Chapter 152 No Room for Misunderstanding
Abel led them into what looked like a modest little teahouse.
But along the way. Louis and Alex both noticed there were quite a few bodyguards hidden in the shadows.
Alex leaned over and whispered, “Did you see what those guys had on their belts?”
Louis asked back, “What do you think it was?”
Alex fell silent
Was that… a gun?
No wonder Ethan lost so badly when dealing with Abraham. Who did they think Abraham was? A man like that wasn’t going to tolerate provocation.
And the fact he hadn’t already blown Ethan’s head off–that was self–restraint.
Under a bamboo grove, next to a humble thatched cottage.
By the time Abel brought Louis over, Abraham was the only one there.
As soon as Louis saw him, he stepped forward respectfully. “Mr. Abraham.
Abraham put down his teacup, raised his eyes slightly, and shot Louis a cold glance.
Alex, standing behind Louis, caught the look in Abraham’s eyes for just a moment–and instantly looked away.
The aura this man had was overwhelming. You couldn’t even look him in the eye.
So this was the brother who raised Stella?
With someone like this backing her, Alex was even more convinced that the Reed family and Ethan were done for.
They were completely insane. They really had no idea who they were messing with
Abraham looked at Louis. “You want Stella to compensate you for something?”
Louis froze.
Alex froze.
The chill in Abraham’s voice sent a shiver through both their chests.
Louis quickly said, “Of course not, Mr. Abraham. I wouldn’t dare ask Ms. Stella to compensate anything”
“I was only concerned that the ring might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. I wanted it back, but if Ms. Stella lost it, that’s that. I just didn’t want you to misunderstand anything”
As if he’d actually make her pay him back–Abraham was already looking unhappy, and this wasn’t even anything serious
If he really did ask Stella for compensation, Abraham would probably eat him alive.
Listening to Louis speak so deferentially, Alex once again felt a shock at Abralsam’s identity.
No wonder he was Fleule’s underground arms dealer.
In all of Rivermount, no one else could make Louis lower his head like this.
yet.
4:38 PM
Chapter 152 No Room for Misunderstanding
The weight in Abraham’s voice made Louis’s chest tighten even more.
He quickly said. “Of course not. I absolutely have no such intentions toward Ms. Stella.”
If he did have those kinds of intentions, the next scene would probably be a bloodbath.
There was no way he’d dare.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Abraham.”
At this point, Louis felt a wave of regret.
Back when the Reed family and that bastard Ethan were treating Stella like dirt, he should’ve stepped in.
+8 Pearls
If he’d known she had someone like this behind her, defending her might’ve at least earned him some favor in Abraham’s
eyes.
But back then, Stella had acted like she had no one at all.
Abraham lit a cigarette, took a drag, then tossed the pack at Louis.
Louis caught it. “Thank you.”
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “I know you’re angry, Mr. Abraham, but I really didn’t-
Right as he started to explain, Abraham gave him a cutting look.
Louis immediately swallowed the rest of his words,
Thinking about what Ethan and the Reed family were going through right now, he quickly said, I’ve already locked Sharon up. You have my word–she won’t bother Ms. Stella again.”
He’d seen protective brothers before, but never one like this.
If anyone said Abraham didn’t have feelings for Stella, Louis wouldn’t believe it for a second.
Not that it was any of his business. Right now, he just wanted to make this man happy. Whatever it took.
Abraham gave him another cold look. “You’re sure it’s all taken care of?
“All taken care of. If you still don’t believe me, Mr. Abraham, I’ll have Sharon thrown in jail right now.”
Alex’s mouth twitched. Is this guy serious?
Is that really his own sister?
Abel gave Louis a cold glance as well.
Abraham took another drag on his cigarette, still silent, then looked toward Abel.
Abel immediately understood. He stepped forward. “Mr. Louis, you should head back for now. We’ll be in touch”
“Mr. Abraham-”
“Our master’s already aware”
Louis had more to say, but Abel cut him off.
