Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 17

"If you like those things, I'll give them to you once you cure my leg, and I promise it'll be more than what was given to Frederick. And regardless of whether you end up curing my leg or not, I will grant you your freedom. I will absolutely not trap you in this house."

What was given away was given away; he didn't care about those material things. If his leg could truly be cured, what did that little bit of wealth matter?

Stella shook her head. "No, I just refuse to let Frederick get away with it, you understand? Someone like him doesn't even deserve scraps meant for a dog, let alone a fortune.

Besides, he tricked me into coming to the Blackwoods. He promised to give me my mother's belongings and her ashes but failed to follow through, and he even hoarded my mother's things for himself. How could I let him have the upper hand? That would be a complete disservice to myself."

Though coming to the Blackwood Family was her own choice, solely to retrieve her mother's belongings and ashes, Frederick hadn't been upfront with her beforehand. He had intended for her to be the sacrificial substitute in a warding-off-death marriage, knowing full well Julius was on his deathbed. If this wasn't pure deception, what was?

If she couldn't cure his leg, Julius would likely die, and she would be left a widow. Frederick definitely planned to wait until she became a widow to continue controlling her using her mother's necklace and ashes.

Keep dreaming! She wouldn't let him have a single strand of hair!

Seeing her insistence, Julius agreed, "Fine, we'll do it your way. I won't let him keep a single cent, and once I get it all back, it's all yours."

He was usually a man who meant exactly what he said and tolerated no dissent, yet for some reason, he found himself wanting to indulge her a bit.

Stella finally looked satisfied. "Alright, now that everything is clear and we're on the same page, our deal is officially struck. I'll start treating your leg tomorrow. I need to go out later to prepare some supplies, so I'll need a car."

She had no intention of helping Frederick cover up the fact that she was a substitute bride. There was no way she would just vaguely allow herself to be married to Julius.

Besides, the Blackwood family was a massive pillar of support—far more reliable than Frederick. This was precisely why she had chosen to lay all her cards on the table with Julius from the very beginning.

"I can have the driver take you."

"That works too."

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