Chapter 391 Going Out
Tessa had already taken her seat at the dining table. Feeling the man’s gaze on her, she nearly buried her whole face in her bowl. She didn’t dare face someone like Victor–someone who could casually strip another person’s clothes without blinking an eye.
He was dangerous. Even from a distance, Victor could sense the tension radiating from Tessa.
Lighting a cigarette, he took a drag and asked, “Did you lock your door last night?” His voice broke the silence.
Tessa’s hand trembled as she held the spoon, which dropped straight into her bowl. She nodded nervously. “Yeah.”
Victor looked at her. Smoke curled in the air, blurring his expression, but Tessa could still feel the weight of his stare pressing down on her.
She didn’t dare speak again. Her hand shaking, she fished the spoon out of the bowl, scooped some porridge, and fed it into her mouth.
Victor asked, “What do you think I’d do to you?”
Tessa shook her head quickly, stammering, “N–no… nothing. You wouldn’t… You’re not interested
in me.”
At least, that was what she gathered from Star’s information. Victor wasn’t into her type.
Victor said, “Then why did you lock the door?”
Tessa froze. Was she not allowed to lock the door? She was a woman–wasn’t it natural to have a sense of self–protection? She screamed inside her head but didn’t dare say a word out loud. She’d seen Victor’s violent side. She was terrified of provoking him into doing something drastic.
When Tessa didn’t respond, Victor chuckled coldly. “Starting tonight, no more locking the door.”
At his words, her hand shook again. The spoon nearly dropped a second time. She looked up at Victor with a wounded expression. “Why?”
It was hard enough just being in the same house with him. Did she not deserve even a shred of peace when she slept?
Victor didn’t reply. He just stared at her coldly. That looks so terrifying.
Tessa lowered her head in defeat and whispered, “Okay.” She was under someone else’s roof. She had to accept the reality of living by their rules. She needed to call Star soon and have her get to the bottom of all this.
Clear things up, fix the situation, and get away from this devil as soon as possible.
Victor said. “Eat faster.”
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“W–why?” It was bad enough she didn’t have peace when sleeping. Now she wasn’t allowed any freedom while eating either?
Victor said, “We’re going out.”
Tessa panicked. Go out? Where? God, no. What if they ran into another life–or–death situation? She only had one life, and she intended to keep it.
“Where are we going? Is it dangerous?” She asked. her voice tense. She was scared of Victor, yes, but those past encounters had terrified her even more.
Until she figured out what had happened with her mother, she didn’t want to go anywhere. She just wanted to stay somewhere absolutely safe.
Victor tapped his cigarette. replying coolly, “Could be dangerous.”
Tessa’s heart leapt to her throat. Mind going blank for a moment, she blurted out, “I’m not going.”
She’d die. If she went through that kind of thing again, she really would die. And she didn’t want
to die.
Victor said, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”
Tessa shook her head firmly. I’m still not going. Who cared about promises? In a chaotic situation, with bullets flying by her ears, even a small mistake could be fatal.
Victor might believe in his guarantee. She didn’t. She absolutely refused to go.
Victor narrowed his eyes at her. “It’s not up to you
Tessa went silent. Her already anxious heart started to pound uncontrollably after hearing that. She couldn’t eat anymore and couldn’t drink either.
Victor glanced at his watch, then at the clothes she had on. “You have ten minutes. Go change and put on some makeup.”
Tessa said, “I’m really not going.
Her lips were pressed tight, eyes misty with tears as she looked at him. Her whole demeanor was one of subtle but stubborn resistance.
Victor’s aura turned colder. “You have eight minutes. And you know I’m not asking.
Tears welled up even more in Tessa’s eyes. Even the way she looked at Victor now carried traces
of resentment.
Victor sighed, a little annoyed. “Still not moving?”
Women really are troublesome. No wonder Abraham has the patience to coar Ms. Dawson–it was a habit built since childhood.
Chapter 392 Going Crazy
Especially seeing her about to cry like that–he just wanted to throw her out.