Louis glanced at Abraham again, trying to read something from his expression.
Chapter 153 Strawberries and Scars
Louis was speechless. Not petty!
He thought Abraham was extremely petty–especially when it came to Stella.
Sharon had just argued with her, and Abraham reacted like that. And they dared say he wasn’t petty
+8 Pearls
After sending Louis oll, Abel returned to Abraham’s side. “Sir”
“He gone?”
Abel nodded. “Yes”
“What do you think of him?” Abraham’s tone was calm but heavy.
Abel considered it. “Compared to others, Mr. Louis is actually a solid choice.”
“Then he’s the one.” Abraham said coldly.
Abel nodded in agreement. Louis as a good candidate. Most importantly–he was ruthless
He might seem laid–back, but anyone who’d watched the Parker family’s internal war would know–he was more than ruthless enough.
Abraham glanced at the time on his watch. It was lunchtime. He dialed Stella’s number.
“Abraham,”
“I’m coming to get you.”
The moment he spoke to Stella, all the coldness in his voice disappeared, replaced by gentle warmth.
Stella said, “Huh? Didn’t I tell you I was having lunch with Tessa?
“Cancel”
The two simple words were warm, but unmistakably commanding.
Stella pouted on her end. “Fine.”
“I’ll take
you
somewhere fun to cat
Fun?” Stella blinked. Since when is food funt
What could that even mean?
Her curiosity kicked in. “Then hurry up and get me.”
Food that was both delicious and fun? Who could say no to that? Stella certainly couldn’t.
Abraham chuckled and hung up after a soft “Mm.”
Stella immediately called Tessa. “My brother says he’s taking me somewhere fun to eat. Don’t come.”
Tessa was silent for a moment. Seriously!
Chapter 163 Strawberries and Scars
was born and raised in Rivermount, and even the didn’t know of any food that was also entertaining
Stella replied, “No idea.”
nhung op
She chatted with Tessa for a few more sentences and then hung up.
+8 Pearls
About thirty minutes later. Abraham arrived.
Stella came downstairs.
As soon as she stepped out of the office building, she saw his signature car parked not far away.
She instinctively headed toward it, but a sudden grip on her wrist made her stop It was Ethan.
Stella’s expression instantly darkened. “What are you doing?”
Seriously? This guy’s still haunting me?
Ethan looked furious. “What will it take for Eddie and Rianne to come back? What do they want from you?”
Stella blinked. This lunatic again.
Ethan tightened his grip on her wrist. “Talk, What do you want?”
Susan had said Stella tricked her into signing the severance agreement but never followed through. Ethan couldn’t take it
anymon
Seeing he was still hung up on Eddie and Rianne, Stella immediately lost all patience.
She yanked her wrist free. “Let go, you psycho.”
“Stella”
“Yelling again? Who the hell are you yelling at? You think I’m your mom?”
Ethan’s teeth clenched. This woman!
Stella said. “Did Susannot explain things to you? And you still have the nerve to come pester me?”
Ethan snapped, “She’s your mom!”
“Fine, then I’m your grandma, how about that?” Stella rolled her eyes.
Ethan froze,
This tevoowan…!
Stella continued, “We signed the severance agreement. Do you even know what that means?”
“She’s still your mother! How can you-
“Oh, shut up already. If your brain’s fried, go get it checked. Want me to knock it back into place?”
She raised her hand and smacked Ethan on the forehead–hard.
Ethan’s brain buzzed. The blow had his skull ringing and his temper boiling over.
Kralla couldn’t be bothered with him and hinnad in lasin
Chapter 153 Strawberries and Scaro
Their eyes locked-and that’s when Ethan saw it.
He noticed the swelling on her lips. The marks peeking out from under her scarf.
His brain exploded with a deafening buzz, his pupils practically shattered.
He reached out and yanked off the scarf around her neck–and was met with a cluster of hickeys.
