Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals
Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals
As soon as Abraham saw her, he turned to Eddie behind him and said, “Take a look at Stella.”
Eddie blinked. “Huh? What’s wrong with her?”
Abraham’s tone was calm. “She hasn’t had much of an appetite lately.”
She hadn’t eaten much at lunch, and barely touched the snacks he brought back.
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After giving Eddie his instructions, Abraham looked down at Stella, gently ruffling her soft hair with a familiar affection. “I need to head out for a bit.”
The moment she heard Abraham was going out again with Mr. Job, Stella instinctively grabbed his wrist.
“There won’t be any more changes to tonight’s flight back to Falvaria, right?”
Seriously–no more surprises.
If there were, Tessa might cry her eyes out again over the phone.
And Stella was worried about her. Even if Victor wouldn’t lay a hand on her, the poor girl might still scare herself into a breakdown at this rate.
She needed to get back as soon as possible.
Abraham reassured her. “Don’t worry. Everything’s set.”
“Good. Then go.”
He nodded and left with Mr. Job.
The man was constantly on the move.
Once his figure disappeared through the door, Stella turned to Eddie. “Did everything with Lancelot get handled?”
In Falvaria, Lancelot might be the first person ever bold enough to hack into Abraham’s systems.
Eddie froze for a beat when she brought up Lancelot.
Then his expression darkened. “From now on, there is no more Lancelot,”
Stella’s eyes widened.
Yeah… she’d figured things wouldn’t end well for someone who dared pull that. And here it was.
Eddie asked, “So what’s bothering you?”
Stella shrugged. “It’s not anything major. Just no appetite lately.”
She really hadn’t been enjoying food the way she used to.
Before, she could eat anything and enjoy it.
Especially at night–she loved snacking then.
Eddie asked, “No appetite? Do you feel bloated?”
“A little.”
And she hadn’t even eaten that much–why did she still feel bloated?
Eddie studied her for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful.
The way he looked at her made her nervous. “Wait, don’t tell me it’s something serious?”
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1:26 PM
Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals
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No joke–anyone would feel uneasy being stared at like that by a doctor.
She was still young. The last thing she wanted was a major health scare.
Eddie said flatly, “No, not something serious.”
“Oh.”
Then why the weird stare? Like having no appetite was some medical crisis.
He thought for a second. “I’ll give you some granules to try. Take two packets.”
“What kind of granules?”
“Pepsin. Your brother used to give them to you.”
“Oh… that stuff?”
She remembered it.
She’d taken it during a hospital stay before. It was kind of sweet and sour–tasted pretty good, actually.
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Eddie didn’t think the bloating was anything to worry about, but something still felt off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet.
Whatever. Let her try the meds first.
Stella said, “Alright, I’ll take it.”
Then turned to head upstairs.
Eddie called after her, “Where are you going?”
“To sleep?”
Eddie narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been sleeping a little too well lately, haven’t you?”
Now that he mentioned it… she paused.
Yeah, her sleep had been really good recently.
She used to skip naps and still feel perfectly energetic in the afternoon. But lately, not so much.
After lunch, she could barely stay awake.
Worse still–sometimes she’d sleep through the entire morning, then still need a nap and a full night’s sleep. Add it all up and the hours were kind of insane.
But the weird thing was, even though she was sleeping more, she didn’t actually feel well–rested.
“I don’t feel good. Every time I sleep, I dream. And I wake up totally exhausted.”
And not just any dreams–nightmares.
Always about snakes, or other creepy, slithery creatures.
Just thinking about it made her skin crawl–and yet, she kept dreaming about them.
Eddie rubbed his chin. “Nightmares too? Alright, I’ll add another herbal blend.”
Stella nodded. “Okay.”
Just like that, the two of them casually diagnosed her as suffering from insomnia, vivid dreams, and mild indigestion.
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1:26 PM
Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals
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Eddie left.
And just as Stella got back to her room, her phone rang–it was Rianne.
Stella picked up. “Rianne?”
“Stell… Stella…”
The voice on the other end was weak. So faint, Stella could feel how fragile it was even through the phone.
Her chest tightened. “What–what happened to you?”
Chapter 442 Targeted
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Chapter 442 Targeted
“Stell… Stella… help…”
That one word–help–sent a chill down Stella’s spine.
