A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 990

"Actually, I'm giving Seymour the credit," Starla corrected with a smirk.

Romy bristled, her competitive streak flaring. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean? Are you saying my skills are inferior to Seymour's?" That was an insult she absolutely wouldn't tolerate.

Starla's lips curved into an amused smile.

"Fine. We'll go," Romy huffed, taking the bait instantly. "I'll go tell Seymour to prep the transport."

She couldn't stand being underestimated. Besides, protecting one civilian from a secure vantage point was well within her capabilities.

However, the moment Romy stepped out of the room, reality crashed down on her. *Oh, crap.*

Fairfax Yelchin was personally overseeing the operation on Manton Isle tonight. And Amos had explicitly ordered them to keep the fact that Fairfax was alive a total secret from Starla.

Panicking slightly, Romy spun around and hurried back into the room. "Actually... on second thought, maybe we should sit this one out?"

Starla raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Did you lose your nerve?"

"Absolutely not!" Romy snapped, her pride taking another hit.

But then an idea sparked in her mind. What if she *did* let Starla see Fairfax in his element? For weeks, Starla had spoken of Fairfax with nothing but disdain, viewing him as a weak, manipulative failure who had gotten himself killed.

Maybe seeing the true, terrifying competence of Fairfax Yelchin commanding a warzone would change her perspective.

"Alright, forget it. We're going," Romy decided, throwing caution to the wind.

She desperately wanted the two of them to reconcile. Yes, Fairfax had made catastrophic mistakes in the past, but anyone in the Cyrus Sea could attest to how deeply he loved her. The agonizing tension between them made life miserable for everyone in his orbit. If Romy could inadvertently help break the ice, the entire mercenary camp would probably build a shrine in her honor.

...

"Alright, if you're sure," Starla said, respecting her agency. "Do you want me to arrange some private care for you during the recovery?"

Terminating a pregnancy was physically taxing; she shouldn't be alone.

"No need, it's a routine procedure. I'll just hire a standard nurse," Tanya replied, feeling guilty for already owing Starla so much for orchestrating her escape from Marina City.

"Okay. Take care of yourself."

"I will."

"Oh, by the way," Starla added, her voice taking on a predatory edge. "I still have Yulisa Moore in my custody. I've given Darian an ultimatum. He either publicly clears your name and destroys his mother's reputation, or he loses Yulisa. He doesn't get to walk away from what he did to you."

Men like Darian always looked for a scapegoat when cornered. But unfortunately for him, he was dealing with Starla Lansbury, and she was not going to let him off the hook.