Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me?
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Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me?
Tessa turned and left Victor’s room, feeling completely drained, like some poor little orphan.
Hopefully, Stella would find her mother soon and clear everything up, so she could finally have some peace in her life.
Victor watched her retreating figure–she didn’t even dare to argue back. Even from behind, he could sense her frustration.
He couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth…
Tessa went downstairs and dutifully cleaned up the kitchen.
Just as she was about to head back up, Silas showed up with a large bag in hand.
When he saw her, he greeted her respectfully, “Ma’am.”
Tessa was shocked.
What do you mean, ma’am? That’s not who she was!
She remembered someone else calling her that too.
Tessa instinctively said, “I’m not a ma’am. Don’t call me that.”
That title made it sound like she and Victor had something going on. Which–just to be clear–they absolutely did not.
Silas smiled without responding.
“This is from Victor. He asked me to drop it off. Sorry to trouble you tomorrow morning.”
Compared to Lewis, at least Silas had a bit of emotional intelligence. He didn’t argue or cross any lines.
Tessa glanced at the vegetables. Some of them she didn’t even recognize.
She asked Silas what they were called. As for how to cook them, she’d just have to follow the app tutorials like Victor had told her to.
When Silas saw there were a few things she still couldn’t identify, he looked a little worried. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
Tessa replied, “Yeah, I think I can.”
She’d learned how to make soup from the app. These dishes…. well, they might come out a little rough the first time.
But they’d definitely be edible.
Silas nodded. “Alright then.”
“Oh, and Victor might run a fever tonight. Sorry, but could you keep an eye on him? He’s not allowed to take a bath.”
Every time Victor got injured, he insisted on showering afterward.
None of the staff could stop him.
But now there was a woman in the house–so things were different.
Tessa blinked. “Huh? How am I supposed to do that?”
Come on, she was a girl. Was she seriously supposed to watch a grown man and stop him from taking a shower?
Silas said, “Just keep an eye on him.”
Keep. An. Eye. On. Him?
Was that really something she should be doing?
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1.22
Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me?
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
If someone was supposed to handle this, shouldn’t it be, you know, his woman?
Silas replied. “But right now, you’re the only one living under the same roof as Victor. So, we’re counting on you.”
With every polite little “sorry to trouble you,” Tessa found herself completely unable to say no.
“If he gets a fever tonight, please give him some medicine. If it doesn’t go down, then help him cool off physically.”
“Physically?”
Tessa’s brain stalled a bit.
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What kind of instructions were these? It sounded more like she was supposed to take care of a child. And it sounded like a lot of work.
Silas clarified, “Wipe down his skin with warm water.”
Was he being serious right now?
“His whole body?”
“Yeah. Just like how Victor wiped you down the other night.”
Silence fell.
Tessa stared at Silas and turned to stone.
Then he left.
She was the only one left standing there, frozen in place. It took her a while to even process what she’d just heard.
What did Silas say just now?
The other night, Victor had taken care of her that way? So that’s how her clothes got removed?
Her already unsettled heart was now in full chaos.
Especially that last line from Silas–that she was supposed to take care of Victor the same way…
Physically cool him down? Wipe his whole body?
Wait, hold on…
Was that supposed to be serious?
Over at Stella’s place, she was gently wiping Abraham’s chest with a warm towel so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable in the morning.
She had just poured the warm water down the drain in the bathroom when Tessa called.
“Stella, listen, I can’t do this.”
Stella: “Can’t do what?”
“I mean physically cooling down Victor! Everyone around him just bailed and dumped him on me. They told me to check on him in the middle of the night to see if he has a fever–and that kind of care…”
Tessa’s voice rose with agitation.
“Is that really something I should be doing? Am I even qualified for this?”
Did Victor’s people have zero common sense? They actually expected her to wipe down his whole body?
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1.22 M
Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me?
“It’s just a fever! Does it really have to be this complicated?”
Tessa was going off so hard that Stella couldn’t even get a word in.