Every trace of sleep vanished in an instant, shattered by the urgency in Rianne’s voice.
She didn’t hesitate. “Where are you? What happened?”
“Rianne? Hello? Hello?!”
But the line had gone dead. All she could hear now was chaos–noise, shouting, static. No clue where Rianne was or what had happened.
Stella’s heart jumped to her throat.
As she rushed downstairs, she shouted into the phone, “Rianne, say something! Don’t scare me! Rianne?! Rianne!”
No matter how she called, no answer came.
Stella panicked. She headed straight for the door.
But the butler intercepted her. “Ms. Stella-”
“Which driver went to pick up Rianne? Where are they? Find out now!” she demanded, her voice sharp with worry.
The butler hesitated, then broke the news. “Ms. Rianne was in a car accident, Ms. Stella.”
Stella froze.
Her breath hitched, disbelief filling her eyes as she stared at him.
“The call just came in. Miss Rianne was in a serious accident.”
“How is she?”
Even as she asked, her hands trembled. The way Rianne sounded on the phone–there was no way she was okay.
“The accident just happened. The driver was unconscious, but he came to and said Miss Rianne passed out. Emergency services have already been called.”
The butler kept it brief, but Stella was already spiraling.
“I’m going to her.“.
“I’ll prepare the car.”
“No need!”
She didn’t have the patience to wait. “Send me their location. Now!”
The butler opened his mouth to protest, but Stella was already grabbing a set of keys by the front door.
She ran out without even bothering to throw on another layer–just a thin set of loungewear clinging to her frame.
The butler turned and shouted to a maid, “Quick–bring Ms. Stella a coat!”
While giving instructions, he also pulled out his phone to send Stella the GPS coordinates.
A car engine roared outside–Stella had already pulled out of the driveway.
Screech. Vroom-
The sound alone was enough to tell him how fast she was driving.
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Chapter 442 Targeted
He grew even more anxious.
It was snowing out there. Roads would be slippery. He was afraid Stella might end up in another accident herself.
Still pulling on his coat, he took the clothes from the maid and rushed outside, simultaneously calling Abraham:
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About twenty minutes later.
Stella arrived at the crash site. The moment she got out of the car, she saw Tempest carefully lifting Rianne into an ambulance, his face full of distress.
Stella rushed over instinctively. “Rianne!”
There was so much blood….
Just earlier, Rianne had been talking and laughing with her over the phone. Now, she lay silently in Tempest’s arms–her face jcompletely drained of color.
Stella’s heart clenched.
Before she could get close, the ambulance pulled away.
The crash scene was a wreck.
The car Rianne had been in had its front end completely crushed. A large truck had flipped onto its side nearby.
The driver who’d been taking Rianne limped over and bowed his head respectfully. “Ms. Stella.”
Stella stared at him blankly.
“You were driving her?”
He nodded, then pointed behind him. “Yes. The other car was parked over there at first.”
“Parked?”
“Yes. When we pulled out of the intersection, their car suddenly came flying at us, completely out of control.”
Stella’s eyes widened.
That car had been just sitting there. And then the moment their car pulled out–it crashed into them?
She looked again at the wreckage. Everything about it screamed intentional.
The driver didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to. Stella understood exactly what he meant.
Drivers working for the Dawson family were professionally trained. Their awareness and instincts were sharp–they remembered everything.
If he said the other car had been parked there from the start, then it definitely had.
So the other vehicle had been waiting.
And then hit them deliberately?
That meant this wasn’t just an accident. The only question was–was it meant for Abraham?
Or… was it meant for Rianne?
It couldn’t have been Abraham. If someone wanted to take him out, they wouldn’t have used such a clumsy method.
Which meant…
It was Rianne.
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Chapter 442 Targeted
She’d been targeted from the very beginning.
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Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty
Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty
Stella’s mind was racing. Her breathing turned rapid and shallow.
If this car crash had been meant for Rianne from the start…
Then someone close to Tempest had resorted to the most ruthless means imaginable.
She closed her eyes for a second. “Go to the hospital first,” she told the driver.
He nodded. “Alright.”
“I’ll drive you.”
She glanced at his leg–he wasn’t seriously injured, but he was limping badly.
And she needed to check on Rianne’s condition herself.
The
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The driver hesitated. It wasn’t protocol for him to ride in the same car as his employer, much less have her drive him.
