Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 440

Permanent scarring was one thing, but the sheer agony of the reaction was unbearable. His skin was swollen and pulsing with an itch so intense it felt like millions of ants were feasting on his flesh.

If Rhoda Ford had been there, she could have offered him some solid advice—she had suffered through this exact torment several times.

Lucian had taken a massive, humiliating loss, and the worst part was that he hadn't seen a trace of Stella since leaving the infirmary. He couldn't even exact his revenge.

Stella, entirely unfazed by Lucian's wrath, adjusted her backpack and happily boarded the ferry heading back to Port City with Drake and Nina.

In truth, when she disembarked from the cruise ship, she had been walking just a few paces behind Lucian.

Seeing the miserable, swollen state he was in had put her mind completely at ease.

Once they reached Port City and she finally had cell reception, her first instinct was to text Julius. But realizing it was the middle of the night in South Africa, she deleted the draft.

It was already evening by the time they touched down in Port City. Stella decided to stay the night and catch a flight back to the capital the next morning.

After parting ways with Drake and Nina, she booked a room at the most luxurious seven-star hotel owned by the casino syndicate.

When traveling, she firmly believed in eating the best food and staying in the best suites. She refused to compromise on her comfort.

What was the point of making so much money if she wasn't going to spend it?

After checking in, she indulged in a lavish, multi-course dinner at the hotel, spent a glorious hour soaking in the hot springs, and finally retreated to her room for the night.

Anxious about oversleeping, she set an alarm for the next morning.

Her flight was scheduled for 10:00 AM. But when she arrived at the airport, she ran straight into the very last people she expected to see: Lucian and Kane.

What kind of twisted, garbage luck was this? It really was a small world for enemies.

"You've got the guts to do it, but not the guts to admit it? I was covered in hives because of you!"

Just thinking about the agonizing itch made his blood boil. He didn't even know how she had poisoned him, which only infuriated him more.

"If that's how you want to play it, then fine. Let's settle accounts. Care to explain why you had this meathead trailing me on the ship?"

She had been wondering who the amateur stalker worked for. Now it all made sense—he belonged to Lucian.

Lucian's expression hardened into a deadly glare. "Enough talking. We found you, and you're not going anywhere."

Lucian, Kane, and their lackey stepped forward, forming a triangle that boxed Stella in.

Stella watched them warily, taking a defensive stance. "We're in the middle of an airport. You really think you can try something here? One wrong move and I'll start screaming."