Send Gifts
606
U
Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are?
In that instant, Ethan felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“You and those men-?”
What about those men? Ethan couldn’t even finish the sentence. He was a grown man. He knew exactly what those marks
meant.
No one knew what he’d been going through these past few days. Every time he thought about Stella being with another man, it drove him crazy.
He kept convincing himself, over and over, that she was just angry with him. That she was only messing around with those men out of spite.
But this? Was this just a game!
“You’re out of your mind.”
What did Lillian have to do with this? And what right did he have to bring up her man?
Was Stella’s man someone he could casually talk about?
She tried to shake Ethan off.
But the bastard had a death grip on her wrist.
Boiling with rage, Stella aimed a sharp kick at Ethan’s stomach. A dull thump followed.
Ethan grunted in pain and finally let go.
Abraham stood nearby, hands in his coat pockets, eyes cold as ice as he stared Ethan down.
Ethan clutched his stomach, struggling to breathe, his face contorted with pain as he looked up at Abraham.
Both Stella and Abraham had kicked him at the same time.
It felt like all his internal organs had shattered. The pain was unbearable.
He glared at Stella. “You you.”
You wha!? The words caught in his throat.
Stella turned to Abraham. “Why are you here?”
“Since when did your combat skills get so weak?”
He took off his coat and wrapped it around her.
It was already cold–what was she doing wearing so little?
That cool scent of his wrapped around her, Clean, masculine, with a trace of sweetness that made her want to bury herself in
Ethan’s face darkened even more when he heard Abraham comment on her strength.
Since when did women have that kind of combat strength? Was Stella raised by wolves? She was vicious as hell.
Stella muttered, “I kicked him, didn’t I? And then you showed up,”
Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are?
He glared at Stella. “Stella, you better explain-
Before she could even react. Abraham let go of her hand and strode toward Ethan like a storm
Ethan felt the oppressive force of the man’s presence and instinctively stepped back.
Too late-
Abraham’s kick sent Ethan crashing to the ground. At that moment, Ethan swore he had heard something snap.
No doubt about it–his already fractured hand had just gotten worse.
He tried to get up, but a heavy boot pressed down on his back.
It was Abraham, pinning him in place.
“You bastard!”
Ethan roared in rage.
No one in Rivermount had ever dared treat
at him like
like this. This guy–this bastard–was humiliating him.
+8 Pearls
From the car not far off, Jason saw what was happening and immediately ran over,
But even Stella E
felt her leap into her throat when she saw the dangerous glint in Abraham’s eyes.
In a flash, a violent, bloody image surfaced in her mind.
And it was that image that made her wonder–is someone going to die here today?
Abraham’s voice was like steel. “You think it’s fun to bully her?”
Ethan gritted his teeth. “Let me go if you’ve got the guts!”
Abraham pressed harder. “If you can’t even get up from under my foot, what good would it do to let you go?”
Ethan was speechless.
Jason didn’t dare speak either.
Ethan panted with fury, then glared at Stella. “Stella, get your man off me!”
Stella crossed her arms. “If you’ve got the guts, get up yourself.”
Still mouthing off? He must have a death wish.
Ethan was nearly losing his mind.
The humiliation ate at him, swallowing him whole. He wanted nothing more than to tear Stella and this man apart.
Jason instinctively stepped forward, but the man’s presence was overwhelming.
He kept sending pleading glances at Stella.
But she didn’t even look his way.
Jason was sweating cold bullets,
Ethan twisted his neck to glare up at Abraham. “Who the hell are you?”
Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are?
Ethan groaned in pain, cold sweat dripping down his face like rain.
“I’m going to kill you. And you too, Stella, you damn woman–I’ll kill you!”
Driven by rage, Ethan spat out his final threat.
Send Gifts
Chapter 155 One Word Away
+8 Pearls
But that threat–Ethan’s vow that Stella would die–brought a bloodthirsty smile to the corner of Abraham’s mouth.
