Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella) novel Chapter 997

Stella didn’t even bother replying—she turned away, her jaw tight with indignation.

Finley could only stare after her, speechless. Who said pregnancy brain was a real thing? This woman was sharp as ever.—if anything, even harder to placate.

Downstairs, he was desperately trying to figure out how to convince Stella to call Skye Yoder for news about Tegan. Meanwhile, upstairs, the air felt icy and tense.

Ronald sat with his fingers steepled, an intimidating energy radiating from every line of his body. On the other side of the desk, Idris finished looking through the photos and Mona’s schedule for Novaderma; his own eyes grew cold.

“I never imagined Mona could be so devious,” he said quietly.

Ronald closed his eyes, a dangerous calm about him. “You have one day, Idris. I want to know everything—start to finish.”

“Yes, sir.” Idris inclined his head.

Since Regina’s accident years ago, the Schultz family had kept a low profile around Ronald. Mona especially had been so unobtrusive, few even remembered she was around. Who would have guessed she was capable of something so vicious?

Idris knew exactly what Ronald meant. He wanted a full picture—every detail of their plan.

“Go,” Ronald ordered.

Idris nodded again, scooping up the files and heading out.

As soon as Ronald was alone, he pulled out his phone and called Xander.

In Litamark, Xander rubbed a hand over his throbbing forehead. Nothing he said could convince Yvonne that the baby was his. Worse, Yvonne was so furious at Dan that, pregnancy or not, she looked ready to storm down and knock his lights out—again.

In fact, she’d already sent Dan to the hospital.

Yvonne, meanwhile, kept making a scene, insisting she didn’t want the baby at all.

The moment Ronald’s name flashed on his phone, Xander nearly sagged in relief, as if salvation had arrived. “Please, talk some sense into her. I’m losing my mind over here—”

He’d never felt so tongue-tied in his life. How had things gotten so out of hand? Why wouldn’t Yvonne believe him?

“That’s enough. Bring her back here. As for your Schultz family, I’ll grind them to dust and toss them to the dogs.”

Xander’s jaw dropped, speechless.

He gawked at the phone, incredulous. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ronald, don’t you think you’re going too far? Don’t you ever wonder what you’ve put the Schultz family through these past few years?” Xander shot back. “Now you want to grind us up and feed us to the dogs? I never did anything to you—or to Stella, for that matter!”

When it came to being the fall guy, Xander couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Dan. He’d been there himself—shouldering a load he didn’t deserve, paying the price for something he never did. The sense of injustice was galling.

“Berry,” Ronald said, voice dropping to an icy note, “is your stepmother’s daughter.”

Xander blinked. “Come again? Wasn’t Berry the one who confessed to you and then got banished from Stella’s side?”

That was exactly it. Berry had poured out her feelings to Ronald. She might not have had direct contact with him when she was with Stella, but that didn’t stop her from falling hard.