Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella) novel Chapter 631

The word “payment” rolled off Hull’s tongue thick and heavy. If you listened closely, you could hear the undertone in his voice—a sort of meaning that went beyond the obvious.

Too bad Susanna was too stunned to notice.

“Wait, you want… payment?” she blurted out, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

This couldn’t be right. She’d asked Star for help, hadn’t she? Star must’ve gone to Mr. Quinn, and Mr. Quinn, in turn, probably asked Hull to handle it. So if Hull was now asking her for payment, wasn’t he just pocketing something on the side?

Susanna’s mind was spinning at a hundred miles an hour.

“Does Mr. Quinn… know about this?” she whispered, glancing around as if someone might overhear.

This wasn’t exactly something that would earn her a gold star. If word got to Mr. Quinn, Hull would be in hot water, right? Yet here he was, bold as brass.

Hull chuckled, a low, amused sound. “Are you threatening me?”

“What? No, no, not at all!” Susanna shook her head so fast she nearly got dizzy.

Who was she kidding? Threaten him? She wasn’t that reckless. If Hull so much as hinted she’d crossed a line, even Star wouldn’t be able to get her out of trouble.

“I swear, I’m not. I just…” Susanna trailed off, cheeks burning, then dropped her gaze to her shoes. She looked about as helpless as a stray kitten.

Hull smirked, watching her shrink into herself. “Just what?”

“I just… don’t have any money.” The words came out so quiet, they were barely more than a squeak.

It was true. She didn’t have a dime to her name. When she’d left Portis City, she’d left everything behind, and by the time she got to Ferrowland, she’d lost her bag running from those guys who’d been chasing her. Luck hadn’t exactly been on her side lately.

For a second, Hull’s smirk faltered. But then he said, with a sly glint in his eyes, “Looks like you owe me quite a bit, then.”

Susanna couldn’t help but wince. Quite a bit? How was she ever going to pay him back? At this rate, she’d be in debt for life—assuming her mom even made it out of Black Gate alive. If this went south, she’d be heading back to Portis City with more debts than she could count. Negative inheritance, that’s what they’d call it.