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Before she could respond, Tessa went on, “And get this–it turns out the other night, Victor stripped me because of this!”
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Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death
Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death
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“Do I need him fussing over me like this? What, does Falvaria not have hospitals? And now I’m supposed to take care of him too? Who even says stuff like that?”
Tessa completely lost it.
She stormed back and forth across the living room, ranting non–stop.
Uh…
Well.
Stella had no idea what had actually happened over there.
But judging from Tessa’s reaction right now, things might be a little out of control with her being around Victor.
Clearing her throat, Stella offered, “If Victor’s hurt, there’s a chance he might run a fever tonight. You should give him some meds first. If that doesn’t work-”
“What’s even worse,” Tessa cut in before Stella could finish, “is this–he broke now or something?”
Stella replied, “No, he’s not.”
“Then why can’t he hire a housekeeper? If he’s got money, he could afford ten of them, not just one!”
Stella sighed. “He can afford it.”
“Then why won’t he?”
Tessa was genuinely baffled. He’d even fired the cook–what now, planning to turn her into his free maid?
Whatever. Those were minor things.
But what happened tonight?
Had gone way too far.
So what–just because he looked after her the other night, now she’s supposed to return the favor?
Stella explained, “Because the young and pretty ones try to seduce him.”
Apparently, that’s how the last batch of maids got let go.
Tessa snapped, “Then hire old ones. Ugly ones.”
“Those might be assassins!”
Which… also happened before.
Tessa fell silent.
What the-
Stella added, “Victor’s had a few incidents like that in the past. He got tired of it, so now he does everything himself.”
That’s why all his villas only had hourly workers coming in occasionally.
He didn’t want to deal with people who had hidden agendas.
Tessa asked, “So tonight, it’s gotta be me taking care of him, is that it?”
Stella nodded. “Yeah. Unless something unexpected happens, you’ll probably need to.”
Something unexpected. God, she was really starting to hate that phrase.
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3
3
Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death
“Then can’t you send someone over?”
She was on the verge of a breakdown.
Stella was the Luke family’s little princess–sending someone should be a snap for her.
But Stella hesitated. “That… might not work.”
What now?
The way she said it, like even sending a maid was some kind of moral dilemma. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Stella explained, “Even if I send someone, Victor has to agree to it.”
“What about your brother? Can he send someone?”
“Same deal. Victor has to give the green light.”
So even Mr. Abraham didn’t have unlimited power in Falvaria? He actually needed someone’s permission?
Tessa’s face just fell.
Stella added, “The thing is… Victor’s a master of security systems.”
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“From the moment you walk into his villa, there are traps everywhere. If you’re not someone he trusts, or if he hasn’t given you access, you could be taken down within five steps.”
Translation: anyone stepping into Victor’s territory without permission was playing with fire.
Literal, possibly fatal, fire.
He was basically a walking hazard zone.
Tessa sucked in a sharp breath. “Taken down in five steps?”
Stella nodded. “You walk in standing up, and end up a pile of ashes in the ground. For innocent people, that’s pretty brutal.”
Ashes. In the ground…
Yeah, that was more than a little dangerous.
And never mind whether Victor would approve someone coming over–if people knew they were heading into his turf, they probably wouldn’t even want to go.
Who’d dare? One wrong move and they’re toast.
Absolutely brutal.
After hearing all this, Tessa instinctively glanced around the villa.
“So the whole place is booby–trapped too?”
Stella replied, “Unless something unexpected happened, yeah.”
Great.
Meaning she was living in a house where her life was constantly on the line.
Stella warned, “So don’t go touching stuff in there. You might set off something.”
And it wouldn’t just be a joke. It could be fatal.
Tessa’s heart skipped a beat.
Good thing she wasn’t the type to poke around in other people’s houses. Otherwise, she might’ve already triggered something deadly.
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Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death
“So before you send anyone over, I need to get his permission first?”