Stella knew exactly what he was thinking. “Get in the car.”
Now wasn’t the time for rules.
The driver nodded nervously. “Thank you, Ms. Stella.”
They had just reached the car when two black vehicles pulled up sharply within two meters of them. One door opened immediately.
Abraham stepped out, his expression ice–cold as he locked eyes with her.
Stella’s heart gave a jolt. “Weren’t you out handling something?”
Abraham took one look at her thin clothing, strode forward, and pulled her firmly into his arms.
His voice was low and reproachful. “Why would you go out like this without a coat?”
Now that he mentioned it, Stella finally realized she was freezing.
As he moved to take off his own coat to wrap around her, the butler stepped out of the other car and quickly brought over the clothes he’d chased her down with. “Mr. Abraham, Ms. Stella’s coat.”
He’d seen her rush out dressed like that, and he’d been worried about both the weather and her dangerously fast driving.
Abraham took the coat and wrapped it around her. “Arms up.”
She obeyed, slipping her arms through the sleeves as he bundled her up.
Thirty minutes later, Stella arrived at the hospital.
Rianne was still in surgery.
Tempest stood outside the emergency room, burning with rage as he shouted into his phone. “Bring me that damn truck driver. I’ll deal with him myself.”
Even from a distance, Stella could feel the danger radiating from him.
The hospital’s director and chief surgeon were both present, standing awkwardly in the hallway, clearly nervous.
Tempest hung up and turned to Lincoln beside him. “Go through that driver’s entire financial history.”
Lincoln nodded. “Already done.”
He handed Tempest his phone without another word.
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1:27 PM
4
Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty
Having worked with Tempest for years, Lincoln knew exactly what to do in times like this.
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He’d noticed something suspicious about the incident during the ambulance ride, and had started digging immediately.
It wasn’t paranoia.
People around Abraham had been growing increasingly hostile toward Stella lately–and that hostility was being acted on.
Tempest scanned the contents on the phone, and his already dangerous aura became downright terrifying.
Stella had rushed here intending to tell Abraham what the driver had observed.
But now, it seemed there was no need.
Tempest’s eyes narrowed. “Then… hand Hailey over to the authorities.”
He paused just a beat, then his voice turned cutting. “Immediately.”
Lincoln’s chest tightened.
He nodded, then hesitated. “And Madam?”
Hailey was technically a distant cousin of Stella’s. Not close, but not a total stranger either–she was the daughter of Stella’s cousin’s sister–in–law’s brother. Complicated, but still family.
Her parents had died in a plane crash two years ago.
Thanks to that connection–and a well–played act–Hailey had managed to win Stella’s affection.
So much so, Stella had even tried to pair her up with Abraham.
With everything that had just happened, there was no doubt how Stella would react–this was going to be explosive.
When Lincoln mentioned his mother, Tempest’s gaze turned glacial. “Does she represent the law?”
Of course not.
But she did know how to pull strings.
Troublesome.
Still, Tempest wasn’t backing down. Hailey was going behind bars. No exceptions.
“I’ll handle it now,” Lincoln said, then left.
Tempest lit a cigarette, taking two harsh drags. The director and chief still didn’t dare speak.
Stella approached quietly.
Tempest glanced at her, said nothing, and took another long drag. Stella didn’t know what to say either.
Then the doors of the emergency room swung open.
Rianne was wheeled out.
Tempest was at her side in less than a second.
Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy
Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy
Tempest grabbed Rianne’s hand. “Rianne.”
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His voice trembled. He gently touched the wound on her forehead, his fingers lingering there with aching tenderness.
The medical assistant who walked out with her removed his mask. “Ms. Rianne only sustained external injuries. But she should stay under observation for the night.”
Only then did Tempest notice the bandage on her leg. The cut on her forehead was shallow–just broken skin.
Stella stepped closer.
Rianne was conscious. She didn’t acknowledge Tempest. Instead, her gaze found Stella.
She pulled her hand from Tempest’s and reached toward Stella. “Stella.”
That small gesture–pulling away–made something in Tempest crack open.
His chest tightened, the air growing heavier.
Stella stepped forward and took her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
It had been Abraham’s idea to call Rianne to Seaflats Cove. And it was Seaflats Cove’s driver who picked her up.
If she hadn’t come here, maybe none of this would’ve happened.