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Meanwhile, Stella was having breakfast. The kitchen had made her favorite chicken congee. But something about the smell felt off. She turned to Clint and asked, “Is there any millet porridge?”
Millet porridge… Abraham liked that. He preferred milder flavors. Clint replied, “Sir had some earlier. There should be a bit left.”
“Then give me that.” She pushed the chicken porridge congee, clearly uninterested in eating it.
Clint quickly had a servant bring her the millet porridge. She used to dislike this kind of porridge, but right now, it tasted surprisingly good. She had only taken two sips when a call from Tessa came in.
“Tessa.”
“Star, please save me.”
Stella froze. Just being around Victor had made her so timid? Where is the Tessa who used to have attitude? Bring it back. Now she was as skittish as a kitten.
Tessa whimpered, “Victor’s taking me somewhere, and he said it could be dangerous. Star, save me. I never want to go through something like that again.”
Just thinking about the two incidents she had already experienced made her feel overwhelmed.
Stella asked, “Where’s he taking you?”
It seemed like every place Victor went was risky. No wonder Tessa was having a hard time.
Tessa said, “I don’t know. But if he says he’ll guarantee my safety, then obviously it is dangerous, right?
Stella didn’t reply.
Tessa pleaded, “Star, when are you coming back to Falvaria? I’m going crazy.”
At this rate, even if Victor didn’t kill her, she’d probably lose her mind from fear.
Stella replied, “I don’t have a set date. Don’t worry too much.”
“I’m not worried. I’m terrified.”
Stella stayed quiet.
apter 392 Going Crazy
Stella said, “Do you want me to have someone come pick you up?”
To take me to the Dawson residence?”
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“Aside from the Dawson residence, where else would be safe? Even the international airport in Falvaria had an incident. You haven’t been safe since you left the country.”
Tessa didn’t respond. That was true. But thinking about the rumors surrounding Evelyn… Living under the same roof as someone like that made her nuts too.
“Star, when are you coming back?” She just wanted to be with her Star. She didn’t care about anyone else.
Stella asked. “If I come back, will you go to the Dawson residence with me?”
“What? You don’t have your own place here?” Why did it have to be the Dawson residence? Tessa was going to lose her mind.
Stella replied. “I do.”
“Then can’t we stay there instead?” She really didn’t want to deal with someone as intimidating as Evelyn. The pressure would be unbearable.
Stella asked, “Are you sure?”
Tessa froze. Wait, not sure.
“If we do that, your brother will probably want to skin me alive. Never mind.”
Abraham from Falvaria was Evelyn’s pride and joy. She couldn’t afford to forget that. One couldn’t mess with Evelyn, but one definitely couldn’t mess with Abraham either. Only now did
Tessa fully realize just who Stella had behind her–people one couldn’t afford to offend, s
without even realizing it, she had somehow become best friends with the inner circle?
Her mother was a powerhouse, her brother a force of nature, and her bestie… basically a big deal.
- 100.
Stella laughed. “Alright, we’ll figure it out when I get back.”
“Ugh!” Tessa felt utterly hopeless.
Stella said, “Actually, Mr. Victor is very reliable. Since he promised to help you investigate everything, we should trust him.”
“Don’t worry. He won’t make things hard for you.”
Stella fully trusted Abraham’s judgment. Since Abraham had said Victor wouldn’t harm Tessa, then Tessa was safe with him.
Tessa went silent. Hearing Stella say Victor wouldn’t make things hard for her made her want to
Chapter 392 Going Crazy
“He is making things hard for me.”
“Huh?”
“He threatened me.”
“Impossible. Mr. Victor isn’t like that. Don’t feel that way.”
Tessa exploded inside.
Chapter 393 His Type?
So speechless. Now what? “Fine, whatever you say.” Tessa sounded defeated.
Stella comforted her over the phone for a while, until a knock came at the door. Tessa finally hung up. Victor told her to change and put on some makeup. But when she opened the wardrobe, all she saw were men’s clothes. She was still wearing Victor’s loungewear.
