn family through the mud. Stella’s eyes narrowed. She set her phone carefully in her purse, stood up, and picked up the glass of water she hadn’t touched.

She walked straight toward the two women, who were still too busy gossiping to notice her approach.

Just as Yvonne returned with a plate of food, she watched, wide-eyed, as Stella calmly tipped the entire glass of water over one woman’s perfectly styled head.

The water was still warm, and the woman let out a piercing shriek. “What the hell is wrong with you? Who do you think you are?!” Yvonne stood there, stunned.

She’d been wrong; her Star was no fragile hothouse flower.

Chapter 646

The two women who’d been gossiping fell silent and stared at Stella.

The one who’d just been doused with water recognized her, lips trembling. “You, you’re—”

She looked nervous, suddenly unsure what to say. After all, everyone in Ferrowland knew the Quinn family’s status. No one wanted to mess with them.

The other woman, though, clearly didn’t recognize Stella-she’d probably only heard her name in whispers and rumors. Without missing a beat, she yanked her friend behind her and glared at Stella. “Are you out of your mind or something?”

Stella’s eyes, cold as winter, barely flickered as she looked up at her.

Then, she raised her empty coffee mug and, with a sharp thud, smashed it right into the woman’s cheek.

A dull crack echoed through the air, and the woman dropped to the floor, clutching at her face, pain written all over her. “What the hell? What’s wrong with you? I swear, I’m gonna kill you!”

Her friend stood frozen, still processing what had just happened, while the woman who’d been hit scrambled to her feet and lunged at Stella.

But before she could even reach her, Stella coolly hiked up her dress, planted her heel, and drove a solid kick straight into the woman’s stomach.

The woman doubled over, gasping, agony etched across her face. “You crazy bitch! Do you have any idea who my dad is?”

Stella looked her up and down. “Oh, really? Why don’t you tell me? Save me the trouble of looking up which family you belong to.” Her voice was sharper than ever, dangerous and low.

She knew her relationship with Ronald would always be judged by others. But when it came to her parents’ reputation, she wouldn’t stand for anyone dragging their names through the mud.

“What kind of freak are you?” the woman spat, struggling to rise again, cheeks already swelling where the mug had hit.

She tried to rush Stella once more, but before she got close, someone else intervened.

Yvonne arrived out of nowhere and, without hesitation, landed a swift kick to the woman’s side, sending her sprawling again. To add insult to injury, Yvonne hurled her plate of mashed potatoes and gravy right at the woman’s head.

Now, with her face already throbbing from the mug, the warm, sticky food splattered across her forehead, the woman let out a howl of agony.

Yvonne quickly pulled Stella behind her, shielding her. The woman who’d been soaked with water finally snapped out of her daze. When she saw who’d come to Stella’s defense, her eyes widened in fear. “Princess Yvonne…”

Yvonne’s gaze was icy as she took in the chaos. She could guess exactly what these two women had been up to gossiping, no doubt. “So,” Yvonne said, her voice cold and steady, “what were you talking about just now?”

The woman on the floor, still reeling from the pain, looked like she wanted to fight back. But the mention of “Princess Yvonne” made her freeze. Her face went pale as a sheet, and she sank back down, defeated.

The drenched woman, caught in Yvonne’s glare, grew visibly more anxious. “We’re sorry. It was out of line. We deserve whatever’s coming.” She slapped herself across the face, desperate and terrified.

There was no way she’d repeat what they’d been saying, especially not in front of Yvonne. That would ruin her family for good.

But Stella stepped out from behind Yvonne, her voice steady and cold: “They said I was my Mom’s illegitimate daughter. And that Ronald was just some stray we picked up.”

Chapter 647

For Stella, the Quinns and the Lugars were her bottom line. Mess with her family, and you were in for a world of trouble; no way she’d ever just let it slide.

“If you can tie a rope, you can tie your tongue, too. If you’ve got the guts to talk trash, at least have the nerve to stand by it.”

A mocking voice rang out from the crowd.

Both women whipped around, glaring daggers at whoever spoke, looking as if they’d eat her alive.

Stella and Yvonne turned as well, and Stella’s eyes went wide in surprise.

It was Lola.

Lola stood there, her arm looped through a man’s, and met the two women’s furious gazes head-on. “What’s wrong? Still want to act tough? Seems like your apology isn’t all that sincere after all.”

Just a hint of “not sincere,” and the color drained from the women’s faces.

No one dared play games in front of the Quinn family.

Lola glanced at Stella, and when their eyes met, she gave her a warm, reassuring smile.

Stella couldn’t help but smile back, just a little.

Yvonne scoffed. “Well, it looks like that madam was right. You two aren’t really sorry at all. In that case…”

“Please, Lady Yvonne, we really are sorry!”

