Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

The Quinn household was in an uproar, and not in the way anyone expected. When Stella returned, everyone thought Xander would be the first to cause a scene over her. But it was actually the mysterious document that set Xander ablaze this time. The situation was a chaotic mess, and poor Yvonne was caught right in the middle of it all, unable to detach herself.

Across town, in the villa, Susanna Tucker was still reeling from the shock. It had been two hours since Stella left, and Susanna was left stunned by Hull's revelation about her mother's whereabouts.

"The Black Gate?"noveldrama

What kind of name was that? Sounds like something out of a bad movie.

Hull set down his coffee cup and nodded solemnly. "According to the leads, your mother was indeed taken by people from the Black Gate."

"What exactly is the Black Gate?"

She had heard whispers about it, enough to know it was bad news, like the kind of organization that dealt in all sorts of illegal activities. But the specifics were beyond her.

Hull glanced at her. "Think of it as a group that's into all things illegal-robbery, arson, you name it."

Susanna cringed at the thought. That kind of place?

"No way. My mom's a respectable businesswoman. She wouldn't be caught dead with people like that. She always attaches importance to social norms."

Her mother, as Susanna knew her, was the epitome of discretion and courteousness. She was nothing like Stella's flashy mom, Cloudia, who flaunted her wealth like she was on a reality TV show. Susanna's mom remained humble and amiable, even when she made a fortune.

Hull added, "We're still verifying if she's there."

Susanna's instinct was to call Stella immediately. She reached for her phone, ready to dial. But before she could, Hull snatched the phone from her hand.

She looked at him, bewildered. "What are you doing?"

Hull gave her a cold stare. "Susie, you thinking of kicking the ladder away and ditching me?"

Susanna twitched her lips. What? Susie? He...

"No, it's not like that. I just thought I shouldn't trouble you anymore."

As she spoke, Hull's expression darkened further, making her voice trail off into a whisper. His glare was enough to make anyone second-guess themselves.

Did what she did count as kicking the ladder away? It seemed... yes. But... If she left with Star earlier, she assumed Star would also be willing to track her mother down. Or if Ronald asked Hull, wouldn't he spill the beans?

Hull tossed her phone onto the bed. "It's no trouble. You've already been plenty of it."

Susanna sighed at his reply.

"I'm sorry about last night. I really didn't mean to cause any issues."

Hull stated, "Until we clear that up, you're not leaving here. You can just forget about that."

"Not even if Mr. Quinn himself comes to fetch you," Hull added.

Susanna's face fell at this. Even if Ronald himself showed up, it wouldn't matter. Here, in Ferrowland, she was just another nobody, while Hull held significant sway with Mr. Quinn. Not even Star's influence could change that.

She shot Hull a frustrated look. "How long will your people take to figure this out? I'm telling you, I won't do anything anymore."

This was absurd. They'd forced her to care for Hull despite her incompetence, and now they were pinning the blame on her for the fallout.

Feeling indignant, Susanna crossed her arms. Last night's fiasco wasn't entirely her fault, and it irked her to be blamed for it. She couldn't shake off the feeling of having been wronged. What a mess!