Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 98

Everyone froze in shock. Screams of terror came from up ahead before anyone could even react.

“Ahhh!” someone screamed.

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“Please, let me go! Is it money you want? I have money, I’ll give you all of it,” another person pleaded, their voice shaking.

“I have jewelry. This piece is really expensive. Take it, take all of it! Just please don’t kill me,” a third person gabbled in a panic.

As people begged for mercy, the crowd scrambled to the sides of the hallway, creating a clear path for a man wearing a tiger mask and holding a gun. The muzzle of the gun pointed ahead, causing everyone to panic and push away, terrified they’d be next.

“Get out of the way!” The man’s rough, distorted voice boomed through the crowd. “If you cooperate, I won’t hurt you!”

Everyone went quiet–nobody even thought about calling the cops.

The rich were always worried about their lives. They knew that as long as they didn’t cause trouble, the worst that would happen was losing some money. Once the danger was over, they could deal with the situation later.

Among the crowd, only Stella, shielded by Jeremy, quietly reached for her phone.

Just as she got her hands on it, a sudden shove from the side sent her stumbling. She barely steadied herself, her face draining of all color.

The crowd parted, and at the end of the path, the man’s eyes locked onto hers. And in his hand, the gun was aimed straight at her.

Her heart nearly stopped. She quickly turned her head, and there, just as she expected, was Sylvia, wiping the smug smile off her face.

Sylvia stammered, “I’m sorry! I was terrified, my legs went numb. I swear I didn’t mean to push you.”

But Stella didn’t pay her any mind–her focus was on the tiger man, who was walking toward her. Anyone could see what she was trying to do by reaching for her phone.

“If anything happens to her, I swear–even if it costs me everything Lumière Group has–I won’t let you walk away unharmed!” Jeremy shouted.

Everything happened so fast that Jeremy barely had time to react. He shot Sylvia a look, about to step forward to stand by Stella, but the man was already there.

Many people closed their eyes, terrified of witnessing the bloody scene they expected.

They all thought Stella was seeking death by trying to call the police. But what they forgot was–once the rescue came, they’d be the ones getting saved too.

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Chapter 98

Half a minute dragged by, but the gunshot everyone was bracing for never came.

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Instead, the man completely ignored Stella, striding past her and pointing the gun at Ernest. “Die!” he shouted.

The shot rang out, but Ernest remained unharmed. Sylvia, however, lunged in front of him just in time, taking the bullet instead. Blood soaked Sylvia’s chest, and she struggled to speak, coughing up blood repeatedly.

The man tried to fire a second shot, but Ernest kicked him to the floor, forcefully restraining him. Seeing this, the crowd rushed forward, helping to pin the robber down.

Ernest gave Stella a lingering, meaningful look before picking up the bleeding Sylvia and rushing outside.

“Stella, are you okay?” Jeremy asked, his voice full of concern.

“I…” Stella started, but words wouldn’t come.

‘Is Ernest starting to doubt me?‘ Stella thought, her heart uneasy. ‘Why did that robber just act like I was invisible? Who masterminded this whole thing? And what the hell did they want?‘

So many questions swirled in Stella’s mind, making her feel utterly confused.

Half an hour later, the police arrived. They cuffed the robber and took everyone to give statements.

Everyone was still confused about the robbers‘ motive–whether it was simply for money or if they had come to kill. But as the police pieced together the witness statements, suspicion quickly shifted to Stella as the main

suspect.

Inside the interrogation room, Stella sat with her hands cuffed to the chair. Across from her, two detectives glared at her. “Stella Spencer, did you hire a hitman?” one of them asked coldly.

“If you confess now, things might go easier for you. Resist, and it’ll only get worse,” the detective warned.

“Turns out the suspect’s Hugh Tobin, 35. He’s got a bedridden mom, a disabled wife, and a kid who’s not even five. Recently, someone transferred two million into his account through an anonymous wire. It’s clear that this was a contract killing.

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“We’ll look into it,” the team leader said. He had seen too many cases like this. Money was routed through a business, and unless the entire paper trail was unraveled, it was impossible to determine where it ultimately ended up.

Until everything was crystal clear, his suspicion about Stella wasn’t going anywhere.

And then he added, “From what we’ve learned, you and Ernest are married, but your relationship’s clearly troubled. The fact that your husband seems indifferent toward you. It’s not hard to see how this could lead to a motive for murder.”

Stella was shocked by his words. If she had wanted Ernest dead out of hate, she would have had plenty of opportunities.

But the team leader wasn’t finished. “That Sylvia, the woman who’s suddenly started showing up around your husband–she’s clearly the source of your hatred, isn’t she?”

He might secretly look down on Sylvia for being the other woman, but when it came to doing his job, he kept it strictly professional. Personal feelings had no place here–it was all about logical deduction.

“You hired a hitman, planning to take out Ernest first, then go after Sylvia next. But something didn’t go according to plan, which left us with this mess. Am I right?” the team leader pressed, his voice icy and unwavering.

“But isn’t this all just you guessing?” Stella sighed, feeling worn out. “Let me say it one more time–I didn’t do it. There’s no need for baseless accusations. Go ahead and investigate as much as you want.”

“Alright.” The team leader said with a nod, signaling for his officers to take her to the detention room while they continued their investigation.

*****

In the detention room, Stella was barely settled in when Jeremy arrived. His face filled with concern as he

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Chapter 98

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peered at her through the bars. “Don’t worry, Stella. I’ve already called in our legal team. They’ll be here soon,”

he reassured her.

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