The Wrong Girl and the Wronged Girl (Stella and Ethan) novel Chapter 839

839 Call Me Again I Dare You

That made Dale start to wonder if all of this had been intentional–if Tessa had done it on

purpose.

The moment Tessa heard his voice, her tone turned cold. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Dale demanded.

“Hm?” she asked flatly.

you

“You’ve been away from me for years, and the moment you come back to Redwood, do expect me to throw all the other kids out of Black Mountain? Tessa, they’re your brothers and sisters!”

Tessa froze.

Her expression, already cool, turned ice–cold at his words.

She let out a short, cutting laugh. “Brothers and sisters? Sorry, but I, Tessa, wasn’t blessed with that kind of luck. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an only child.”

“So don’t go trying to play family ties with me. It’s disgusting, and my mom wouldn’t appreciate it either.”

That word “siblings” struck a raw nerve.

Tessa didn’t hold back. “Those two ugly little trolls? You dare call them my sisters? I wouldn’t admit it if you paid me!”

“If you want to make yourself sick, do it at home; don’t drag your bad luck over here to me.”

Her words came sharp and fast–half insult, half mockery.

Across the table, Victor glanced at her over his meal, amused despite himself.

Even sick, that mouth of hers still packed a punch.

Before Dale could respond, Tessa hung up the phone with a sharp click.

Victor calmly ladled another bowl of mushroom porridge for her.

“I’m full,” she said stiffly.

“Full of anger, maybe? You sure you want to skip eating just because of someone like him?”

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Tessa went quiet. Of course not. She was going to eat–and eat well.

She huffed. “I’ve never met anyone so shameless; it’s unreal.”

Honestly, what else could you call Dale?

“He said–what, that he’d kick all the other kids out of Black Mountain for me?” she scoffed. “Like I care about going back there. The self–delusion is impressive, though.”

She grumbled on, cheeks puffed in frustration.

She’d met all kinds of people in Rivermount, but she’d never met someone with Dale’s level of misplaced confidence.

“Enough,” Victor said mildly. “Eat.”

Seeing her this upset, he refused to let her dwell on it. The more she fumed, the worse it’d be for her recovery.

Tessa nodded obediently. “Okay. I’ll eat more.”

Watching her pick up her spoon again without needing to be coaxed, Victor’s lips curved into a faint, content smile.

The way he looked at her–it was the same gentle, protective gaze a man might give his cherished little girl.

They hadn’t known each other long.

So why did it feel like… I’d been taking care of her forever? He used to never understand the way Abraham and Stella interacted.

But now he did.

Having someone small, soft, and chatty by your side–it was like suddenly finding color in a world that had always been gray.

After lunch, Victor left with Silas for a meeting, leaving Lewis behind at the hotel to watch over Tessa.

“So,” she said, arms crossed, “you humiliated Dale earlier, didn’t you?”

Judging by how furious Dale had sounded on the phone, Lewis must’ve said something that really hit a nerve.

With that mouth of his, Tessa had seen enough to know he was perfectly capable of it.

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Silas must’ve sent him on purpose–probably just to make sure Dale choked on his own temper before leaving.

Lewis smirked. “What, feeling sorry for your dad now.”

Tessa went quiet.

There it was again—that infuriating, self–satisfied tone that set her teeth on edge. The man couldn’t hold a normal conversation if his life depended on it.

And that mouth of his–Silas had ripped into him more times than she could count, yet somehow he never learned.

Tessa’s glare cut straight at him.

Lewis just shrugged. “Even if you wanted to claim him, he’s probably not your dad anyway.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You really can’t keep that mouth shut, can you?”

“I’m just telling the truth,” he said. “Man looks so damn clueless, I doubt a single kid in that house is actually his.”

Tessa blinked. Was that… a curse? Even the kindest person alive wouldn’t be able to take words that harsh.

“So that’s what you said to him earlier? You analyzed his situation like that?”

“Yeah,” Lewis replied casually. “Why hide it?”

Tessa paused. Well… no reason to hide it, I guess.

Still-“You know,” she said, eyeing him, “I bet you’ve offended half the world with that mouth of yours.”

He grinned. “What, mad I offended your dad?”

Her face darkened. “He’s not my

dad.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Lewis said, completely unbothered. “If I offended him, I offended him. You expect me to do that?”

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