Rianne shook her head. “Don’t apologize. If it weren’t for your driver reacting so fast, the truck would’ve crushed my side of the car.”
Would she have even survived?
Her voice was calm–shaken, but steady in that way people speak after barely escaping death.
But to Tempest, those words were like a boulder crashing down on his chest.
Stella opened her mouth, only for Rianne to cut in.
“I saw everything. The driver of the truck tried to avoid harming himself. But your driver–he saved me.”
He had used his side of the car to shield hers. In those few critical seconds, he had thrown himself in the path of danger. Then immediately climbed up onto the truck and dragged the other driver out.
Rianne knew exactly what had happened.
That crash hadn’t been an accident.
If someone else had been driving, or if she had driven herself, today might’ve been the day she died.
Her words were directed at Stella–but Tempest understood every single one.
Stella clutched Rianne’s hand tighter. “Rianne…”
She got it too.
Once upon a time, when Rianne had still been close to Tempest, some people simply disliked her.
Now?
They didn’t just dislike her anymore–they hated her. Hated her enough to quietly plot her death.
If it hadn’t been for Tempest, the woman who had once saved the Hale family would have been treated worse than dirt.
Back then, it was Tempest who gave her the strength to keep going. But now…
Rianne gripped Stella’s wrist. “You’re flying back to Falvaria tonight, aren’t you?”
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Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy
Stella hesitated.
With the way Rianne was looking at her, she couldn’t bring herself to say “yes.”
Rianne had just survived an attempt on her life. How could Stella walk away now?
Especially knowing someone was trying to kill her. She couldn’t leave–not like this.
Rianne saw the hesitation and gave a faint, bitter smile. “I’m coming too.”
“Rianne-”
Tempest finally spoke, his voice panicked and cracking under strain.
Stella froze. She hadn’t expected that answer either.
Rianne ignored him.
She clutched Stella’s hand. “You can help me, right?”
Stella said nothing.
Help her? She couldn’t possibly mean…
She wants to run from Tempest.
Stella glanced at him instinctively. His face had darkened, fists clenched so tight they trembled.
Now she understood.
Rianne wanted to leave Tempest and go directly to Falvaria.
He’d never agree to that.
And when Rianne said you can help me, she clearly meant–use Abraham’s power to get me out.
Had things between them really fallen this far?
Tempest stepped forward and yanked Rianne’s hand from Stella’s. “Rianne, don’t you think—”
“Don’t you think I deserve a reasonable explanation?” she snapped, cutting him off.
“And do I not deserve one? For why your mother’s hated me all these years? What gave her the right? What gave the entire Hale family the right?”
The last part she nearly shouted, voice hoarse with fury.
Tempest was speechless.
Stella’s heart clenched in silence.
Rianne jerked her hand away. Her eyes, once so warm toward him, now burned with nothing but hatred.
There was no trace of the love that used to be there.
Tempest’s voice was tight. “You believe what Alexander said?”
Their eyes met.
They were standing face–to–face–yet it felt like they were worlds apart.
Rianne didn’t answer. She turned her head away, slowly and deliberately.
Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave
Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave
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But the next second, Tempest grabbed Rianne’s face and turned it toward him, forcing their eyes to meet. “Tell me–did you see Alexander again?”
Rianne narrowed her eyes. “Stop blaming everything on Alexander. The problems between us have nothing to do with him.”
“Then what do they have to do with?” His voice exploded with rage.
The air went still.
Rianne stared at him in silence.
Tempest tightened his grip on her wrist. “Rianne.”
“I want to be alone. I don’t want to see you right now. Is that okay?”
Her final word came through gritted teeth.
Her
Tempest’s entire presence turned volatile.
This was the first time Stella had seen them like this–so on edge, ready to snap.
In her mind, Tempest had always been fiercely protective of Rianne. But now? What the hell had happened between them?
Before either of them could lose control, Stella stepped forward. “Tempest, Rianne just got hurt. She might not be thinking clearly right now. Can you give her some space?”
He was right on the edge, and Stella was truly afraid he might lash out.
The mention of her being injured seemed to pull Tempest back from that line.
His eyes lingered on Rianne as he slowly released her wrist. Stella let out a quiet breath.
She moved in gently. “Let me talk to Rianne alone, okay?”
