Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 437

Drake remembered the real reason Stella was here, and suddenly, the lost title didn't seem like a big deal anymore.

She was here to track down information on Mr. Todd; she couldn't care less about some meaningless trophy.

He chuckled. "Maybe so. A young girl's mind is a mysterious thing."

After stepping away from the table, Stella had lost all interest in watching the rest of the matches. Her stomach was rumbling, and she needed food.

She walked over to Nina and Drake. "Nina, Drake, I'm starving. I'm going to grab a bite. Want to come with?"

Nina shook her head. "I don't eat after dark. Gotta watch my figure. You go ahead."

Drake waved her off. "I'm not hungry either."

"Alright then, I'll go alone. Catch you guys later."

She left the third floor and headed straight for the dining hall.

But the moment she walked away, a shadow detached itself from the crowd and quietly began tailing her.

When Stella arrived at the dining hall, it was practically deserted. The vast majority of the guests were still glued to the high-stakes action upstairs.

She ordered a warm soup and took her time savoring it. It wasn't good to eat too heavy an evening meal anyway; just enough to take the edge off her hunger.

Half an hour later, she leisurely strolled out of the restaurant.

Being cut off from the internet was driving her crazy. She was starting to miss Julius Blackwood, wondering how his business trip in South Africa was going.

As she neared her room, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye near the end of the hallway.

Seriously? This was their idea of a tail?

Whoever this guy was, he was an absolute amateur. If there had been a crowd, he might have slipped under the radar. But out here in the dead of night, with everyone else up on the third floor? Anyone with half a brain would have spotted him instantly.

His stalking skills were abysmal. She had no idea which organization would employ such an idiot.

Stella didn't head for her room; instead, she kept walking.

She turned a corner, leaned casually against the wall, and waited in silence.

She bumped into Joel in the dining hall again.

Joel greeted her with a bright smile. "Morning, Ms. Todd. Mind if I join you?"

"Suit yourself." It wasn't exactly early; it was already nine o'clock.

"I saw you in action last night. I had no idea I was drinking with a master."

At first, he had assumed she was just eye candy tagging along with one of the heavy hitters. He hadn't expected her to be a shark herself.

"Hardly a master. I still lost, didn't I?"

"Still better than me. I got knocked out before the second round." He hated admitting that a woman had outplayed him, but facts were facts.

"Who ended up winning the whole thing?" She had left to find food before the finals wrapped up.

"A guy from North Myanor. Wore a pair of black stud earrings."

Joel leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I'm almost positive he was cheating, but nobody could prove a thing."