Chapter 15 “Remember, she always thought we liked Anna more. But you, you were so nice before. Then, at her worst, you said those things. She probably hates you more than us now. “I know,” Lionel replied. He’d seen it himself. Stella’s eyes, first shocked, and then dull after he spoke. His heart sank, and … Read more
Chapter 13 Fiona’s composure cracked. The memories surged up, and she buried her face in her hands. Andrew set down his fork with a heavy sigh. Stella’s voice was ice. “This is pointless. In Dusty Pines, I ate once a day, if I was lucky. The doctor warned me: jumping straight to three meals would … Read more
Chapter 13 Fiona’s composure cracked. The memories surged up, and she buried her face in her hands. Andrew set down his fork with a heavy sigh. Stella’s voice was ice. “This is pointless. In Dusty Pines, I ate once a day, if I was lucky. The doctor warned me: jumping straight to three meals would … Read more
Chapter 12 Anna hugged Andrew’s arm. “I was worried about you and Max. I couldn’t sleep.” “Always so thoughtful,” Andrew sighed, shooting Stella a venomous glance. “Unlike some people who only know how to cause trouble.” Anna bit her lip. “Dad, Stella hasn’t done anything wrong.” “That’s what scares me,” he muttered. “At least if … Read more
Chapter 11 The mere thought of Troy made Stella’s stomach twist. She didn’t want to go in. But Andrew didn’t give her a choice. He knocked, pushed the door open, and dragged her inside. Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto her, especially Troy’s. His head was wrapped in bandages, his injuries severe. … Read more
Chapter 10 Fiona’s face twisted with worry. “What’s going on?” Andrew was already striding toward his room to change. “Max got drunk and hit someone.” Fiona frowned in confusion. “If it’s just a fight, can’t we settle it with money? Why drag Stella into this?” Andrew paused at the door, his cold, expectant gaze slicing … Read more
Chapter 9 Stella’s gaze dimmed with quiet resignation. That fleeting hope had been foolish-she’d known her place ever since they chose to abandon her. “I didn’t,” she murmured, the words barely audible. Fiona misinterpreted Stella’s expression as guilt. Her tone softened with misplaced reassurance. “We’re not accusing you, Stella. Even if you did this, we’d … Read more
Chapter 8 Anna was back-stomach pumped, but otherwise fine. Exhausted, everyone else had gone to rest. But Max was still sifting through evidence, trying to see if Stella had actually poisoned anything. After reviewing hours of footage, there was no sign of her touching that damn bag. A wave of guilt crashed over him. His … Read more
Chapter 7 Andrew rushed over, pulling Anna into his arms as he shot his mother a pleading look. “Eleanor, enough. Anna just took her medication and she can’t handle this stress.” Eleanor glared at Anna but held her tongue, unwilling to cause a scene at the Hayes family event. Then Anna gagged and vomited. The … Read more
Chapter 6 *Stella… is that really my Stella?” The voice was frail but unmistakable. Eleanor, Stella’s grandmother, leaning heavily on her cane, looked decades older than she had three years ago. With each unsteady step, she called Stella’s name like a prayer. Stella had sworn she wouldn’t break-not here, not in front of them. But … Read more