Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 109

Just then, Frederick burst through the front door, immediately greeted by the sight of Stella looking ready to commit a felony.

"Put that down right now!" he roared. "You ungrateful brat, what do you think you're doing?!"

Stella casually glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, Mr. Hawthorne has arrived. Weren't you just begging me to come home for dinner? Well, I'm here. I don't see any food, but I do see your wife threatening to smash my dead mother's jewelry. Thoughts?"

Seeing her husband, Miranda practically collapsed in relief. She had only been using the bangle as leverage—she had no intention of actually breaking it.

If Frederick hadn't shown up, she would have caved and handed it over seconds later.

Remembering that he desperately needed Stella's money, Frederick forced his rage down.

He plastered on a painfully fake, gentle tone. "Stella, let's not do this. Put the bat down. We're family. We can talk about this reasonably."

"I'd love to be reasonable," Stella drawled. "But the people in this house don't act like humans, and they certainly don't listen like them. What do you suggest?"

Swallowing his pride, Frederick tried again. "Just put the bat down. We can sit and talk."

Stella lowered the bat, tapping it rhythmically against her open palm. "Sure. Right after I get my mother's bangle back. Frederick, did you know your lovely second wife has been hoarding my mother's jewelry like a thief?"

Of course he knew. He was the one who gave it to her. But he couldn't exactly admit that now.

"Miranda, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, playing dumb while shooting her a pointed look. "Didn't we agree to return all of Clara's belongings to her? Give her the bangle!"

Catching on, Miranda forced an awkward laugh. "Stella, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have kept it. Your father's company is going through a very tough time right now. If you just agree to give him that wedding fund so he can weather this storm, I'll hand the bangle over right now."

She was getting that bangle back today, and there was a zero percent chance they were seeing a single dime.

Frederick's face twisted into something ugly. "If you don't hand over the money today, you aren't leaving this house. And you'll never see Julius Blackwood again!"

Stella actually laughed. "Oh? Are you going to lock me in the closet and starve me to death like you did when I was a kid?"

Back then, she had accidentally broken a single bowl while doing the dishes. Miranda had used it as an excuse to lock her in a dark storage closet without food for two straight days. If Lacey hadn't begged Frederick to intervene, she probably would have died there.

Frederick turned red with embarrassment and anger. "I already told you, I was away on a business trip! I had no idea you were locked in there! Why do you constantly bring up the past?"

Stella feigned a look of deep heartbreak. "Fine, let's say you didn't know. What happened when you found out? Did you do anything? No. Absolutely nothing.