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Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
“Yes,” Stella confirmed.
Tessa’s face instantly fell.
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Based on her observations over the past couple of days, Victor was really… kind of extreme when it came to employing people.
The cook had only lasted a day before being fired. In short, the man was impossible to please.
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Go talk to him!”
Talk to him…
“He’s definitely not going to agree, right?”
There wasn’t a single soul in this place. It was clear Victor preferred to be alone.
And yet he’d still taken her in under these circumstances–she really did owe him a lot.
Stella said, “If he says no, then no one can just show up out of nowhere.”
So she’d have to go put in effort just to get his approval?
Before Tessa could say anything else, Stella cut her off, “Ah, I can’t talk anymore. Gotta go.”
Tessa faintly heard a man’s voice on the other end right before Stella hung up.
The dial tone echoed in her ear as she stood there, stunned.
She didn’t want to take care of Victor.
Maybe she could talk him into letting Stella send someone over. She really wasn’t cut out for this.
It wasn’t like she was some uptight prude about men and women being alone.
But to be honest, she barely even knew Victor.
…
Dragging her feet, she climbed the stairs.
Shuffling her way to Victor’s room, she knocked on the door.
Her pace alone made it obvious just how reluctant she was.
No response.
She knocked again…
Still nothing.
What if he already had a fever and passed out? That fast?
Starting to panic, Tessa threw caution to the wind and pushed the door open.
The moment it swung wide-
Victor stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped low around his waist.
Water still dripped from his muscular chest.
Fresh out of the shower, glistening-
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+5 Free Coins
Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
Tessa barely managed to swallow before her mind went completely blank, blood rushing through her veins uncontrollably.
Victor caught sight of her–and the tiny trickle of blood under her nose.
His eyes narrowed.
A chill radiated from him as he spat out three cold words: “What are you looking at?”
His voice was icily sharp.
Tessa snapped back to herself in an instant and stammered, “N–Nothing! I knocked, and you didn’t answer.”
“So you just barged in?”
“I… I didn’t…”
Her brain completely froze.
She quickly looked away from Victor. This man–he was built like a sculpture of pure power.
Even someone like Tessa, who’d never been into that kind of thing, was burning up.
Pathetic…
She’d seen all kinds of pretty boys back in Rivermount. Get a grip, Tessa. Have some dignity.
She scolded herself internally, not realizing Victor had already approached.
The moment his warm fingertip brushed the corner of her mouth, Tessa flinched and instinctively stepped back. “You–what are you doing?”
He raised his red–stained fingertip in front of her eyes, still tinged with the scent of blood. “What’s this?”
Her already scrambled brain exploded at the sight of the blood on his finger.
She instinctively wiped under her nose–only to smear blood across the back of her hand.
She was completely dumbfounded.
Seriously? She was that hopeless? Staring at a hot guy so hard she got a nosebleed?
“I–I mean, I have chronic nosebleeds?”
The uncertain tone made it unclear whether she was trying to explain or convince herself.
Victor asked calmly, “So this happens every time you see a man?”
“Uh, yes!”
Tessa nodded frantically.
Then realized what he’d actually said–and immediately shook her head. “Wait, no, that’s not it!“.
What kind of nonsense was that?
She wasn’t some ridiculous pervert who got nosebleeds just from seeing a good–looking guy….
Whether she admitted it or not, that was exactly what just happened. “It was an accident. Just a fluke today.”
She scrambled to clarify–not lie, just explain.
Victor’s lips quirked into a smile. “Get me a glass of water.”
“Oh–okay!”
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Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
The second he gave her a task, Tessa acted like she’d been granted a royal pardon and spun around to leave.
But just as she turned-
She felt a sudden tug at her hem.
Before she could even react, the towel wrapped around Victor’s waist dropped to the floor right in front of her…
She turned her head instinctively.
Her pupils shrank on impact.
Her mind went blank again, like a gong had gone off inside her skull–clang.
Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
“Yes,” Stella confirmed.
