Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

Silas, who'd come along with Hull, could almost taste the tension in the air as soon as he stepped inside.

Stella felt it too.

Hull turned to Ronald, his voice low and serious: "Things just got complicated. We can't let Susanna leave with Yvonne."

Stella: "!!!"

Complicated? Wait a second...noveldrama

Well, yeah, it really was messy. Dan was Susanna's little brother, and, oh yeah, currently the head honcho of Black Gate.

Back in the day, he'd tricked his sister. Susanna's mom used to run Black Gate before him.

Dan and Lacey were at each other's throats-and Susanna was caught in the middle!

If someone actually managed to whip Susanna into shape...

Stella's mind raced, piecing together all the tangled relationships and drama in a split second.

Conclusion: They were totally screwed.

"Hull's right. We need to find my sister-now."

Oh God.

Now Yvonne knew that Dan was running Black Gate. If she got her hands on Susie now, she'd train her like a soldier!

Stella remembered when she'd been taken away back in the day-barely survived that bootcamp, and she'd always thought of herself as pretty tough. Susie? Susie was as pampered as they come.

When Stella was living with Ronald, at least he cared about her health-always making her go for jogs in the park, making sure she ate her veggies.

But Susanna, back in Portis City, had a housekeeper making her pancakes and eggs every morning, and a driver to take her everywhere. She didn't even know how to use the subway, let alone survive Yvonne's "training."

No way Susanna was going to make it through this alive.

Wearing bunny slippers, Stella pitter-pattered over to Ronald. "We have to find my sister. Fast."

Ronald's face darkened at the sight of her running around like that. He scooped her up without warning. "Quit running. Relax. Your sister knows what she's doing."

Stella and Hull, in perfect sync: "No, she really doesn't." Ronald: "..."

Stella threw her arms around his neck. "When she's pissed off, she totally loses her cool."

She remembered when she'd gotten kidnapped-Yvonne's "training" had been brutal. Stella had cried her eyes out, begging for mercy. Didn't help.

Now, Susanna would become

Yvonne's new secret weapon

against Dan. And if Yvonne was hard

on

she'd be twice as tough on

Sna.

Hull's face was getting darker by the second.

Seeing how anxious Stella was, Ronald gently squeezed her arm. “Alright, I'll go look for her."

"Please hurry," Stella said, her voice tight with worry.

God, why hadn't she thought of this sooner? Yvonne absolutely loathed Dan.

Susanna was about to get put through hell.

Just as Stella finished talking, her phone started buzzing.

She glanced at the screen-it was Susanna.

Stella's heart skipped a beat. She snatched up the phone. "Susie?"

vel

Hull, sitting across from her, jumped to his feet and strode over immediately. Even though Stella knew he wasn't mad at her, his. presence was so intense she instinctively snuggled closer to Ronald.

Susanna's voice came through, panicked: "Star, help me! I'm dying here!"

Susanna was actually calling for help.

Stella's heart nearly stopped.

Just then, Barnaby, who'd been outside in the driveway, burst in holding his own phone. "Susie just called!"

Hull grabbed the phone from Barnaby, but the call had already ended.

Guess Susanna couldn't reach Hull, so she tried Stella instead.

"Susie, where are you? Are you—” Stella started, but Hull snatched the phone

from her hand. "Susanna," he said, his voice urgent.

Susanna immediately started crying on the other end. "Waaah—"

Oh God. She'd barely had time to settle in, and now this...