Chapter 719

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Finley: “I… “

What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to be happy? He was about to lose his mind here.

Facing Ronald’s intimidating presence, Finley couldn’t get a word out.

Ronald: “Book your ticket home.”

Finley: “…”

Stella: “…” Wait, seriously?

He gave in that easily?

That couldn’t be right. That was so not Ronald’s style.

When Ronald said, “Book your ticket home,” even Stella sensed something was off.

Finley’s eyelid twitched like crazy.

His heart was pounding with anxiety. “No, no, no,” he stammered, “I still have some things to handle here. It’s not a good time for me to come back.”

Ronald: “Hmm?”

Finley: “Yeah, it’s pretty important. Oh, they’re calling me-gotta go!”

Oh god, he could totally tell if he went back now, Ronald would probably wring his neck.

Not long ago, Finley had been dying to go home. Now, he couldn’t think of anything scarier.

He figured he’d rather be out here eating sand in the Mojave Desert than go home and get eaten alive by Ronald.

Before Ronald could say anything else, Finley hung up the call.

Listening to the dial tone, Ronald looked over at Stella, who was pouting and muttering under her breath.

Ronald pulled her into his arms.

They locked eyes, and Ronald let out a low chuckle. “Did you buy it?”

Stella: “Not even close.”

She wasn’t that gullible.

The connection she had with Ronald was something only the two of them could understand. Finley’s clumsy attempts to stir the pot were just laughable.

Ronald grinned. “Good.”

Then he kissed her.

Stella squirmed in his arms. “Hey, if Finley actually comes back, you’re not going to do something crazy to him, right?”

Finley could be a pain, sure, but Ronald’s idea of punishment was always… extreme.

Ronald: “You think he’d dare come back right now?”

Stella: “!!!”

Yeah, obviously not.

If Finley actually had the guts to show up, Stella would have to give him a medal for bravery.

Later, as they lay in bed together, Stella nestled into Ronald’s chest. “So… Xander. Was he really the one from the other night?”

“Yep,” Ronald replied.

Stella: “Wait, seriously?”

Really? He actually did it?

Wasn’t he worried Yvonne would murder him? Look at Dan-he was a cautionary

tale, still stuck in the ICU. Even Aira got smacked around.

And Xander? If Yvonne found out, she’d probably do even worse.

“What did your sister say?” Ronald asked, dodging the question.

If Xander had the guts to admit it to Ronald, he probably would to Yvonne, too.

Just thinking about Xander pulling something like that made Ronald’s smirk widen. Nobody who knew Xander would believe he’d actually do it.

Speaking of Yvonne, Stella said, “She doesn’t believe it at all. She was way more shocked to find out Dan kuns Bate. Swore she was coming back to end him…”

Right now, Yvonne’s hatred for Dan was at an all-time high, and she was totally ignoring Xander’s boldness.

She honestly thought Xander was just covering for Dan. She couldn’t imagine him having the guts to actually do it.

Ronald: “Hmm?”

“I mean, I don’t really believe it either,” Stella admitted.

Honestly, when she first heard what Xander said to Ronald, her gut told

Xan’t be true. If she c

her it

believe it, Yvonne definitel

“Are you sure it was really him?”

Ronald: “He confessed, straight up. What more do you want?”

“And my sister still thinks Xander’s taking the fall for Dan? So what, are those two secretly plotting or something?”

She couldn’t figure out why Xander would cover for Dan. If it really was Xander, nobody believed it.

Ronald: “Does Xander seem like the fall-guy type to you?”

Never mind the secret plotting-Xander was just not that kind of guy.

Stella: “Yeah, doesn’t seem like it to me either.”

So the whole situation was a mess. Stella didn’t really understand why Yvonne

thought Xander would take the blame for Dan.

Ronald: “Just ignore them. Let’s get some sleep.”

Stella: “Okay.”

Not like she could do anything anyway.

Ronald gently stroked the back of her head, thinking about what Stella had just said.

Yvonne thought Xander was taking the fall for Dan?

What kind of twisted logic was that?

In this mess, the guy who actually got blamed was half-dead, and the one who

confessed was just… suspected of covering for someone else.

…

That afternoon, Susanna spent hours outside in the cold wind, thanks to Barnaby’s over-the-top protection detail.

Her shooting had improved a little.

But by midnight, she was burning up with a fever. The doctor came to the house, but nothing helped.

So, in the middle of the night, Hull bundled her up and rushed her to the hospital.

As they passed one of the rooms, there was a loud crash, followed by a man’s furious shout.

“She trusts Xander that much? Why the hell does she trust him so much?”

Dan was shouting like a madman.

Scar jumped in, trying to calm him down. “Sir, please, you need to take it easy.

You can’t get worked up right now.”

Ever since Dan found out how

Yvonne felt about Xander, he’d been completely losing it. He just couldn’t that Yvonne trusted Xander

Soch.

Yvonne hadn’t even laid a finger on Xander.

That drove Dan up the wall.

Dan raged, “Why the hell hasn’t Yvonne gone after Xander? Why does he get off

scot-free?”

At the sound of Yvonne’s name, Susanna, who’d been slumped against Hull, suddenly perked up and grabbed his coat.

Hull looked down at her, worried. “Feeling sick? Do you need to throw up?”

“Wait, let me listen for a second,” she said, eyes wide with curiosity.

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