Tessa’s face instantly fell.
6
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+5 Free Coins
Based on her observations over the past couple of days, Victor was really… kind of extreme when it came to employing people.
The cook had only lasted a day before being fired. In short, the man was impossible to please.
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Go talk to him!”
Talk to him…
“He’s definitely not going to agree, right?”
There wasn’t a single soul in this place. It was clear Victor preferred to be alone.
And yet he’d still taken her in under these circumstances–she really did owe him a lot.
Stella said, “If he says no, then no one can just show up out of nowhere.”
So she’d have to go put in effort just to get his approval?
Before Tessa could say anything else, Stella cut her off, “Ah, I can’t talk anymore. Gotta go.”
Tessa faintly heard a man’s voice on the other end right before Stella hung up.
The dial tone echoed in her ear as she stood there, stunned.
She didn’t want to take care of Victor.
Maybe she could talk him into letting Stella send someone over. She really wasn’t cut out for this.
It wasn’t like she was some uptight prude about men and women being alone.
But to be honest, she barely even knew Victor.
…
Dragging her feet, she climbed the stairs.
Shuffling her way to Victor’s room, she knocked on the door.
Her pace alone made it obvious just how reluctant she was.
No response.
She knocked again…
Still nothing.
What if he already had a fever and passed out? That fast?
Starting to panic, Tessa threw caution to the wind and pushed the door open.
The moment it swung wide-
Victor stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped low around his waist.
Water still dripped from his muscular chest.
Fresh out of the shower, glistening-
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+5 Free Coins
Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
Tessa barely managed to swallow before her mind went completely blank, blood rushing through her veins uncontrollably.
Victor caught sight of her–and the tiny trickle of blood under her nose.
His eyes narrowed.
A chill radiated from him as he spat out three cold words: “What are you looking at?”
His voice was icily sharp.
Tessa snapped back to herself in an instant and stammered, “N–Nothing! I knocked, and you didn’t answer.”
“So you just barged in?”
“I… I didn’t…”
Her brain completely froze.
She quickly looked away from Victor. This man–he was built like a sculpture of pure power.
Even someone like Tessa, who’d never been into that kind of thing, was burning up.
Pathetic…
She’d seen all kinds of pretty boys back in Rivermount. Get a grip, Tessa. Have some dignity.
She scolded herself internally, not realizing Victor had already approached.
The moment his warm fingertip brushed the corner of her mouth, Tessa flinched and instinctively stepped back. “You–what are you doing?”
He raised his red–stained fingertip in front of her eyes, still tinged with the scent of blood. “What’s this?”
Her already scrambled brain exploded at the sight of the blood on his finger.
She instinctively wiped under her nose–only to smear blood across the back of her hand.
She was completely dumbfounded.
Seriously? She was that hopeless? Staring at a hot guy so hard she got a nosebleed?
“I–I mean, I have chronic nosebleeds?”
The uncertain tone made it unclear whether she was trying to explain or convince herself.
Victor asked calmly, “So this happens every time you see a man?”
“Uh, yes!”
Tessa nodded frantically.
Then realized what he’d actually said–and immediately shook her head. “Wait, no, that’s not it!“.
What kind of nonsense was that?
She wasn’t some ridiculous pervert who got nosebleeds just from seeing a good–looking guy….
Whether she admitted it or not, that was exactly what just happened. “It was an accident. Just a fluke today.”
She scrambled to clarify–not lie, just explain.
Victor’s lips quirked into a smile. “Get me a glass of water.”
“Oh–okay!”
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Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure
The second he gave her a task, Tessa acted like she’d been granted a royal pardon and spun around to leave.
But just as she turned-
She felt a sudden tug at her hem.
Before she could even react, the towel wrapped around Victor’s waist dropped to the floor right in front of her…
She turned her head instinctively.
Her pupils shrank on impact.
Her mind went blank again, like a gong had gone off inside her skull–clang.