The warmth vanished from his features, replaced by danger.
“So tell me do you think you’ll even walk out of here alive?”
As he spoke, his hand moved to his waist.
Jason saw the motion–and the object Abraham drew–and it felt like all the blood in his body stopped flowing.
Even his breath stilled.
The wind itself seemed to turn cruel and sharp.
Just as Jason was sure Ethan wasn’t getting out of here alive, Stella slowly stepped forward.
She reached out and grabbed Abraham’s wrist. “Abraham.”
Abraham’s eyes cleared slightly as he looked at her, dark and intense. “Can’t bear to see it?”
“We’ve got more important things to deal with.”
Stella’s t
tone was calm, a soft reminder.
And just to make it clear that it wasn’t about mercy, she ground her heel into Ethan’s injured hand.
Already wounded. Ethan let out a strangled cry–he had never been so humiliated.
Stella pulled Abraham’s hand down and took the object from him. “Let’s go.”
Can’t bear to see it? That wasn’t the
e point.
Abraham wouldn’t be in Rivermount this long unless something big was going on.
If anything happened to Ethan now, it would create unnecessary trouble.
judson’s influence in Rivermount was not to be underestimated.
Stella put Abraham’s business above everything else.
The look Abraham gave her grew darker, deeper–but in the end, he let her take it away.
Like a raging tiger suddenly soothed.
He glanced once n
more at Ethan, let out a cold snort, then lifted his foot and walked off with Stella.
Ethan felt the pressure on his back disappear–and with it, all his strength drained.
Only after Stella and Abraham’s car disappeared did he let Jason help him to his feet.
“What was that guy holding?”
Even now, thinking back kon it made Ethan break into a cold sweat.
Someone in Rivermount, acting so openly, so fearlessly–who the hell was he?
Jason nodded, his voice serious. That guy. It was him.”
Chapter 155 One Word Away
Jason was sure the man would’ve actually killed Ethan.
Carrying that kind of weapon on him… he wasn’t normal. Not by a long shot.
Ethan’s chest heaved. “Still no clue who that guy is?”
Jason frowned. “There’s something familiar about him.”
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t place it.
And the man’s background… they couldn’t find anything. No matter how hard they tried.
Which only proved how serious his backing was.
“Shit-” Ethan winced. “Get me to a hospital.”
The pain was unbearable. His injured hand couldn’t even move anymore.
Finished
Inside the car.
Stella placed the object back at Abraham’s waist. “So, everything in Rivermount handled?”
Abraham took her icy little hand and held it. “Why?”
“I miss Mom and Sis.”
Abraham pulled her into his lap without hesitation.
He gently rubbed her soft hair. “Good. You’ve got some conscience after all.”
Stella’s lips twitched.
Abraham’s warm fingertips trailed the marks on her neck. “That bug sure got you good. So many bites.”
Stella’s brain exploded.
It felt like a switch had flipped–her blood instantly boiled
Her face turned bright red as she grabbed his wrist. “You’re the one who should talk!”
“Hm? I can’t?”
Stella didn’t answer.
Her face only turned redder.
Abraham’s long fingers tilted her chin up. Their eyes met, and his gaze was deep as a dark lake.
Stella’s nerves were already on edge.
Now, under Abraham’s stare, she could barely speak. “Abraham, your.. your face is so r
He’s really asking that?
The images from last night flashed through her mind.
Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her voice came out low. “Pretend
Stella’s hands around his neck trembled. She didn’t know why, but that word-“check“-sounded a little… suggestive.
Stella stayed quiet.
At the mention of food, Abraham chuckled. “You’ll see when we get there.”
The two chatted idly as they drove, and about half an hour later, they arrived at their destination
Before stepping out of the car, Stella made sure to wrap her scarf tightly around her neck.
The last thing she needed was anyone else seeing those marks and asking questions. Let her live in peace, please.
