Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)
Chapter 40

Cloudia sighed, glancing toward the hospital room, "Okay, enough. Don't you have Beckett Patel's birthday bash to attend tonight? Better hurry up, don't want to be late."

"What about Stella?"

Jaxon was worried about Ursula.

Cloudia said, "Once we locate her, I'll go talk to her."

It had become clear to her that intimidation wouldn't work on Stella.

So, sweet-talking it was.

For now, getting Tegan back was the priority.

...

Stella got into the car, and realized there was someone else in the passenger seat.

"Finley?"

Finley Yoder, a renowned cardiologist from Ferrowland. Especially in surgery, he had never failed, earning him the nickname "Phantom Healer".

Finley turned to Stella with a mischievous grin, "You little rascal, quite the hide-and-seek champion. Your brother had a hell of a time looking for you. If you were still no news, I suspected he might start digging to Hades, see if you hid there." Hearing about Ronald's long search, Stella felt a pang of guilt. She cautiously glanced at the stern man next to her.

Ronald took her phone, causing Stella's brows twitching violently, "What the heck?"

Ronald said, "No talking."

Stella was speechless, watching Ronald scrolling through her contacts, messages, Twitter, and various messaging apps.

So, he was snooping on her?

Stella, feeling conflicted, snatched her phone back, "What are you doing? I've been out of school for years."

Back then, dating was off-limits in school, but she wasn't in school anymore.

Ronald looked at her, let out a low chuckle, and with a scoop, pulled her onto his lap.

Stella protested, "Hey, Finley's still here."

As soon as she said that, the partition between the car seats rose.

Still, Stella felt uncomfortable. Wriggling in Ronald's embrace, trying to get down, she reminded him, "Ronald, I'm really grown up now!"

Ronald chuckled softly, "Oh? So are you looking to date now?!"

The corner of Stella's lips twitched. Dating was the last thing on her mind.

As Stella kept silent, Ronald continued, "Or perhaps, you're taking your engagement to him seriously?"

The wedding was just days away, huh!

"If I hadn't shown up, were you really planning to marry him?"

Stella clearly detected a hint of danger in Ronald's tone.

"No."

"No?" Ronald was skeptical.

Idris had dug up everything. The reports stated that Stella hadn't resisted from the start.

Feeling trapped by the looming danger from Ronald, Stella confessed, "Anyway, he won't marry me!"

That was the truth. Her lack of resistance stemmed from the knowledge that Yorick would never marry her.

Especially with Ursula in the picture, and her fear of the lurking Schultz family, threatening Ronald if she acted out. "So sure?"

"Then you've seen it, he left me for another woman."

Ronald fell silent.

The mention of "another woman" chilled the atmosphere in the car. Though he was displeased about Stella and Yorick, Yorick abandoning her for someone else infuriated him more. His precious, nurtured from childhood, facing such humiliation?

A dangerous glint flickered in Ronald's eyes, veiling the enigmatic danger brewing within.