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Chapter 415 Apologies and Aftershocks
And then this had to happen tonight.
Victor looked down at her, standing there like a little quail.
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He couldn’t see her face, only the top of her head, and the way she stood there–so timid and apologetic–was oddly obedient.
The corners of his mouth curved faintly. “What are you sorry for?”
Tessa blurted out, “For stripping off your towel.”
Silence crashed down around them.
Tessa’s brain froze again.
Oh no–Stella had specifically told her not to mention that. Just admit you were wrong and leave it at that!
The pressure in Victor’s presence made it impossible to ignore him. “I- I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Oh?” Victor’s voice was icy. “Then what did you mean?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
She really hadn’t.
Victor’s footsteps thudded against the floor as he walked down, each step pounding against her chest.
He stopped right in front of her and lifted her chin with his long, defined fingers.
Tessa’s insides were trembling.
“M–Mr. Victor, here’s your water.”
She nervously offered the now half–full glass.
But her mind was still replaying the earlier scene in vivid detail.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself in it. How stupid could she possibly be?
Turning around and accidentally yanking someone’s towel off?
Seriously?
She held the glass out.
Victor didn’t take it.
Instead, his grip on her chin tightened slightly. “What did you see just now?”
Everything-
“I saw, uh-”
Wait. She couldn’t say that. Definitely not.
She immediately shook her head. “I didn’t see anything.”
Not good enough.
His sharp gaze pierced her like a blade, and Tessa quickly added, “Nothing at all.”
But she had seen something.
And honestly, how could anyone say he was not functional? That didn’t look like someone who had issues in that department.
If he really had a problem, then what a waste of—
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Chapter 413 Apologies and Aftershocks
It wasn’t until she heard the door close upstairs that Tessa finally let out a breath and patted her chest.
Oh my god…
Living under the same roof as someone like Victor–normal people’s hearts couldn’t handle that kind of stress.
Just as she turned to sneak back upstairs to the room she was staying in, the landline downstairs started ringing.
With no other choice, she went back and picked up the phone.
“Tessa, it’s Silas.”
For the last time, I’m not his girlfriend.
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Why did they all keep calling her ma’am? Seriously!
Silas continued, “Please help take care of my brother tonight. And whatever you do, don’t let him take a shower.”
“What?!”
Silas shouted so loud it nearly blew out her eardrum.
Tessa tried again: “How about you come over? I’m really not cut out for that kind of care.”
Too much trouble?
“This is beyond trouble,”
Judging by what Silas had said, Victor was going to have a fever tonight.
But there was no way Tessa could take care of him like that. What even was she supposed to do?
She hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell Stella to send someone. She had no choice now but to redial the number from earlier.
Tessa grumbled, “What? She’s not picking up now?”
But what about someone from his side? That should be fine, right? Surely he wouldn’t refuse that.
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She tried Silas again. Twice more. Still no answer.
What the hell?
Looks like she was stuck with this tonight, no matter what.
With no other choice, Tessa trudged upstairs again to ask Victor if he’d let Tessa–or someone else from his own people-
come over.
This man was such a pain. She’d never met anyone this impossible to deal with.
Seriously?
Her voice was so anxious it practically squeaked.
Because of the lighting, Victor could clearly see the flutter of her long lashes even from that distance.
She was so small, her face barely the size of a palm, filled with unease and uncertainty.
His lips curved faintly. “What else did he say?”
“And… and that if you do get a fever, meds probably won’t work. You’d need physical cooling.”
Silas had repeated that warning several times.
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1.23 PM
His mind flashed back to the night before last…
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Back then, even John couldn’t send a reliable housekeeper, and Victor hadn’t wanted to alarm Madam either.
He gave Tessa another long look.
Meanwhile, back in Rivermount, the Reed family was unraveling fast after Susan’s arrest.
In what felt like a single night, the entire family collapsed.
She sat bundled up in her wheelchair, but the Rivermount winter was biting cold.