He caught it. “What are you looking at?”
Because if he hadn’t, it’d make sense why he didn’t recognize those marks for what they were.
He yanked her into his arms and lifted her chin with two fingers. “You’ve gotten bold. Now you think you can poke around in my private life?”
Abraham’s smile deepened. “Just asking?”
“What? I can’t ask?”
But Abraham was holding her firmly–there was nowhere to run.
And maybe it was just her imagination, but when he repeated the question, his deep voice held a hint of something probing. *So, what do you hope for? That I have, or haven’t?”
and pulled it out to check the caller.
“How’s my darling doing?”
It was the voice of a middle–aged woman–Abraham’s mother, Evelyn.
She had always doted on Stella, never willing to let her suffer even a little.
Back when Marie wanted to send Stella for training. Evelyn was the one most strongly against it.
And those punishments Stella might not be able to take them,
“I’m holding her back. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a three–month program this time–it’d be three years.”
Abraham’s face darkened instantly at the sound of that.
No matter what, he had to keep Stella close. He couldn’t let Marie get her hands on her again.
They exchanged a few more words.
Before hanging up, Evelyn added, “This time, watch her closely. Don’t you dare lose her again.”
“I know.”
Abraham hung up.
Forget the fact that Ethan was still tangled up with Lilhan–even without her, Stella wouldn’t have looked at him twice.
Abel said, “Mr. Ethan’s still trying to buy Verdant Villa.”
Abraham’s tone was biting.
He was willing to waste his time playing the long game–but did Lillian even have that much time left to waste?
“They still don’t know Verdant Villa is under Stella’s name?”
Cutting ties meant cutting them clean–and publicly..
Abel understood immediately and nodded, “Got it”
The Reed family had actually signed that severance agreement with Stella. Just from that, it was clear how heartless they’d been toward her.
Before they discovered Stella’s real identity and started circling like vultures again.
with Tessa.
This wasn’t just zooming in on a signature. This was blowing up the cold, ugly truth that she had nothing to do with the Reed family anymore.
“You’re rushing this because you’re worried the Reed family will try to leech off you later, huh?”
Stella had never been in a hurry about it before. But now that Abraham had found her–she was suddenly urgent.
Sure, they might not get much out of her–but for her, it was about protecting Abraham’s interests at all costs.
As long as she was around, those people weren’t getting a single drop of blood.
“All right, I’ll get to it. Talk later.”
Stella ended the call and stared at the still pond in front of her, confused. What exactly did Abraham bring her here to eat? Or to
She turned to look for him–and walked straight into his chest with a thud.
soon
Louis took a sip of rest wine. “Yeah First step’s done. The rest should be smooth”
Alex went on. “Didn’t the Keene family want in too? But now that Abraham’s chosen you, they’re out for good, right?”
“Just wait. The Keene family’s real fun is still ahead. Ethan’s still losing his mind over trying to buy Verdant Villa“”
Louis replied, “Abraham and Stella are living there now, What do you think?”
“If he did, do you think they’d still be playing this pathetic game?”
“All for a dying woman, and he kicked Stella to the curb. Now he’s got his eyes on her brother’s property Ethan’s seriously
“If nothing goes wrong, Stella and Abraham are just playing Ethan and the Reed family like clowns right now.”
Between the whole Verdant Villa thing and Eddie and Rianne–it was clear. Ethan and the Reed family were losing their minds over Lillian, running around like headless chickens.
Alex nodded. “No doubt they’re the clowns, Look at Ethan–he has no clue what’s really going on. Wouldn’t be surprised if this chaos blows up the whole Keene family.”
Meanwhile, Stella and Abraham were hidden in the shadows, watching the whole mess with detached amusement.
Stella stared at the calm water, then glanced at Abraham casting a fishing line beside her.
She couldn’t hold back her annoyance. “Abraham.”
“This is the fun thing?”
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In