Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls
The second she saw the gun pointed at her, Susan went completely still.
“A–Ah! Y–You… what are you doing?” She stammered, her entire body shaking.
Her voice trembled, stuttering uncontrollably.
She’d already seen what had happened to Jonathan when he returned from Seaflats Cove- broken, humiliated. She knew the people around Stella weren’t the type you messed with.
But still… she was Stella’s mother. Her mother!How could they treat me like this?
Susan stood frozen in disbelief, her mind spinning.
“You… you can’t…”
Just then, the butler stepped forward between the two maids, hands calmly folded behind hist back. His eyes were sharp, steady–and just a little chilling. “Madam Susan, do you know why. your son left Seaflats Cove last time with a broken arm?”
Susan blinked, stunned. “W–Why?”
“Because he tried to hit Ms. Dawson.”
“He’s her brother!” she blurted out.
The butler’s gaze turned cold. “Her brother? In that case, Madam Susan… I’m afraid you won’t be leaving here so easily today.”
Susan’s breath caught. “W–What do you mean?”
What does that even mean? What are they planning to do to me?I’m her mother, she told herself, trying to stay calm. They wouldn’t actually hurt me… would they?
Her chest tightened with fear.
The butler calmly adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. “The daughter cherished by both the Luke and Dawson families–personally raised by Madam Evelyn and Mr. Abraham–isn’t someone just anyone can claim as their own.”
Susan’s eyes widened.
The butler leaned in slightly, his voice calm but cutting. “You say she’s your daughter–so what does that make Madam Evelyn?”
Susan went quiet. Her throat tightened, and her chest started to ache.
“You keep calling her your daughter,” he went on, “but during her time in the Reed family, how
did you reallic test hær? And now—what? You suddenlu cara? Or is it that you’re honina to min
Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls
“No… that’s not it…”
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“It’s not?” His laugh was soft but cutting. “Then tell me, what is all this sudden affection about?”
He put weight on the word–like he was dragging her real intentions into the light for everyone
To see.
Susan felt like she was about to fall apart.
Meanwhile, in the car-
Stella and Abraham had just finished breakfast and were heading out.
As the car rolled past the front gate, Abraham glanced outside, caught a glimpse of what was happening, and without warning, pulled Stella’s head into his chest.
Stella blinked, caught off guard. “What the–what are you doing?”
Before she could finish, Abraham leaned down and kissed her, cutting her off completely.
“Mmph- Seriously?
She instinctively pushed against him, worried she’d somehow triggered him again–even thought she hadn’t done a thing. She’d just been quietly watching the waves when he suddenly made a
move.
Once the moment passed, Abraham finally let her go–but his breathing was already unsteady.
Stella pulled back without thinking.
By now, she could read him–whenever his breathing changed like that, things always spiraled out of control.
The second she tried to move away, he grabbed her and pulled her close again.
“Where do you think youre gone, huh?” he said low.
Seriously? Right now? In the car? Stella flushed. “I–I’m not going anywhere. Just let me go. We’re int
the car!”
This was not the time or place for… whatever this was.
As if on cue, the divider screen in the car slowly began to rise.
Are
you kidding me?Was Abel always this quick to take a hint? She groaned, pushing against Abraham’s chest. “Stop it. I mean it–I’m not doing this.”
Abraham, who’d clearly been holding back all night, was already at his limit.
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Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls
“I don’t care. I said no,” she snapped. “I don’t want to.”
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She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, and sure, he had other ways of getting what he wanted–but she didn’t want any of it right now.
Especially not in a car.
And definitely not with the shameless moves he always pulled.
Frustrated and trapped in his arms, she squirmed and tried to break free. Abraham’s breath grew heavier.
He wrapped a hand around her waist and whispered, voice husky and coaxing, “Stella… Be good, okay?”
The moment she heard that tone, she panicked. “No!” she cried. “I said no, I don’t want to! Stop-”
She couldn’t fight him off, so she did the only thing she could–she cried.