That was her reality now. When the Reed family was at its peak, she was in the palm of Ethan’s hand. Who would have dared treat her like this?
If she could just recover–she’d make them all pay.
Her lips curved into a mocking smile. “That mask of yours really is something else.”
She lowered her head and forced a polite, subdued greeting. “Madam Madeline.”
Madeline let out a cold laugh. “Here to see Ethan?”
“Yes.”
“Leave. He won’t be seeing you again.”
If there was one thing that had pleased Madeline lately, it was Ethan finally cutting Lilian off.
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Sick, weak, hunched in a wheelchair–if Ethan had insisted on marrying her, Madeline might’ve dropped dead from rage.
“Lilian,” Madeline cut in sharply, “a woman should carry her own grace. I’m not in the mood to humiliate you tonight, so don’t push me.”
Lilian had once dreamed of walking through it with her head held high. She truly believed Ethan’s persistence would get her there one day.
Lilian shook her head in desperation. “No, don’t touch me–don’t you dare touch me!”
Her attendant tried to intervene, but the guard shoved her to the ground without hesitation.
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“Ms. Lilian,” the guard sneered, “let me remind you–the Reed family no longer exists. You’re not their precious daughter anymore.”
Humiliation–sharp, bitter, and suffocating–coiled tightly around her chest.
No one had ever treated her like this before. How had it come to this?
Stella.
This was all because of her.
Never.
Who knew how long they slept…
Her phone, resting on the nightstand, buzzed loudly–she’d forgotten to silence it before bed.
Still half–asleep, Stella groped for it and answered groggily, “Hello…?”
She was exhausted.
Who the hell was calling this late?
On the other end, Tessa’s anxious voice rang out: “Stella, Victor has a high fever! He’s burning up!”
High fever?
Stella was still too drowsy to understand why Tessa was calling her about that.
“What do
you
mean?”
Victor had a fever–and Tessa was calling her?
She blinked at the ceiling in confusion, still not registering that Tessa was currently living with Victor.
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1:23 PM
Chapter 418 Burnt Bridges
Tessa pleaded, “I gave him fever meds, but they’re not working! What do I do?”
Silence stretched over the line.
Stella’s brain was sluggish, not just from sleep but something deeper–like her mind was wrapped in fog.
Tessa called out again. “Stella? Stella?”
Stella mumbled, “Give him more fever meds.”
Tessa blinked. “He already took some… they’re not working.”
“Then give him more.”
What?!
Was she serious?!
Overdosing on fever meds could kill someone! Had Stella lost her mind?
What kind of advice was that?
But Stella was clearly half–asleep and barely aware. Before Tessa could object, Stella ended the call.
She turned over and wrapped her arms around Abraham’s slim waist.
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He stirred, awakened slightly by the movement. Catching her familiar scent, he instinctively drew her closer and closed his eyes again, content.
That kind of peace–the kind born of a long, aching crush finally fulfilled–was something only those who’d suffered silently could understand.
“Hey…” Stella murmured drowsily.
He pulled her even closer, whispering softly, “Shh. Sleep.”
Back at the Keene estate.
Lilian had been dumped outside.
The weight of humiliation crushed her chest.
And in that moment, she saw the truth for what it was–there was no future for her and Ethan.
Her maid helped her back into the wheelchair. “Ms. Lilian, let’s go home.”
It was the middle of the night.
Running into Madam Madeline had only made things worse, and the maid was visibly frustrated.
Especially since the Reed family’s collapse had meant no wages for their staff this month.
That was why she hadn’t even wanted to accompany Lilian tonight in the first place.
Already pushed to her breaking point, Lilian snapped.
“Go where? If you want to leave, go ahead. I’m not leaving until I see Ethan.”
Even after being thrown out, she clung stubbornly to her last shred of pride.
The maid’s expression darkened. “Fine. Then I’m leaving.”
She wasn’t about to stand out here freezing for this nonsense.