“Yes, please, you’re far above us. Don’t take this out on our families-please!”

The woman who had tried to slap Stella was now nearly in tears.

Yvonne shook her head. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

The two women fell silent, momentarily confused.

Not her?

They both turned to stare at Stella. The truth was, neither of them could stomach the idea of bowing to her.

Especially since, just a while ago, she was nothing more than the adopted daughter, a mere pawn in the Lugar family’s marriage games. They’d always assumed she’d be married off for some strategic alliance, nothing more.

But now she was with Mr. Quinn, the man who’d raised her. That made her the most important woman in all of Ferrowland.

The same woman they used to look down on, hoping to see her fall from grace.

Now…

Yvonne, seeing their hesitation, lost her patience and kicked one of them sharply in the shin. That snapped them out of it.

Immediately, both women turned to Stella, voices trembling.

“Princess Stella, we’re sorry. Truly, we are.”

Stella’s eyes glinted coldly. “Princess Stella? Don’t call me that. I’m not sure I deserve the title.”

Just a minute ago, they’d been whispering that she was just the adopted daughter.

It would’ve been one thing if they’d just talked about her. But they’d dragged her mother and Ronald into it, too.

Stella stared the woman down, her gaze icy.

The woman squirmed under her glare. “No, no, you deserve it!

Everyone in Ferrowland knows you’re the little princess of the Quinn family.”

Stella let out a dry, sarcastic laugh.

Just as she turned to leave, a strong arm slipped around her shoulders, pulling her gently into a protective embrace.

Stella looked up, meeting Ronald’s stern, commanding eyes.

He glanced at the woman, then turned slightly. “Idris.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chapter 648

“Hello? How is this all my fault? Excuse me, you were right there with me, saying the same stuff!”

“Oh, please, you started it! My dad was right, you should never get too close to someone like you. You’re just trouble waiting to happen!”

The argument blew up in seconds. The two women were yelling so loudly that the security team came rushing over and hustled them straight out the door before they could actually start swinging.

Meanwhile, Ronald was leading Stella out, looking like he’d just swallowed a lemon.

Old Mr. Norton, worried things might spiral, quickly pulled Ronald aside and started whispering explanations, trying to smooth things over. Yvonne tugged Stella to the side and grumbled, “Those two witches, if this wasn’t the Norton family estate, I’d have given them a piece of my mind. Maybe even more.”

Stella smirked. “Honestly? You basically did. You just about tore them to pieces back there.”

Yvonne shot her a look. “Not bad, Star. I guess my lessons haven’t gone to waste, huh?”

She’d seen everything: Yvonne’s wild kick, the glass of punch thrown right in that woman’s face. Back when Idris told her how Stella had clocked Jaxon and Yorick back in Portis City, she barely believed it. She couldn’t even picture Stella throwing a punch.

But now? She’d seen it with her own eyes.

“That was badass,” Yvonne said, beaming. “Not like the sweet, soft Star I remember.”

Bzzz, bzzz. Yvonne’s phone started vibrating just as she was gearing up to shower Stella with more compliments.

“Hang on, gotta take this,” she said, stepping aside but not too far, she’d only gone to grab some snacks before those two drama queens showed up.

As Yvonne answered her call, Stella spotted Lola making her way over. That guy Lola was with earlier, Dandy was nowhere in sight. Stella knew him, but she had no idea why Lola would know a guy like Dandy.

Five minutes later, Stella and Lola stood in the garden by the mansion’s grand entrance. Lola turned to her, voice low.

“I took all of Jaxon’s money.”

Stella just shrugged. “Okay.”

She couldn’t care less. None of that had anything to do with her.

“Want a cut of it?”

Stella blinked. “Wait, what?”

Was Lola seriously offering her a share?

Lola met Stella’s stunned gaze. “Relax, I know your family’s treated you like crap.”

“Those two years you went back, they didn’t even bother to send you grocery money. Gave it all to Ursula instead.”

Chapter 649

Lola noticed Stella wasn’t answering, so she changed the subject.

“So, do you want it or not?”

“Want what?”

“Money, Stella. The Larkin family’s money. I can split it with you.”

Stella stared at her for a second.

Was this really happening?

She took a deep breath. “Do I look like I need money right now?”

Lola shrugged. “No, but Larkin’s money is different. Think of it as payback from them. You’ve earned it.”

Back when Stella worked at Nocturne Hues, she’d heard Jaxon defending Ursula nonstop, always calling her his precious little sister. Stella had wondered then what kind of people she was dealing with.

She asked, “So tell me, what made you ever like Jaxon in the first place?”

“Like him?” Lola’s face twisted like she’d just bitten into a lemon.

Stella paused. “You had his kid. Didn’t you like him?”

Lola rolled her eyes. “You actually believed those rumors?”