Tears spilled down her face, fast and silent. Abraham froze, stunned for a second. Then, instead of backing off, he gently grabbed her chin and kissed her again.
His steady, familiar scent wrapped around her, smothering everything else.
Meanwhile, back in Falvaria-
Tessa sat on the bed, clinging tightly to the blanket wrapped around her. Her hands were trembling, but she kept pulling the covers tighter and higher–trying to cover herself completely.
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Chapter 365 Everything Went Wrong
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Tessa tucked herself under the blanket, like hiding could somehow make it all go away.
Victor sat across from her. A cigar rested between his fingers as he watched her, eyes sharp and unreadable.
He didn’t say a word, but the silence pressed down like a weight.
Tessa instinctively swallowed. “Uh, c–could you not look at me like that? You’re scaring me…”
Her voice cracked on the word scaring.
She might’ve been bold and fearless back in Rivermount, but in this unfamiliar place, she felt helpless. His eyes are terrifying.
Like a wolf hiding in the dark–one look from him felt like it could rip her apart.
Victor said, “What exactly is my problem?”
Tessa blinked, stunned. Inside, she was falling apart. What the hell?
She barely got a word out when Victor cut her off. “Think carefully before you answer, or else…”
He paused, but he didn’t need to finish. The warning was loud and clear.
Say the wrong thing now, and she was toast.
Oh, come on… Is this really karma? All I did was gossip a little–did it have to blow up this badly? I was just talking behind his back! Did he seriously have to catch me red–handed?
Tessa dropped her head. “I’m sorry.” When things go sideways, apologize first.
Victor raised a brow. “Hmm?”
“I didn’t mean it,” she mumbled, her voice shrinking with every word.
She wasn’t wearing anything right now. If this man said he’d prove her wrong.. she wouldn’t
stand a chance.
This is all Stella’s fault. She almost got me in serious trouble. Swear to God, if I make it out of this, I’m never gossiping about Victor again. Not one word. I’m done. Seriously.
Victor arched a brow and flicked the ash from his cigar into the tray. His eyes shifted back to her. “So, what exactly is my problem?”
She made the mistake of looking him in the eye. His gaze was deep, dark, and impossible to read. Her heart jumped, and she quickly looked away. “I meant I’m the one with the problem.”
Chapter 365 Everything. Went Wrong
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Tessa blurted out, “I didn’t mean you–I was talking about myself. I’m the one with the problem!”
If saving her life meant giving up her dignity, so be it.
Victor raised a brow. “Oh? So what exactly is your problem?”
Yeah… this situation clearly wasn’t going away anytime soon.
Tessa could tell–if she didn’t give him a straight answer, he wasn’t dropping it.
God, could my timing be any worse? Of all the things to say out loud, why did it have to be that? What kind of idiot gossips about someone like him?
Comered by Victor’s questions, Tessa’s mind was a mess.
She took a breath and blurted out, T’m bad at everything. I mess up whatever I do. The only thing I’m good at is cating.”
She’d embarrassed herself enough–surely he’d let it slide now.
Victor watched her trembling hands clinging to the blanket, panic written all over her face.
He chuckled. “A bottomless pit, huh?”
Tessa didn’t say a word. Why is he such a jerk? Whatever. She wasn’t about to talk back.
She nodded, clearly not thrilled. “Yeah.”
She swore gossip had never backfired this hard in her entire life.
Ten minutes later.
Tessa sat at the dining table, staring at the spread of food in front of her–most of which she’d never even seen before.
Then she looked at Victor.
He leaned back in his chair, one ankle resting on his opposite knee.
With the suit and dress shirt gone, the tattoo on his neck was impossible to miss–he looked like pure trouble.
And honestly, he looked straight–up dangerous. Tessa was rattled–he was the kind of guy you just didn’t cross.