The oversized sweater was long enough to pass for a dress. When the door knocked again, Tessa went to open it directly. Victor stood outside. Seeing her still dressed the same, he frowned. “What have you been doing all this time?”
Tessa hesitated. Calling Star for help, obviously? But thinking about how Stella had acted so meek on the phone when Victor came up, Tessa felt even more hopeless.
She kept her thoughts to herself and replied, “I don’t have any clothes. Am I supposed to put on one of your suits?”
She looked pitiful. The sweater she had on was already long–if it were a suit jacket, she definitely couldn’t wear it. Victor was really tall… Probably about 6’3“?
Standing in front of him, the top of her head barely reached his chest. He was broad and muscular too. Basically, Victor was twice her size–and then some in height. If she wore one of his suits, it would probably hang down to her knees.
Victor narrowed his eyes. “Where are your clothes?”
“I left in a rush. I didn’t bring anything.” Back then, things were so intense, she didn’t even have time to pack before Wesley dragged her away. She gave Victor a pitiful look, face slightly flushed. “The outfit I had on–where did you put it after you took it off me?”
She’d looked for it everywhere yesterday but couldn’t find it.
Victor’s face darkened. He checked his watch. It was too late to have someone send clothes over now. He finally pulled a rarely worn smoky gray hoodie from the wardrobe and tossed it to her. It was huge.
On Tessa, it looked loose and baggy, and it reached her knees. Somehow, she actually made it look stylish.
But it was freezing in Falvaria. Tessa looked up at Victor, miserable. “I’m cold. Sure, she was dressed–but she’d freeze the moment they stepped outside.
Victor paused. Once again, he thought women were just impossible to take care of.
He muttered, annoyed, “So much trouble.”
In the end, he found a thick down jacket–one he rarely wore–and helped her into it. Victor ran hot; he rarely needed such heavy clothes. When they got into the car, it was a large black Mercedes van.
Chapter 393 His Type?
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Victor and Tessa sat in the middle row. John drove, Silas was in the passenger seat, and Lewis, seeing them enter, quickly moved to the back row. The moment Lewis saw Tessa’s face, he froze. This girl… is nothing like Victor’s usual type. She is so tiny!
He glanced at Victor’s tall, broad–shouldered frame, then looked back at petite, bundled–up Tessa.
Lewis was stunned. Their body types couldn’t be more mismatched. Especially with the clothes. she was wearing–Lewis was nearly certain that Victor must be fully recovered… in that way. Which meant, this is his type? All those tall, modelesque women in the past couldn’t spark his fire, but this one did?
Lewis couldn’t contain his curiosity. “Boss.”
“What?”
“Is she coming with us now? Are you sure she can handle it… physically?”
The way he asked “physically–he definitely had an extra meaning in mind.
Even Silas in the front seat picked up on what Lewis was implying. This idiot. Not only did he doubt Victor behind his back, now he was openly probing?
Sure, compared to Eddie, Lewis had at least a few brain cells. He didn’t ask outright–but he was still asking to die.
Tessa clearly picked up on the innuendo too. She glanced at Victor, lips pressed tight, eyes starting to well with tears again…
Victor felt a headache coming on. He glared at Lewis. “Remind me. When was the last time I tore your mouth apart?”
Lewis was speechless. His chest tightened instantly. He shut up fast and clamped his mouth shut. Boss is as terrifying as ever. Getting my mouth ripped open last time had hurt.
Tessa got dragged out the door by Victor, clearly against her will. Stella had been worried she might be scared, but at this point, she seemed to be getting used to it.
Send Gifts
Chapter 394 Cut Ties
That morning, Stella called Abraham. He said he wouldn’t be back until afternoon.
So she arranged lunch with Ryan. But just as she stepped outside, a Maybach pulled up and blocked the road. It stopped about two kilometers from the Seaflats Cove gate, right at the turn onto the main road.
