Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

"That woman even had a son."

Yorick fell silent at those words. The news hit him like a ton of bricks, and he hadn't quite processed it yet.

Whenever he looked at Blaise before, he never would have pegged him as the type to have an affair.

"How did Cloudia find out?" Yorick asked, turning to Jaxon.

Jaxon paused for a moment, then let out a mocking laugh. "With all the drama surrounding Stella lately, it's obvious she's behind this. It's her way of getting back at the Larkin family, tearing apart even her own flesh and blood." Just mentioning Stella made Jaxon clench his teeth in frustration. She was his sister, yet she could do this to him.

The constant pain from his wound served as a sharp reminder, feeding the resentment that boiled inside him.

Yorick frowned, irritation bubbling up at the mention of Stella.

"Don't you think her relationship with Mr. Quinn seems... not quite like that of siblings?" Yorick ventured.

Jaxon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Yorick's mind flashed back to that scene at the Silk-River Residences where Ronald casually came out of the shower with just a towel around his waist.

Would normal siblings act like that? Obviously not.

Jaxon, however, didn't have the energy or interest to concern himself with whatever was happening between Stella and Ronald.

After a moment of thought, he said, "I heard some gossip- she's got a fiancé back in Ferrowland."

Yorick's already grim expression deepened further at Jaxon's words.

What a piece of work!noveldrama

Yorick felt like he was about to explode with anger.

Jaxon added, "Seems like she's engaged to Xander Schultz."

The Schultz family? The second wealthiest family in Ferrowland?

Yorick's eyes turned icy.

Jaxon, watching him closely, felt an even deeper pang of desolation. Stella didn't just have Mr. Quinn supporting her; she had the entire Lugar family behind her, and even... Xander, the dandy Satan.

...

On the plane, however, Ronald, usually known for his self-control, completely lost it as the temperature in the cabin soared.

As things escalated, Stella's voice grew more desperate. "I don't want this, let me go, please, I can't..."

Tears and pleas filled the air, but Ronald, uncharacteristically, didn't relent.

Nearly two hours later, when Stella's voice had grown hoarse from shouting, Ronald finally released her.

Exhausted, she lay in his arms,

drenched in sweat. Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, were full of reproach. "You... you're terrible. How could you be so... so wicked

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JMS

Where did he learn all these tricks? She had never noticed how devious he could be before.

Ronald, looking entirely satisfied, chuckled softly before carrying her to the bathroom.

Once they were cleaned up, Stella lay on the bed, too drained to move. Ronald scooped her back into his arms. "Star, you gonna tell me now how you managed to escape from his villa?"

Xander's villa wasn't exactly Fort Knox, but with all the guards, it was close enough. Not even a fly could get out easily. Yet, somehow Stella had slipped past them all.

Stella snuggled closer, her voice a bit raspy. "They got distracted by the dog barking. Couldn't pay attention to me." Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

A dog? That was an interesting twist.

Stella continued, "The barking was quite the spectacle. They had to check it out."

While everyone's attention was on the dog, she'd made her escape.

Ronald pinched her nose gently. "I underestimated your stamina."

They couldn't catch her on foot, even with a car.

Stella nestled deeper into his arms, finding a comfortable spot. "For the first hour, they were all chasing after the dog."

There was no way the dog could run on the highway, and the whole point was to exhaust Xander and his crew. She had picked the strongest dog and unless Xander's men started shooting, it would be tough for them to catch up.

Ronald's eyes widened. His face froze as he looked down at the little kitten in his arms who was now breathing steadily.

From her few words, Ronald pieced together how she'd managed her escape.

Xander's love for dogs was well-known, and it was just Stella's luck that Yvonne's month-long harsh training had included... communicating with animals.

When a person is suffering and unable to rely on anyone, they must make full use of any living beings around them with whom they can communicate.

"Ronald." Stella, who had already closed her eyes, suddenly lifted her head to look at him. In the soft, orange glow of the lamp, her face seemed even more delicate. "What is it?"

Stella said, "You have to hold me. I don't want to be apart from you."

Clearly, the brief separation had left a significant mark on Stella's heart.

Ronald's heart took a hit, and he held her even tighter. He kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well, darling."

His voice was full of affection, reserved only for her.