Rumor had it Lola tried to marry her way up the ladder, using her kid as leverage and failed. Cloudia had confronted her more than once, fuming every time.

Lola smirked. “Please. Like I ever liked him. If anything, it was his money that caught my eye.”

“Money?” Stella echoed.

“Yeah. I was broke. The baby just happened, but once he existed, I had to step up.”

“But, hey! Jaxon should step up, too. I’m not raising his kid for free.”

Stella’s jaw dropped.

This girl was brutally honest.

She never wanted Jaxon, just his cash. Most people would never admit that.

Stella stayed silent.

Lola gave a little laugh. “What? You think I’m trash? I get it. People like us, scraping by, you sky-high princesses could never understand.” Stella shook her head. “I don’t look down on you.”

People’s lives are just… different.

If she hadn’t met the Quinns, who knows where she’d be?

Lola shrugged. “You wouldn’t be wrong if you did. I started working at fourteen. I’ve waited tables at diners, handed out flyers, sold shoes at the mall, name it, I’ve done it.”

“Then I realized bartending paid better, so I did that. Morals? Sorry, rent comes first.”

For some reason, Lola kept talking, and Stella just listened quietly.

Lola got to the part about Jaxon. Stella cut her off. “Okay, okay. I get it, Jaxon’s a jerk.”

Lola stopped, then laughed.

“Yeah. He really is.”

She said it with zero emotion, like she’d never cared about Jaxon himself, just his bank account. If Jaxon ever found out, he’d probably feel pathetic.

Stella hesitated, then blurted, “What about you and Dandy? Are you…?”

“I’m getting married!” Lola said, brightening instantly.

Stella stared. “Wait, what?”

“Dandy promised he’d love me forever. He’ll take care of me and Paxton for life.”

Paxton-the kid. Technically, Stella’s nephew.

Stella blinked.

She didn’t know what to say.

“So… do you believe him?” she finally asked.

Chapter 650

“Here. For you.”

Stella shook her head. “I don’t need it.”

She really didn’t need money; it wasn’t something she was short on.

Lola raised an eyebrow. “What, you think it’s dirty?”

Stella shook her head again. “No, it’s not that.”

It wasn’t about being dirty. From the way Lola was talking, it was obvious she needed this much more than Stella did.

Lola pressed the envelope into her hand. “If you don’t think it’s dirty, just take it. I got this for you anyway.”

She’d split her cut from the cash she hustled from Jaxon back in Portis City, and she’d meant to give this share to Stella then. Things got complicated, one thing led to another, and she’d missed her chance. Now, running into Stella in Ferrowland, it seemed like fate was giving her another shot.

Stella frowned at the words “for you.” “Why are you doing this for me?”

They’d only crossed paths a handful of times and barely exchanged more than a few words. Why go out of her way?

Lola’s mind flashed back to a grim night—she’d thought she was done for, cornered by a bunch of creeps in a dark alley. Then, out of nowhere, a beer bottle shattered nearby, scattering the guys. Someone had draped a warm, soft coat over her shoulders. It smelled of fresh laundry and comfort. She’d never forgotten that.

She didn’t answer. Instead, Lola took a step closer and shoved the envelope into Stella’s hand.

Before Stella could react, Lola turned on her heel and strode away. Stella had the urge to run after her, to shove the money back, but as she looked at Lola’s retreating figure, she caught a glimpse of something lonely, maybe.

Yvonne emerged from the house. “Star!”

Stella turned to see her friend marching over. “What are you even doing out here? What if you ran into more drama queens like earlier?” Honestly, Yvonne was still a little impressed by Stella’s performance inside, but she couldn’t help worrying. To the whole Quinn family, Stella was basically the baby everyone was scared would get hurt if she stepped outside.

“It’s fine,” Stella said, rolling her eyes. “If someone tries something, I’ll handle it. Besides, after what happened in there, I doubt anyone’s in the mood to start anything else.”

Earlier, the scene inside had been chaos– two women had been thrown out, wailing like banshees. Stella had made quite a name for herself tonight. By breakfast, she’d be the talk of the town: the girl the Quinns kept wrapped in cotton wool.

Ronald appeared in the doorway. “Hey, sis,” Yvonne called. Stella looked over, too.

He didn’t say a word, just pulled Stella into a quick hug. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay.”

They’d barely taken a few steps when a woman’s voice called out, “Ronald!” Stella sighed as they paused.

Ronald glanced over his shoulder, and there she was– Melissa Norton, the very woman the gossip queens had been talking about inside. She’d apparently had a thing for Ronald since high school.

Melissa stepped up, her tone businesslike. “Maybe you should reconsider my father’s proposal. It’d benefit…her, too.”

Her? Stella raised an eyebrow, recognizing the implication.

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