Ethan leaned against the car. The cold wind blew through his hair. Through the windshield, Stella could see how dejected he looked.
“Miss, we can’t get through,” the driver said.
The Maybach was parked right in the center of the road, clearly waiting just for Stella.
She frowned. Ryan’s call came through. She picked up. “Rianne?”
“Star, I’m at the café on the nearby street, waiting for you.”
“Okay.” She hung up and stepped out of the car. She kept her distance, just staring at Ethan from afar.
Ethan’s
‘s gaze was hollow when he saw her. He held a cigarette, wore only a thin jacket, and the stubble on his face made him look haggard and worn out.
That was a look she never expected to see on Ethan. Leaning against the car door, Stella spoke coldly. “What are you doing?”
Blocking the road like this? She didn’t believe he was here to intercept Abraham. If he dared to stand here like this, he must’ve known Abraham was out. And now he dared to come block her?
So maybe the Keene family wasn’t in such deep trouble after all? But she was wrong. The Keene. family was in deep trouble–and Ethan was close to a mental breakdown. He threw cigarette and walked toward her.
Stella frowned, clearly irritated.
away his
He stopped about three feet away. Now she could see the storm of emotion in his eyes. Emptiness. Sadness. Pain… All of it, swirling in Ethan’s eyes.
Stella narrowed her eyes. “Here to beg for Lillian again?”
There could be no other reason for that kind of emotion–except Lillian. Tessa and Ryan had been feeding her gossip about the Reed family, but in Stella’s mind…
Susan and Ethan’s bias toward Lillian would always trump everything else. When Ethan heard her say that, the pain in his eyes deepened.
“Beg?” he repeated, his voice full of anguish.
Chapter 394 Cut Ties
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Right. The Reed family never begged. Neither did Ethan. Back then, when they wanted her to spare Lillian, they didn’t plead. They tried to crush her. The things they did to her then… how many tactics did they use? Ha….
Ethan stood silent.
Hearing her say “threaten” and “suppress” made his chest feel like it might explode.
He shut his eyes. His whole body shook. His hands clenched into fists. With effort, he said, “I’ve already… cut ties with her.”
Stella arched a brow. She didn’t respond, just looked at him in silence, recalling something Tessa had gossiped about. She said Ethan left the Reed house that day and kicked over a flowerpot by the gate.
Ethan said, “Stella, I’m sorry.”
Stella was stunned. His sudden apology made her eyes flicker. “You’re apologizing to me?”
“I wronged you. 1…” He trailed off.
Too much had happened since last night. His head was a mess. Ever since he left the Keene family… The only thing he wanted to do was see her. He needed to see her.
No one knew how empty he’d felt since she broke off the engagement… like someone had carved out the most important part of him.
Stella said flatly, “Don’t bother apologizing. You never should’ve come. Move your car.”
She didn’t want to hear another word. She turned and got into her car. Just as she was about to close the door, Ethan panicked. He rushed forward and grabbed it.
Stella raised a brow, “You-
But even as she spoke, her foot instinctively lashed out. Ethan’s expression changed instantly. He stepped back out of reflex, putting distance between them.
He remembered that
Stella hated physical contact. Even when they were engaged, she always flinched away when he got close. After she called off the engagement, anytime he grabbed her wrist, she’d strike back immediately.
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Chapter 395 All A Joke
What now? She wanted to kick him again? Thinking about the injuries he’d suffered before, Ethan’s face twitched.
Stella, seeing him back away, realized with surprise that she had just instinctively tried to kick him to death again.
“Uh…”
Sorry. You left me with serious psychological trauma. My default defense mechanism is violence. It’s probably better if you don’t show up in front of me again. If I end up hitting you, that’s on you.
Ethan was speechless.
The driver thought, She is quite polite, at least she acknowledges hitting people is wrong.
Ethan’s face darkened. Even though he’d mentally prepared himself before meeting Stella, her attitude still made him uncomfortable.
Women should be gentle. She was more like a raging lunatic.