Chapter 419 The Last Thread
Lilian’s expression froze.
She stared at her maid in disbelief. “What did you just say?”
Even the help dared speak to her like this now?
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The maid snapped, “Ms. Lilian, maybe it’s time you faced reality. Yeah, I’m a maid–but I get paid to work. I’m not some slave of the Reed family. You think this is still the old days? You don’t pay me, but you still expect to order me around?”
Her breathing grew erratic.
At that moment, Ethan’s car pulled up. Inside, he saw Lilian grabbing the maid’s arm, clearly in the middle of a heated argument.
Though he couldn’t hear what was being said, their body language made it obvious.
Jason saw Lilian too, and his face tightened. He instinctively went to speed up the car–he really didn’t want Ethan getting caught up with Lilian again.
These last few weeks had been hell every time Ethan met with her–he always ended up getting chewed out.
But just as they passed Lilian, Ethan’s cold voice cut through the air: “Stop the car.”
Jason tried, weakly, “Madam doesn’t want you involved with Ms. Lilian anymore.”
“Stop. The. Car.”
The words were calm, but Jason knew better than to push. He braked.
Lilian was still mid–argument. Her maid, clearly fed up, didn’t even want her wages anymore–she just wanted out.
And Lilian, equally furious, was insisting the maid send her home first.
As the car stopped, Lilian spotted it immediately.
Recognizing Ethan’s vehicle, she instinctively let go of the maid. Just moments ago, she’d been screaming hysterically–but now, seeing Ethan through the half–lowered window, she quickly rearranged her expression into one of pitiful fragility.
“Ethan…”
Ethan glanced at her coldly. “Here to see me?”
“Yes.”
Lilian nodded, looking aggrieved.
He’s just now coming home? At this hour?
So he really was doing just fine without her. A man coming home this late–what else could it mean?
She caught a whiff of alcohol from the car. That scent definitely wasn’t coming from Jason.
Sniffling, Lilian said softly, “It’s so late… where were you? Why are you only getting home now?”
Ethan: “Get to the point.”
His tone was cutting, formal. It hit Lilian like a slap.
Was he really that cold toward her now? Had he lost even the tiniest shred of patience?
She couldn’t even ask where he’d been?
Lilian swallowed her frustration and forced herself to speak through trembling lips. “You… saw what happened with my mom, right?”
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Chapter 419 The Last Thread
That story had rocked Rivermount all day. It was everywhere. Everyone knew.
Even a few of her old girlfriends had called to “check in.” But she knew what they were really doing–gloating.
None of them had bothered to visit her while she’d been sick.
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Ethan’s brow furrowed. His cold gaze said enough–he’d seen it.
Lilian met that icy look and said, voice shaking, “Ethan… can you help me? Please? I swear, there’s no one else I can turn to.”
She placed herself in the most pitiful position possible. “Just this once. For the sake of what we used to have… please?”
She knew Ethan would never take her back.
She wasn’t asking for that anymore.
But her mother had to get out of jail. If Susan stayed locked up, the Reed family was truly finished.
And then there was Jonathan. His attitude toward her had shifted, just like Patrick before him.
Why were they all so obsessed with blood ties?
She’d been there all those years. She stood by them. Yet now Jonathan wouldn’t even look at her.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “What we used to have? You mean that web of manipulation you spun to get close to me? The one built on other people’s lives? You call that a relationship?”
Her mind went completely blank.
She stared at him, stunned, every word hitting her like a hammer.
“You think I manipulated my way into your life?”
What a word–manipulation.
Hearing Ethan say it so bluntly-
Her chest tightened painfully. She finally understood. Ethan had nothing left for her. No affection. Not even pity.
If he had anything left in his heart for her, he wouldn’t have said that.
Ethan let out a cold laugh. “Wasn’t it?”
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Chapter 420 Severance
“Just because of that accident, you’re erasing every bit of love I ever gave you? Is that fair to me?”
