Hearing Stella’s words, Haynes felt an uneasy prickle deep inside.
He’d wanted to teach Stella a lesson, sure—but he’d never really expected to get that billion back. Yet the way she spoke, it was as if she was accusing him of breaking his word.
A cold edge crept into Haynes’s gaze. “Stella, have you ever considered what happens if you donate all that money? If you don’t hold up your end of our agreement, you’ll be saddled with a billion-dollar debt.”
Stella just smiled. “And did it ever cross your mind that if I dared to give it all away, I’m obviously not afraid of ending up in debt?”
Haynes’s sharp eyebrows arched, his face cut with a hint of challenge.
“So you’re counting on me, is that it? Counting on me not to actually come after you?”
Stella paused, then let out a peal of laughter. “Haynes, do you really think that highly of yourself? That you wouldn’t do anything to me? You and your cronies blacklisted me online, spread rumors to destroy my reputation, tried to get me thrown in jail—and now you say you wouldn’t hurt me?”
She leaned forward, voice dripping with scorn. “When did you become so shameless, Haynes?”
A shadow flickered in Haynes’s eyes. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Stella cut him off coldly.
“Let me guess—you’re about to say you weren’t behind any of it? Even if that’s true, you didn’t stop it. You let Jasper do his dirty work, and you just stood by, waiting for the chance to finish me off yourself.”
Stella placed her coffee cup on the table with a sharp clink.
“You all honestly disgust me.”
For a split second, something unreadable flashed across Haynes’s face.
How did she know all this—sometimes in more detail than even he did?
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