“Fine, Kill me now,” Stella said icily, minciating each word.
“You!” Andrew raned his hand to strike, but Fiona quickly held him back.
“Stella, go ahead to your room now,” Fiona said to her.
Instead of going back to her room as Flana suggested, Stella turned and walked straight out of the house.
No one called after her. It was as if Stella had made the wrong decision, and her family couldn’t even be bothered to keep her at home
This was Stella’s first time venturing out the this, and everything around her felt utterly unfamiliar.
Stella went back to her old home. Whenever she went to her secret hideout, she would always find Lionel then. No matter how down or heartbroken she felt, just being in that special place with him would immediately lift her spirits.
Everything from the past felt like a dream. Evers what was right in front of her seemed surreal. She never felt like she belonged anywhere, as if she were a forgotten soul left behind by the universe.
Stella found a secluded spot where no one would notice her, just like she used to do as a child. But this time, Lionel wasn’t coming to find her anymore
Stella had no idea how long she’d been sitting there. At first, she paid no attention to the voices in the distance, but the moment a familiar volca registered, her wars pricked up.
“Anna, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Emily said hesitantly. “If Stella finds out how close we are now, she’d be devastated.”
Anna said, “We’re twins, after all. Since you’re my sister’s friend, that makes you my friend, too. And the same goes for my friends. They’re her friends as well. It’s only natural, right?
“No worries. Look, Eleanor’s sick, and you just wanted to come see her. That’s completely normal. The whole Hayes family will welcome you.”
Hearing that, Emily gave a hesitant nod
Stella watched in disbelief as Emily and Anna walked into the house arm in arm.
She could hardly believe her eyes. For as long as she could remember, Stella had only two close friends, Emily and Kevin.
Emily knew exactly how unfairly Stella was treated in the Hayes family.
ry time, Stella
Whenever Stella brushed off unfair treatment, Emily would get angrier than anyone, ready to rush into her home and defend her. But every would pull her back, telling her to let it go.
During those three years away, Stella often wondered, ‘If Emily and Kevin ever found out, would they go crazy trying to find me?
Stella had even imagined that Emily might not heed her words and would make trouble for Anna, believing Kevin would surely hold her back.
Emily’s family was quite well off when she was young, but after her father went bankrupt, they fell on hard times and never recovered
But Stella had always believed her friendship with Emily would never change. She never in a million years imagined Emily would become such close
friends with Anna.
Reeling in disbelief, Stella got to her fest and made her way to the living room.
The entire Hayes family gathered around and warmly welcomed Emily with open arms.
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Fiona said warmly. “Emily, thank you for coming all this way at such a late hour”
“It’s only right for me to come. Eleanor has always been so kind to me. When Anna told me how senous har condition was this come here right away.” Emily explained.
Fiona said, “You and Anna get along in well. She used to be quite sickly and had few friends, but ever since you became closer much more. You’re truly a blessing to our family
Emily looked at Anna, and they both smiled. “Oh, please don’t say that, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes
y mom told me to
“Even with how things are for my family now, you’ve never looked down on me, and you’re still willing to let Anna be so close to truly don’t know how to thank you”
Fiona waved a dismissive hand. “Hey, when it comes to friends, home of that matters. As long as you’re a good person and can make Anna happy, of course, we love having you around”
During their conversation, Stella abruptly appeared in the living room, instantly ruining the cheerful moment. She fixed berg intently on Emilly
Emily couldn’t meet Stella’s eyes, guilt washing over her.
Anna reached over and gave Emily’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
Emily felt she had to do something, so she finally looked up and forced herself to say, “Stella, you’re back.”
Stall remained silent. In the days since she returned home, her skin had visibly improved, yet her appearance was still terrifying.
Emily barely dared a glance at Stella before quickly looking away. “Um, Anna told me you were back. Ive been meaning to visit, but I wasn’t sure how to approach you. And then, with Eleanor..
At this point, Emily stole a glance at Stella, but she flinched back when she met Stella’s piercing glare. She was too terrified to utter another word
Noticing the awkward silence, Fiona quickly stopped in to mediate “Stella, why aren’t you talking to Emily? You two were such close childhood friends for over a decade. She was just asking about you and said how much she wanted to see you.”
“She wanted to see me?” Stella’s icy voice cut through the air, sending a jolt through Emily’s heart.
Fiona quickly stepped in, trying to smooth things over. “Stella, I know you and Emily used to be such good friends, but Anna is your sister, too.
“While you were away, the two of them grew quite close and often mentioned you. N
Now that y
t you’re back, the three of you can hang out together again.”
Stella remained silent, her gaze locked on Emily
Emily couldn’t bring herself to meet Stella’s gaze.
Fiona also felt the overwhelming pressure from Stella
Just as Fiona was about to say something, Max, impatiently, cut in, “Mom, who Emily befriends is her own business. She hasn’t done anything wrong to Stella. Who does she think she’s intimidating with those looks?”
Emilly stole a stry glance at Max, but she instantly averted her gare, a
However, Stella saw it all clearly.
, afraid Stella might notic
Seeing Stella still standing there like a statue, not uttering a word, Max sprang to his feet and anapped, “Stella, get the hell back to your m! Emily’s our guest. Don’t go scaring her like that!”
Fiona snapped at Max, “Don’t talk to Stella like that!”
“Mom, look at that damn look on her face. It’s like we allow her something We’ve explained it to her a million times already, isn’t that enough?” May
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Chapter 26
protested
Fiona pulled Stella by the arm and said softly, “Come on. Go back to your room first.”
No one even noticed Stella hadn’t eaten dinner that night. Or rather, they simply
y didn’t care unless Eleanor mentioned it.
Since coming back home, Stella had been forcing herself to eat more, just as her family insisted. Yet now, she was still clearly starving
This gnawing hunger was just like when she’d first been sent to Middle South Yaria. A constant craving for food left her feeling physically ill if she didn’t eat. Wanting nothing to do with them for now, Stella headed straight to the kitchen.
Max trailed after her. “What the hell are you up to now?” he snapped, instinctively moving all the knives and other sharp objects out of her reach
Stella ignored him and opened the fridge. It was packed with food, but none of it was from dinner.
She wasn’t much of a cook. Instant noodles were about all she could handle. But now that the Hayes family was living so well, she would never find something as humble as instant noodles.
Max absolutely loathed Stella’s silence. It was a stark contrast to her usual chattering self. It felt as if she were deliberately punishing them
Seeing Stella rummaging through the kitchen aimlessly, Max barked at her again, “What the hell are you looking for?”