She had only staged that car crash for him.
She’d been terrified. Afraid that once Stella returned, she’d lose everything–lose him.
That was why she did it. Out of desperation. Out of fear.
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“You nearly got her killed,” Ethan said coldly, staring at her like a stranger. “And now you want to talk to me about fairness?”
Lilian’s voice broke. “I did it because I was afraid, Ethan. I grew up in the Reed family. I called those people ‘Mom‘ and ‘Dad‘ for over twenty years–and then I found out they weren’t even my real family. You–my fiancé–were supposed to be the true daughter’s, not mine. I was terrified!”
That fear had driven her. That fear had made her lash out at Stella.
But when Ethan heard her say the word fear, he didn’t react the way he once might have. No gentle comfort, no warm
reassurance.
Instead, his eyes turned colder. “So because you were afraid… you thought you had the right to take a life?”
Lilian blurted out, “But Stella didn’t die!”
“She’s fine! She’s doing great. She stole everything from me–how is that fair?”
The Reed family had collapsed. Ethan no longer looked at her. All of that–because of Stella.
Stella was thriving.
But she–Lilian–had lost everything.
“Yes, I made a mistake. But she’s alive, isn’t she?!” Lilian shouted, her voice cracking.
And that–that–was the last straw.
Ethan’s expression darkened further.
In that moment, he saw her for exactly what she was.
Someone who never once regretted the crime–only that it didn’t succeed.
With a cold laugh, he said, “I can’t help with the Reed family. You brought this on yourselves. You reap what you sow.”
Then, to Jason: “Drive.”
Jason exhaled in relief and hit the gas, not giving Lilian a chance to say another word. He raised the window and pulled away
fast.
“Ethan! Ethan, wait–just listen!” she shouted behind them.
But her voice was swallowed by the wind as his car disappeared down the road, kicking up dust and cold air that stung her skin.
Reap what you sow…
So that was it. Ethan wasn’t going to help.
Not her.
Not the Reed family.
No one.
He’d turned his back on them all.
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1.23 PM
Chapter 420 Severance
Cruel. So cruel.
Not just toward her–but toward everything that had once existed between their two families.
Wasn’t the past worth anything?
Lilian trembled violently as her hatred deepened, thudding in her chest like a war drum.
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Back at the Keene estate.
Ethan entered the house. Madeline hadn’t gone to bed yet–her expression was tense and weary. The Keene family had been dealing with too much lately.
And she, most of all, was feeling the weight of it.
Seeing Ethan return, a sorrow flickered across her face. “Ethan, if you keep getting tangled up with Lilian, I really don’t know if I can go on.”
Everything was collapsing around her.
Judson. Her marriage. Her son.
To think the man she had been married to for decades had already fathered a child before they’d even wed…
And now, seeing how gently Judson treated that son–it was almost unbearable.
Ethan walked over and sat beside her.
“Next time she shows up,” he said calmly, “just have her thrown out.”
Madeline’s eyes lit up.
“Are you serious?”
Ethan had actually said it–out loud. About Lilian.
She could hardly believe it.
He used to cherish that girl like a treasure. Even when he’d claimed they were over, Madeline hadn’t really believed it. Lilian was too cunning–too resourceful.
Who knew what tricks she’d pull to win him back?
She was nothing but a sickly burden–what good would she be if he did bring her back?
Ethan nodded. “Yes.”
Madeline’s heart finally settled.
If he could say something like that, it meant he was truly done with her.
Still, she probed gently, “She must’ve come tonight because of Susan.”
“I know.”
“And you…?”
“I’m not getting involved,” Ethan said firmly.
Those four words were exactly what Madeline needed to hear. She nodded. “Good. You shouldn’t. She’s being accused of murder, after all.”
If Ethan got entangled now, the Keene family’s reputation would spiral. Who knew what sort of scandals might erupt?
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Chapter 420 Severance
But now that Ethan had drawn that line, she could finally breathe.
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