Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 409

Stella mentally awarded Jason a few bonus points. He was a great guy—chatty, sure, but absolutely loyal when it counted.

She gave Sabrina the condensed version of her life, including all the twisted drama involving the Hawthorne family.

Horrified, Sabrina immediately grabbed her hand. "Stella, I know it's bad karma to gossip, but you should never go back there. The Hawthornes are dead weight. From now on, I'm your family. If Julius ever steps out of line, or if you guys have a fight and you need to disappear, you come straight to me. I swear, he'll never find you."

Stella's eyes burned with unexpected tears. It had been an eternity since anyone had offered her this kind of fierce, protective love.

After her mother passed away, her grandfather had vanished without a trace.

Her mentors kept her working around the clock, leaving her no time to dwell on the void in her life.

Marrying Julius had changed everything. He adored her, and the entire Blackwood family treated her with genuine warmth.

But Sabrina's energy was different.

Sabrina felt like a blood sister, fiercely vowing to be her sanctuary if her husband ever broke her heart.

The chances of her and Julius crashing were practically zero, but feeling Sabrina's unshakeable loyalty meant the world to her.

She blinked back the moisture, regaining her composure before looking up.

She offered a bright smile. "Thanks, Sabrina. If he ever crosses me, I'm moving in with you and never speaking to him again."

Honestly, if Julius ever tried anything, she wouldn't even have to fight her own battles—Nadine would destroy him first.

"Exactly! Screw him. We don't need men to thrive."

If Julius could hear Sabrina right now, he would absolutely ban Stella from ever seeing her again.

The two friends finished lunch and went shopping. Stella picked out a stunning tie for Julius.

Stella sprang out of bed, immediately digging through the closet for clothes. "What happened?" she asked rapidly while getting dressed.

They had just visited the older couple to drop off gifts before the holidays. Wilfred had looked perfectly healthy; there was no sign of anything being wrong.

Julius quickly repeated what Yvette had just told him.

"Let's go, now." Stella was already fully dressed, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders.

"Grab a jacket. It's freezing out, and you don't want to get sick," Julius urged.

He finished dressing in record time, and the two rushed out the door, sprinting toward the car.

As Julius tore through the empty streets, he asked Stella to call Jason and see if he had been notified.