Stella said, “Are you going to move your car, or should I just ram it?”
She said “ram it” like it was as casual as saying she’d go grab lunch.
Ethan’s expression cracked again. Everything he’d planned to say was completely derailed by her attitude. The only thing he managed to get out…
Clenching his fists tighter, he said, “Can you tell that guy to back off?”
Last night, something major happened with the Keene family. A man who looked just like Ethan suddenly appeared–holding a paternity test linking him to Ethan’s father. The entire Keene family had been thrown into chaos.
Trying to hold on to his last shred of composure, Ethan investigated the man’s background- Derrick was the one who brought him.
Derrick…. Stella’s fiancé back in Falvaria.
To Ethan, it was obvious this was her revenge. But when Stella heard what he said, she blinked. “Who?”
You’re saying you don’t know?” Ethan stared at her in disbelief.
Stella rolled her eyes. “Are you insane? Pulling this crap. again?”
Whenever something involved Lillian, Ethan loved using this accusatory tone with her. And now he was doing it again? What any time something didn’t go his way he inst assumed it was her
1:05 PM c
Chapter 395 All A Joke
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Ethan snapped, “He showed up with a DNA test matching my father. Stella, I know you hate me, but you shouldn’t-
He paused. The pain in his eyes grew deeper. “You shouldn’t take it this far.”
Disrupting the entire Keene family–this was the most vicious way she could get back at him.
She hated him? Was it because of the wedding that never happened?
Stella said. “You think I hate you?
“Don’t you?”
Stella scoffed. “You’re really delusional. Hate? Don’t flatter yourself. The only one who ever loved jor hated you that deeply was Lillian. No one else gives a damn.”
Hate required love, and she had none of that for Ethan.
“You…” Ethan tried to speak.
“I’d waste time trying to get back at you? Don’t flatter yourself,” Stella snapped. “Do you think I need to get my hands dirty to ruin you?”
Just look at what’s happened to the Reed and Keene families in the business world lately. She hadn’t done anything personally.
Right. She hadn’t made a move. Last night, Derrick had sent that man. He even arrogantly tossed out a “you’re welcome” before leaving. You’re welcome… Ha.
“You made your adoptive brother fall in love with you, and even that fiancé you clearly had no future with he did this for you?”
Stella was speechless. This guy’s insane.
Still, the mention of Derrick gave her pause. Why would Derrick do that? On the surface, he didn’t seem to have any deep feud with the Keenes. Forget it. Ethan is clearly out of his mind.
He truly believed he was the center of her world. That even when she asked to call off the engagement, it was just a tantrum. After all, how could a woman survive without support? Now he realized–it was all just a joke.
In the front, Abel noticed the sudden silence in the car and quietly raised the divider.
Thirty million wasn’t a joke. Even in the old days of the Reed family, that kind of money couldn’t just be pulled out on a whim. Susan exploded when she heard that. “So now all the money is going to that other woman, and you’re just abandoning us, is that it?”
She didn’t want the family to fall apart… But Patrick’s attitude now completely enraged her. I’m telling you, Patrick. You will give me that thirty million. I don’t care how. And from now on, you’ll also be giving us 700,000 dollars every month.”
Why? Why have the Reed family ended up like this? It had been a good family. When had it started falling apart like this, piece by piece? Why had things become so bad?
The photo showed Lillian. Sitting across from her was… that woman?
She… No, this can’t be! In an instant, Susan’s mind went blank, her blood running in reverse.
Everyone around Stella referred to Susan as Madam Susan, never as your mother. They all knew she didn’t deserve the title. And in Stella’s heart, she wasn’t a mother.
She thought she might know why Susan ended up in the hospital. “It’s probably because of Lillian.”
Ryan was speechless. ‘Raised her well–those words couldn’t be more fitting when describing Susan. She used to accuse Stella of not knowing where her loyalties lay. Well, now she did. A little too well.
Stella was silent. If she couldn’t even catch her breath… Is that it for her?
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