Chapter 297
[ 522 words ]
Finley’s mind was swirling in disbelief. He looked at Ronald, incredulous. “But if he’s still alive, why hasn’t he reached out to Yvonne all these years?” Ronald’s eyes deepened, a shadow passing over them.
Why?
…
Inside Stella’s room, the unfamiliar call came through- Cloudia, who had borrowed yet another phone to contact her.
By now, she’d lost count of how many phones the Larkin family had lent her, all because their own lines were perpetually unreachable.
Cloudia’s voice erupted through the line, furious. “That’s your brother, Stella! How can you be so heartless? Is your heart made of stone, Stella? How could you do this to your own brother, leave him without his hands… you, you!” Cloudia had already fainted once from anger.
The moment the call connected, she unleashed a tirade of accusations, an avalanche of blame.
Stella narrowed her eyes slightly. “How would you know if my heart is stone? You’ve never tried to warm it.”
They say a heart of stone can’t be warmed. And they had never even tried. If anything, they had taught Stella just how cold family ties could be.
Cloudia stammered, “You…”
Stella cut her off, “Jaxon knows why he lost his hands.”
“Stella!”
Cloudia was beyond furious.
Stella continued, “After Ursula was sent abroad, he didn’t just stop at once. Mrs. Larkin, you knew, didn’t you?”
Cloudia fell silent, her breath catching in her throat.
“What are you saying?”
“I was nearly kidnapped once, and you called it paranoia. But you knew Jaxon was behind it, didn’t you? You chose to protect him.”
Her voice was soft, but the words struck Cloudia like a cold wind, leaving her gasping for air.
“You, you actually…”
“Actually knew?” Stella finished the sentence for her.
Judging by Cloudia’s faltering voice, Stella knew she was right.
Ah, the Larkins.
Stella chuckled softly. “But it makes sense. If you protect a foster daughter so fiercely, imagine how you’d protect your own son “
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Cloudia protested, “No, he was confused that time. I did reprimand him. I really did…”
Stella interrupted, “And if I had been kidnapped, what would have happened to me?”
Stella couldn’t bear to listen to Cloudia’s excuses.
Reprimanded? Was Jaxon a toddler to be scolded for mischief?
“And it wasn’t just once, was it? Did you reprimand him every time?”
Cloudia’s breathing grew more labored.
Stella continued, “I called the police, but it was you who used your influence to suppress it, right?
You expect me to speak kindly of him now? To save those hands that should’ve been lost long ago?”
They should’ve been lost long ago.
In fact, they were, once.
Right after discovering that the Larkins had suppressed her police report, Stella knew what needed to be done. That very night, Jaxon left a bar, only to be ambushed by Stella, who broke his hands with a baseball bat.
Before leaving Ferrowland, she had
been a sheltered flower, protected by Ronald. But after the Schultz family debacle and her departure from Ferrowland, she grew
fast.
She shed her former fragility, constantly reminding herself to stay strong, at least until Ronald came for her.
She managed it… and all those who had wronged her paid the price.
“You… even if he was wrong, I stopped him later, didn’t I? You. weren’t actually harmed.” Cloudia’s voice was filled with pain.
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