Tessa was still trying to wrap her head around it. Holy crap… Stella’s temper alone was explosive enough.
And Dan actually faked his death to deceive her?
Was he trying to die for real?
Tessa muttered, “That guy with the dark hair just now…”
“Dan. Your brother.” Victor reminded her.
“No. I don’t have a brother like that,” Tessa shot back without hesitation.
A guy who could pull off something as low as faking his own death? What a scumbag.
If she admitted someone like that was her brother, she’d probably get jumped just walking down the street.
Blood ties like that? Cut them clean–don’t let any of that nonsense stick to her.
Besides, she’d heard the stories–Marie had nearly lost her mind over that man back then.
And in the end, he’d been the one lying to her?
How was anyone supposed to forgive that?
What if Marie’s rage exploded and she ended up catching Tessa in the crossfire?
Tessa almost called Stella on the spot–but one look at the time made her decide against it.
When Victor asked that question earlier, Tessa had actually thought about it. “It’s not like I listen in on just anyone.”
If it didn’t concern her, she definitely wouldn’t bother.
No matter how wild things got, she had no interest in sticking her nose in. But earlier, she’d heard the names Stella and Marie…
She looked at Victor. “Um, maybe you should head back.”
“Hm?”
“I feel kinda bad.”
Now that she’d calmed down, Tessa was starting to feel guilty about all the trouble she’d caused Victor lately.
Honestly, she really did feel bad.
Desperate times, desperate measures.
She’d actually made a deal with him in that kind of situation.
Victor caught the shift in her tone–how distant she sounded–and a smile tugged at his lips. He suddenly grabbed her unbandaged wrist and gave it a gentle pull.
In a flash, the space between them vanished.
Tessa’s breath hitched. “Wh–What are you doing?”
Victor repeated, “Feel bad?”
“I just…”
Victor cut her off, “Funny. You didn’t seem to feel bad when you were making deals with me in bed.”
Tessa froze.
God, could he not bring that up?
Even when she’d told Stella, Stella had practically called her a dog for that one.
“Y–You’re standing too close.”
Victor said calmly, “Lana’s in this hospital. Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself?”
Tessa blinked. “She’s here too? Then doesn’t that mean the Nolan family’s around?”
Tessa snapped, “I already told you, that man is not my father.”
Well, considering those twin sisters had been the first to confront her, she already had a pretty clear picture of what that man’s attitude was toward her.
A flicker of icy light passed through her eyes. At that moment, her thoughts sharpened—and solidified.
Dan had to be resuscitated again.
When he came to, the first thing he saw was Dale sitting grim–faced at the bedside.
His father.
The moment their eyes met, Dan’s breathing grew shallow.
Dale’s gaze cut sharp as a blade. “The recent mess in the Ashen Pact–did you have a hand in it?”
There was no warmth in his voice, only cold disapproval.
Clearly, he believed Diana’s return to the Ashen Pact was Dan’s doing.
Dan let out a low chuckle. “What happened? That’s your old mess, not mine. What’s it got to do with me?”
“Dan.”
Dale’s tone turned even darker, his eagle–sharp eyes filled with fury as they locked onto his son.
Dan laughed again. “Everyone says I climbed the ranks through dirty means–that I hunted down the previous leader.”
“Calling me the one who assassinated the Matriarch–what a lovely label you’ve stuck on me.”
There was a biting sarcasm in his voice, every word dripping with mockery.
Dale’s face went stone cold.
Dan took a sip from the water on the nightstand. “You’ve been waiting for Manny to come of age, haven’t you? Now that my name’s been thoroughly trashed, the position of Ashen Pact leader will naturally fall to Manny.”

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Wrong Girl and the Wronged Girl (Stella and Ethan)
Ch 489 Doesn’t this prove that Dan doesn’t actually have amnesia? Why would he go to the island with a strange woman and why would he steal from Derrick? He doesn’t know them....
Ch 488 I feel like this is going to be what Stella stole in his study in Pagenda or wherever his estate was....
Ch 485 I thought it was going to be the Reed family mine that she robbed, thus taking the Keenes product and leaving them in that situation....
Ch 483 o then, how did the Reeds fine her? How did they not know where she was from?...
Ch 477 Definitely hidden pedo in here, referring to tiny women as little girls in every way possible....
Ch 468 How could Stella inherit her adopted father’s weak stomach constitution?...
Ch 468 Abraham and Marie’s mother has been called Evelyn, Diane and Loretta.. which is it? Evelyn has been the most used....
Ch 465 She still doesn’t know the mistress is Lillian’s aunt?...
Ch 464 Why didn’t she kick her out herself be for she went to attack the mistress…...
Ch 463 This is stupid now. I understand being scared in his presence enough to not think straight, but she’s a lone more often than not and has plenty of time to think things through, especially if she has time to get gossip from Rivermount and report to Stella....