Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 14

Even though he was sitting in a wheelchair, the man radiated a powerful presence. Combined with his icy tone, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

If it were a more timid girl, she might have been scared to tears. But she wasn't so easily intimidated.

Julius didn't want to waste time arguing with her. Just a moment ago, she had been staring unabashedly at his leg, then boldly sizing up his face, only to reveal a look of pure shock. It made him uncomfortable and highly displeased, but he didn't want to lose his temper in front of a young girl, so he changed the subject. "You're Chloe Hawthorne?"

Ever since his grandmother had mentioned the marriage, he had his people investigate the Hawthornes. He knew Chloe was currently nineteen and still in school. But the person standing in front of him didn't look like the photos at all. Not even close.

The Chloe in the photos gave off a trashy and provocative vibe, someone he disliked the second he saw her. But the girl standing before him now was fresh, innocent, and completely untainted, looking no older than sixteen or seventeen. She had a perfectly harmless face, though he had no idea what her true nature was hiding beneath it.

He had encountered all kinds of people and never easily trusted someone's outward appearance. Some people relied entirely on their looks to deceive others.

Stella shook her head, speaking bluntly. "No, I'm Stella Hawthorne. Chloe is my younger half-sister."

Julius furrowed. "My grandmother said the girl whose astrological compatibility chart matched mine was Chloe. Why are you here instead? What exactly is going on?"

"I'll explain what's going on in a minute. But before that, I'd like to ask, what's going on with you?" Stella pointed at his leg.

Julius pulled back the blanket covering his lap. "As you can see, I'm going to lose my leg. Unless I undergo a high-level amputation, I only have a fifty percent chance of surviving. Otherwise, I won't live past three months.

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