The Wrong Girl and the Wronged Girl (Stella and Ethan) novel Chapter 890

“While we’re at it, let’s make it official—Derrick will marry into the Dawson family. Don’t worry; once you’re there, I’ll make sure you’re head of the house.”

Holt’s face darkened; the silence between them grew heavier.

She wants to announce that Derrick will marry into the Dawson family? That wasn’t just stepping on his pride—it was grinding it into the ground.

Gary shot to his feet. “Are you out of your mind? You’re putting him in charge of the Dawson family? What, is your brother dead to you?”

At those words, Marie’s eyes flashed cold. She turned a frosty glare on Gary, then slowly stood, one hand resting on her belly as she walked toward him with deliberate calm.

There was something commanding—almost dangerous—about her presence; it rolled off her in waves.

They’d only ever seen that kind of aura before from Abraham.

And that was exactly why no one in all of Falvaria had ever dared to cross Marie. Her very presence made people back away.

Faced with her now, Gary instinctively took a step back. “Wh-what are you doing?”

The sound of her slap cracked through the air. A stinging burn spread across Gary’s cheek.

He clutched his face in disbelief. “You—you hit me?”

“If my brother ever heard you curse him like that, he’d kill you himself!”

Her eyes glinted with murderous intent; the look in them was so sharp it made Gary’s heart pound violently.

He opened his mouth to retort but caught her terrifying gaze and swallowed his words instead.

Mona’s face had gone rigid. She stood, furious that Gary had been struck—but the moment she heard Marie invoke Abraham’s name, her anger froze.

She sank back onto the sofa, expression tight.

Even after all these years, the Tom family hadn’t forgotten how Abraham had treated them. The memory still made her shudder.

Marie walked back to Derrick’s side and sat down again, resting her hand—once on her stomach—on his knee instead.

Derrick wordlessly placed his hand over hers.

It was a simple gesture, yet it looked so natural, so perfectly matched.

Marie turned to Holt. “My brother doesn’t have time to manage family affairs,” she said evenly.

So if she said Derrick could take charge, then he could—and would.

“Anyway, when I’m living here in the Tom family, I’ll run the house; when Derrick’s with me at the Dawson residence, he’ll run that one.”

“That way, neither of us will be treated unfairly.”

Each word carried a steady, unyielding force.

Mona gritted her teeth. “And who would dare treat you unfairly?”

Marie—feared by all of Falvaria.

Mona thought. Who on earth would dare?

But what did she really mean by this? Over something as trivial as family authority, she wanted to seize control too?

That first part—Derrick not being a Tom anymore—Gary almost scoffed at. When has he ever acted like one?

And now he dared to use that—not being part of the Tom family—as a threat?

But then came her last line—that the Tom family didn’t want Derrick.

Gary’s jaw tightened. “When did we ever say we didn’t want him?”

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? All of you so afraid he’ll come back and take what you think is yours!”

Gary fell silent.

Marie kept her gaze locked on Holt. “Dad, give me a straight answer. Are we staying or not?”

Stay—or not.

Who would dare tell her to leave? If she really walked out and made that kind of announcement, how would the Tom family ever show their faces again?

One had to admit—Marie knew exactly what she was doing.

A few words from her, and the whole room was held hostage.

And everyone knew—she wasn’t bluffing.

Mona’s face turned an ugly shade of gray-green. “I have my pride too!”

Her voice trembled, the words bitten out hard.

Because for years, the fact that she was Derrick’s stepmother had always been whispered about behind her back.

Even within the Tom family, her place had never truly felt legitimate.