Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 181

“Alright.” Kirk nodded, going along without hesitation.

He scooped up Yvonne in one swift motion, then flashed Stella and Erica a big grin, showing off his pearly whites. For a moment, he seemed especially genuine.

“We’re heading out now. Thanks–you know I owe you one, and I’ll never forget it.” With that, he turned and walked away, carrying Yvonne in his arms.

Stella was left speechless and wondered, ‘He is so straightforward that he leaves me at a loss for words.

Erica noticed Stella’s speechless look and chuckled, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “That’s just how he is like a big, goofy husky. He might seem a bit of a dork, but he’s got a good heart.

“After hanging around in this circle for so long, you get tired of all the scheming and backstabbing. Someone like him, who just says what’s on his mind and doesn’t play games, actually has a surprisingly good reputation.”

She paused, then added, “Yvonne’s life with him–the vibe’s definitely a bit unique, but you can bet she’s completely safe.”

Stella nodded, feeling a wave of appreciation for this kind of raw honesty; it was so rare to find someone that real when everyone around was busy plotting and pretending.

‘All I want,‘ Stella thought softly to herself, ‘is for that spunky little girl to grow up safe, sheltered beneath her father’s undeniably goofy yet rock–solid protection.

*****

Inside the stretch limo, the doors shut out all the bustle from the world outside.

Just a second ago, Kirk was grinning like the world’s friendliest goofball, but in a heartbeat, that whole goofy, sunny act disappeared–as if he’d just dropped a mask.

His deep eyes now flashed with a cutting, almost intimidating brilliance. No trace of that playful, harmless mood was left.

What replaced it was the commanding presence and sharp, knowing look of someone who always pulls the strings from above.

Sitting in her car seat, Yvonne cocked her head, her wide eyes gleaming with a piercing insight one would never expect from a kid her age. Her voice was soft and cute, but every word hit the nail right on the head.

She said, “Dad, you’re a master at switching faces, huh? Who were you plotting against just now–the Spencer family, or those sewer rats sneaking around in the dark?”

Smack.

Kirk flicked her right on the forehead–not too hard, just enough to get her attention.

“Ouch,” Yvonne clutched her forehead dramatically, her big eyes going watery. “You meanie, you’re just mad I called you out, so you’re getting revenge.”

Kirk leaned in, giving her a dangerously sweet smile that practically screamed.

He drawled, “Yvonne, if that clever little brain of yours doesn’t want a real lesson in what it means to get on my bad side, I’d recommend dialing it back.”

Yvonne folded instantly, switching to an ingratiatingly sweet grin–even faster than her dad could change faces. “Hey, Dad, I’m just messing with you.”

“Why so serious? You know we’ve got that legendary father–daughter bond, right?” She laid it on thick, buttering him up like she was born for it.

Kirk sighed, ruffling her hair gently. For once, a genuine weariness fluttered across his face, “Just thinking- Stella and Erica sort of ended up saving you, totally by accident.

“Now I owe them, but I have no idea what the right way to pay them back is.”

What he meant was that Stella’s interference had messed up Yvonne’s original scheme to trap the enemy, but as it turned out, it actually kept her safe from any real danger.

Yvonne pouted, a bit miffed. “Hmph, I haven’t even called them out for wrecking my big rat–hunting operation. I was about to reel them all in.”

Kirk gave Yvonne’s head a gentle pat, his voice taking on that familiar, Dad–lecture seriousness. “Yvonne, I know you’re incredibly gifted–a cut above the rest.

“But no matter how smart you are, what truly matters as a person is-”

“Know how to be grateful,” Yvonne interrupted, stretching out every word like she was reciting her ABCs. She rolled her eyes.

“Dad, I’ve heard your gratitude lecture so many times that my ears have grown calluses. Seriously, do you really think your precious daughter is some heartless, evil little villain?” she added.

Kirk was stumped by her comeback, rubbing his nose and quickly deciding to switch gears. “Well, the whole plan’s blown up now, and we’ve definitely spooked them. So, genius, what’s our next move?”

If any outsider had witnessed this scene, they’d be floored; the boss of one of Seabrook’s most legendary old- money families asking a kid who wasn’t even ten to call the shots.

But Yvonne didn’t even bat an eye; this was just business as usual.

She crossed her arms, looking way too cool and collected for a kid. “They’re not fools. With our plan blown, they’ll definitely be lying low and watching for any signs.

“If we try to set another trap now, it’ll be so obvious. We’d just be handing ourselves over. For now-”

She tapped the car window with her little finger. “We chill, head home, and wait. Either they’ll get antsy and slip up, or we’ll spot a fresh weakness.”

The limo was quiet for a moment.

All of a sudden, Yvonne lifted her head, her crystal–clear eyes locking onto her father’s with a chill that didn’t belong on a kid’s face. “So what about Mommy Amelia? What do you plan to do with her?”

There wasn’t a hint of emotion in her childish voice–but it landed like a stone shattering calm water, sending a jolt through the silence.

Kirk’s face tensed up just a bit, and he gave a strained, uneasy smile, trying to ease the tension. “Sweetheart, you know, everything that happened to Owen was all because he tried to save me back then-”

That was a pain Kirk would never shake off, a debt weighing heavily on his heart, forever.

“I know,” Yvonne said calmly, her voice flat and emotionless, sounding way too grown–up for her age.

The rolling lights outside flashed across her wide eyes, turning them into icy glass, cold and sharp as a steel blade.

Her voice stayed soft and innocent, but the words spilled out with a clinical detachment that left no room for warmth. “Yes, Owen saved you, and our family has more than compensated them.

“I even accepted his daughter as my godmother, let her move in under the pretense of repaying a debt, and made sure she wanted for nothing. She’s pretty much the unofficial hostess in our home now, and even-”

Yvonne’s voice suddenly rose, trembling with a hatred so raw it seemed to burn through her. Her little shoulders shook, struggling not to break down.

She continued, “Back then, she plotted and twisted things in front of my mom, purposely smearing my birth certificate just to make Mom suspect I wasn’t really hers.

“She broke my mom’s heart, drove her to despair. So just to prove she loved me, Mom went out behind the wheel, risking everything for that damned, belated birthday gift–and on the way-”

Yvonne bit down so hard on her lip that she could barely breathe; the words stuck in her throat. Huge silent tears welled up, falling onto her tightly clenched fists.

All those years of pain and fury bottled up inside her were now clawing to tear her small body apart.

She drew a ragged breath, forcing down the storm inside her. Then she lifted her head, her glare sharp and frigid, staring Kirk down with an unflinching intensity that cut right to his soul.

“Hasn’t our family repaid Owen enough? Was my mom’s life not worth as much as the debt you owe him? Just answer me, Dad,” she said.

Seeing that abyss of hatred and anguish in his daughter’s eyes, Kirk felt like an invisible fist had clamped down on his heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.

He knew better than anyone that after his father’s sudden passing, the Lynn family was just barely staying afloat beneath its glossy exterior.

It was his daughter, gifted to the point of being almost unnatural yet always emotionally distant, who quietly stepped in behind the scenes time and again, turning the tide and saving the family from ruin.

Kirk tried desperately to warm her icy heart with love, hoping to protect that last bit of innocence in his little girl, needing her to see the world wasn’t just about scheming and cold strategy.

There was also real kindness and the bonds of true gratitude.

But with Amelia looming between them, a shackle of old debts, soaked in his wife’s blood, all his efforts felt hopeless.