Victor gave her a look. “Can you finish it all?”
Tessa blinked Finish it? Wait–does he actually erect me to eat all this? She gave him a nitiful look “I
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She looked completely anxious and defeated. If she had to eat everything on the table, she’d definitely make herself sick.
Victor’s voice was calm. “So what exactly were you and Stella talking about?”
Tessa said nothing. So this really wasn’t over, huh? God, just let me pass out already. If this keeps going, I’m going to lose it.
His stare was had no clue what to say,
way too intense. Tese
For once, she was completely speechless.
She went completely silent.
Victor watched her drop her head again, and for the first time, a flicker of amusement passed through his cold eyes.
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Chapter 366 She Launched Into A Tirade
Victor scoffed and said, “Eat this.”
Tessa nearly cried and said, “I can’t finish this.”
Victor then sneered. “Then how about you keep starving?”
Tessa was shocked, thinking. Is this guy a pervert? Can someone do something about him? All he wants to do is either starve or stuff people to death–two extremes.
At Rivermount. Susan returned to the Reed mansion with her face red and swollen. Rebecca was about to bring the medicine to Lillian.
Now, no doctors were willing to make house calls to the Reed family.
Susan was already upset with her for emptying Jonathan’s card.
While Rebecca naturally didn’t hold her temper in, she scoffed, “What do you think you’re doing? Are you even trying to snatch this medicine? I’m sorry, but this medicine doesn’t match your foster daughter’s condition.”
To meet a mother like her was truly a once–in–a–lifetime experience for Rebecca.
When she heard that it was medication sachets from some pharmacies, her anger grew intense, and she said, “You are giving this to Jonathan?”
She thought, even at this moment, is Susan emphasizing the responsibility issue?
Susan was stunned.
Rebecca continued, “Don’t say it’s because of Stella. Remember when Lillian hired someone and nearly killed Stella? Then Stella counterattacked, so that’s how the Reed family is now barely surviving, and your son nearly died because of you.”
Rebecca continued, “You are still accusing this medicine of causing problems for him. You’d better go find medicine that wouldn’t cause an issue. You cause him to be unable to be hospitalized, and doctors dare not visit him. If you are so capable, why don’t you use that protective ability of your foster daughter and get him the safe medicine?”
Rebecca launched into a tirade.
She thought, What are all these things that I’ve encountered? And the people I’ve met? Each was more impressive than the last. Back then, Stella had quite a sharp tongue, but I don’t expect Rebecca to have a sharper one.
By she, he meant Lillian.
comeone that blind–if she was not after the money, then what? Affection?
In Lillian’s room, when Lillian saw Susan’s return with her face red and swollen, she froze at first, then she asked, “Mom, what’s this?”
Seeing that she didn’t get to borrow the money, her face was losing composure, and she thought, This useless old woman. She can’t even borrow money from her biological daughter.
In fact, she felt regret as well–for treating Stella badly.
Talking about that accident, Susan recalled how Ethan left.
Susan replied, “Besides Ethan, who can now come up with so much money to save you?”
She thought, will Ethan still save me? I’ve been calling Ethan these two days, but he received none of them.
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Lillian continued thinking, He doesn’t want me anymore. He knows her condition is this bad, but he wouldn’t pick up the phone. What’s this, if not his abandonment?
The phone rang once, then twice; only after the final ring did Ethan pick up the phone and say,
Ethan replied, “Is that so? That’s good news for you all.”
“What exactly happened to the two of you that day?” Susan practically roared the words.
Susan then said, “You, for god’s sake. What should I say to you? Be frank and tell me, what exactly is going on?
Their eyes met, and Lillian cried while shaking her head and stammered, “Mom. I…
Lillian glanced at Susan with an anxious look as she called out, “Mom.”
“Is it true?” Susan roared; she was shivering with anger at that moment.
But thinking that now, Ethan had also distanced himself from Lillian.
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