Chapter 976

[ 632 words ]

Thane Quarry’s illegitimate son had come back, and just like that, the peaceful facade of the family completely unraveled.

Susanna drew a long breath. “No, we’re not together. What, are you still hung up on Star?” She gave a sharp, exasperated sigh. “Let me spell it out for you-Star has nothing to do with you now. She and Mr. Quinn are married, and she’s pregnant with triplets. It’s over, Yorick. Move on.” Worried Yorick was still stuck on Stella, Susanna decided to give him the unvarnished truth. Maybe then he’d finally accept it was impossible and stop clinging to hopeless fantasies.

“Just do me a favor and pass on a message to her,” Yorick insisted.

“I’m not playing messenger.” She refused flatly. Why encourage him? She’d already told him to give up.

“There’s a girl called Regina Schultz in the Schultz family, but she’s not really their daughter.”

Susanna frowned. “What are you talking about?” The Schultz family… Wasn’t that Xander’s family-Yvonne’s husband? Why was Yorick telling her this?

“Mona Haig’s real daughter isn’t Regina. It’s a woman named Berry.”

“Berry? Wait, what?” Susanna’s confusion deepened.

Yorick pressed on, “Berry and Ronald were rumored to have had something going on before. Regina going after Stella was just a smokescreen. Tell her to watch out for the Schultz family.”

This was getting more and more convoluted. Susanna rubbed her temple, trying to make sense of it. “You’re saying the Schultzes are still scheming against Star? Would they dare?”

“It’s not the family—it’s Mona specifically. Mona!” Yorick stressed, his voice tense.

“Wait, I’m lost. Give me a second!” Susanna’s mind was spinning.

Yorick added, “Berry’s been a regular at Plastic surgery clinics lately.”

“Plastic surgery clinics?” Susanna echoed, more bewildered than ever.

“She’s been copying Stella in every way-her looks, her mannerisms, even her tastes,” Yorick continued.

Everything clicked at once. Cosmetic procedures, obsessively mimicking Stella… So beneath all this surface calm, there was yet another scheme being plotted against Stella? Didn’t the Schultz family learn the last time?

“They’re making a move a big one,” Yorick cautioned. “If they pull this off, you know what’ll happen…”

If they succeeded… Berry would slip into Stella’s place at Ronald’s side. The thought alone sent a chill racing through Susanna.

“Hold on,” she blurted suddenly, suspicion prickling at her. “How do you even know all this? Is this some kind of setup?” With Yorick’s history his obsession with Stella, especially after the whole truth about Ursula Larkin had come to light-she couldn’t help but worry he was playing some game of his own. Who knew what he was really after?

“How I found out doesn’t matter,” Yorick replied coolly. “Just make sure Stella knows

her world isn’t as calm as it seems. There’s no shortage of women in Ferrowland who want to be Mrs. Quinn.”

Susanna fell silent, digesting it all.

“So why not call Star yourself?” she shot back. “Tell her directly.”

“She’s blocked me ages ago.”

Of course. Star was always ruthlessly decisive about closing doors that needed to stay shut-she’d cut Yorick from her life with no hesitation.

As soon as the call ended, Susanna didn’t hesitate. After only a moment’s thought, she called Stella. The phone was barely ringing before Stella picked up. “Susie.”

“Star, I just got a call from Yorick,” Susanna said, her tone brisk but anxious. “He claims Mona’s real daughter isn’t Regina, but someone named Berry.” The name rang a bell-she was almost sure, Stella had mentioned Berry before.

“I’ve already gotten wind of that,” Stella said, her voice calm and steady.

“You… already know?”

“Don’t worry,” Stella answered. “Just look after your own affairs. I know what I’m doing.”

Susanna was stunned. That fast? All

this time, she and Yorick thought they were the ones delivering news, but it turned out Stella was already

this

ahead of them on a secret well-hidden, no less. Clearly, she wasn’t the one in the dark, she already had contingencies in place.

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