The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1957

Serious perks?

Hearing that.

Stella forced an awkward smile, completely at a loss for words.

“I won't pressure you.” Samantha affectionately stroked Stella's hair and let out a heavy sigh, her tone turning deeply earnest. “If you have feelings for Roger, just give him a chance.”

“If you don't...”

Samantha paused, the bright light in her eyes dimming slightly as moisture gathered on her lashes. “Then it's his own fault for not being good enough, and it's our family's loss for missing out on such an incredible girl.”

“Sweetheart, please don't feel any pressure. Whether it works out or not, I want you to treat this place as your home.”

“If anyone ever wrongs you, you come tell me, and I will tear them apart. Understand?”

Listening to the fierce, protective warmth in Samantha's voice, Stella's eyes finally spilled over. She swallowed hard, forcing a hoarse whisper past the lump in her throat. “Thank you so much.”

For a girl who had lost her own mother at a young age, experiencing this kind of fierce maternal love was utterly overwhelming.

—

Back in the guest room.

Charlotte was lounging on the sofa, a plush blanket draped over her belly, casually playing a mobile game while she waited.

A little while later, Stella walked back in.

Charlotte immediately spotted the glittering diamond bracelet on her wrist. She arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Aunt Samantha?”

“Yeah.” Stella nodded meekly, her expression heavy. “She said a lot of things. She kept emphasizing that she absolutely didn't care about my past.”

“But... she doesn't actually know what my past is. I'm so scared that...”

“She won't care.”

Charlotte shut off her game and reached out to pinch Stella's pale cheek. She flashed a reassuring smile. “Aunt Samantha isn't like that.”

“Even if they don't know the exact, gruesome details, they're smart enough to have guessed the gist of it.”

“If it mattered, Roger would have walked away a long time ago, and she certainly wouldn't have pulled you aside for a heart-to-heart.”

Charlotte gently smoothed Stella's hair, watching her conflicted, desolate expression. “Stella, your best days are just beginning.”

—

Late into the night.

“Yeah.” Stella's eyelashes fluttered, her voice dropping to a muted whisper. “It's way too expensive. You need to take it back and return it to her.”

Charlotte had casually mentioned that the piece was worth over a million dollars.

“Only the best is fit for you.” Roger lifted his heavy eyelids. His dark, predatory gaze fixed unblinkingly on her face. The heat of his breath, laced with the sharp tang of alcohol, brushed against her skin. “Once she gives something away, it's yours. Bringing it back... are you trying to get me murdered?”

“What?”

Stella was completely bewildered, entirely failing to notice that the man was leaning dangerously close.

“My mother absolutely adores you,” Roger muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a low, self-deprecating chuckle. “She gave me a strict ultimatum. If I don't win you over, I'm officially kicked out of the Gates family.”

Stella sat frozen in shock.

Before today, she might have assumed Roger was just dramatically playing the victim to get her sympathy.

But now...

Knowing Samantha, she absolutely believed it.

“So, when the time comes...” Roger's strikingly handsome face loomed directly in front of hers. He stared into her beautiful, wide eyes, his breathing turning heavy and labored. “Are you really going to let me sleep on the streets?”