This wasn’t like Rianne, She had never pushed Tempest away like this before.
Even back when she had problems with the Hale family, she hadn’t been this hostile toward him personally.
No… now that Stella thought about it, she had sensed something was wrong back then.
She looked at Rianne more closely, tension in her eyes.
Tempest straightened up and glanced at Stella. The fury had faded from his face, replaced by a grim calm. He didn’t say a word as he turned and walked briskly down the hall.
Stella turned to the stunned medical staff. “Please take her to a room.”
Tempest’s presence had been so overpowering, none of the doctors had dared interrupt the entire time.
Now that he was gone, the hospital director immediately spoke up. “Hurry, get Ms. Rianne to a room.”
No
one dared neglect anyone connected to the Hale family.
Even if the entire family disliked Rianne, everyone knew–she was Tempest’s weak spot.
In the hospital room, Stella was accompanied by the butler–Abraham had dropped her off and then left.
Now it was just Stella and Rianne. Stella took her hand. “What happened between you and Tempest?”
They’d been fine before.
And also–who’s Hailey?”
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1:27 PM
Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave
She’d overheard Tempest on the phone earlier, talking about handing Hailey over to the authorities.
Stella had never heard of anyone named Hailey during her years at Rivermount.
All she remembered was Madam Linden trying to set Tempest up on blind dates not long ago.
Could Hailey be one of them?
If so… what kind of lunatic went after Rianne right after a blind date?
Rianne answered flatly, “Tempest’s distant cousin. No blood relation.”
Technically a cousin, yes–but far removed, with a generational gap in between. Pretty distant.
Stella’s tone dropped. “Was she behind the crash?”
Rianne closed her eyes. She didn’t even want to talk about the Hale family anymore. Not a single word.
“Forget them. Stella… I want to leave Rivermount. Will you take me with you?”
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When Rianne said it again–I want to leave–Stella could feel it. This wasn’t a whim. It was a decision rooted in heartbreak.
Thinking of everything Rianne had endured in the Hale family, Stella nodded. “Okay. I’ll take you with me.”
She could feel the despair radiating off her.
Rianne was strong–mature. She’d always faced everything head–on. She wasn’t someone who ran away.
Which made this moment all the more heartbreaking.
Stella didn’t need to ask anything else. She simply nodded.
Sometimes, when someone is drowning in darkness, what saves them isn’t a question–it’s someone quietly saying I’ll take you out of here.
If Rianne didn’t want to explain, Stella wouldn’t force it. She would simply be the person who helped her leave.
“Really?”
There was pain in Rianne’s eyes, but it lit up with hope the moment she heard Stella’s answer.
Stella nodded. “Yeah.“)
“But Tempest…?”
Obviously, he wouldn’t let her go. And that was what worried Rianne most.
Stella didn’t know what had happened between them–why they’d fallen apart so suddenly and so completely.
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Eddie was a doctor–if Rianne was going to travel tonight, she’d need to go through all the necessary evaluations and tests.
Wasn’t he surrounded by staff? Why did he have to do this?
She mumbled into the phone, “Talk to me once you’re back in Falvaria.”
Victor was too much. She could barely last another minute around him–but had no choice.
But now…
Victor: “Hm?”
Tessa: “A man and a woman alone in a room… Mind the optics.”
Victor’s lips curled into a faint smile. “You? Telling me to mind the optics?”
Just because she was under his roof, didn’t mean she couldn’t have some boundaries, right?
Victor chuckled. “Didn’t see you worried about optics before.”
What did he mean by that? What “before“?
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Her mind flashed to the moment she had lost her balance that day and instinctively grabbed onto–yeah, that spot. Even though it had been days since, just hearing him bring it up sent a jolt through her entire body.
Wait. No. This man wasn’t even… functional?
Wait a second!
127 PM O
“What?”
What do you mean, what?!
Oh god… Was Stella’s gossip even reliable?
Stella: “Huh? What intel?”
That one…
Wrong?
Why? What changed? That could only mean she-
Tessa: “The moment I was in his arms, I knew.”
Stella was starting to realize that talking to Tessa without at least double the normal brainpower was a recipe for disaster.
“So why were you in his arms?”
Now it was Tessa’s turn to go quiet. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.
What on earth?
Hearing that, Tessa felt almost entirely sure that something had gone down between Rianne and Tempest.
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