Chapter 206
Chapter 206
Stella held out her hands. “I came alone. Check my phone, no calls, no backup. Even if you let her go, what’s one woman going to do again you?”
Hasan set down his fork, studying her. “You’ve changed. Back when you were a kid trailing after your family, I never paid you any attention But now?”
He tilted his head. “I’ll admit, you’ve got spine. Too bad I don’t trust a word you say. She stays until I get what I want.”
Stella met his gaze, unflinching. “Then why should I believe you won’t betray me the second I agree?”
“Christ, Stella,” Hasan barked a laugh. “You don’t act like any 21–year–old I’ve ever met. Too damn sharp for your own good. But if we’re really at this trust impasse, then I guess we’re done talking.”
She studied him for a long beat before shrugging. “Fine. No negotiations. Kill me if you want. Just let her go first.”
Hasan closed the distance between them in three strides. “You know what happened to my son.”
“Whether I do or don’t, what’s it to you?”
Every visit to the Quinn estate flashed through her mind, how Lionel’s parents had always looked through her like window glass.
Anna was their golden child, the one swaddled in family adoration, while Stella might as well have been furniture. When Lionel was present, they’d merely ignored her; in his absence, the insults flowed freely.
This was a high–stakes poker game now. Time to see who’d blink first.
“I’ll admit,” Hasan said, thumbing his lip, “I never saw you as anything but Hayes family trash. Yet here you are, the one who clawed her way up. Here’s the deal: get me 300 million, and you both walk out untouched.”
A sudden laugh burst from Stella’s throat. Hasan’s eyes narrowed. ‘Who the hell laughs at gunpoint?‘
“You’re hilarious.” She wiped mock tears. “Your son begged me for 150 million to cover his 90–million debt. Now you’re asking for 300 million? We both know I don’t have that liquid.”
“Bullshit.” He kicked a metal chair, sending it screeching across concrete. “Jordan would wire it in a heartbeat. Hell, that simp Kevin would mortgage his whole tech empire for you.”
“Why would I ask them?”
Hasan jerked his chin toward Nola, still gagged. “Because I own your secretary’s heartbeat.”
Stella rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You kidnapped an administrative assistant and think that’s leverage? If you’d taken Kevin or Jordan, maybe we’d be talking. But Nola?” She snorted. “Her family would throw a parade if I handed them a 1.5–million–dollar condolence check.”
Hasan’s face turned purple.
“I know exactly how desperate the Quinns are,” Stella continued, stepping closer. “Your family’s been circling the drain for years, and your idiot son just kicked the ladder out from under you. But 300 million?” She smiled sweetly. “Not happening.”
Hasan seized her collar, whiskey breath hot on her face. “Maybe I can’t snatch your precious men, but you’re right here. Call them yourself, and I’ll make it quick, If I have to dial?” His grip tightened. “You’ll beg me to-”
“Beg who, exactly?” Stella whipped the chemical vial from her sleeve and smashed it across his eyes.
1/2
Chapter 206
“Goddammit!” Hasan recoiled, hands flying to his eyes as he staggered back. Around them, his lackeys lurched forward, but Stella was already ready. She whipped out a small spray bottle, its contents glinting ominously.
to
“Back off,” she warned, voice icy. “You saw what just happened. I aced chemistry in school–spent half my life in labs. This inttle cocktail? ips more than enough to ruin your day. Try me.”
She edged toward Nola, a pair of scissors now in her other hand. The ropes were tough, but she worked fast, sawing at the fibers.
Hasan, wiping furiously at his face, barked at his men. “What the hell are you waiting for? Grab them!”
The thugs charged. Stella didn’t hesitate; she sprayed. The liquid hit skin, and instantly, the men howled, clawing at burning patches. The
others froze.
Behind her, Nola wrenched free from the last of the ropes, ducking close,
Hasan’s jaw tightened. He’d planned to bring a gun, but guns were hard to come by these days. ‘Two unarmed girls should’ve been easy. How did she-?‘
Hasan snarled, “Anyone who catches them gets a bonus!”
The men, desperate for cash, immediately lunged toward Stella and Nola.
“Stay behind me,” Stella ordered, shielding Nola with her body. “You really wanna try me again? Go ahead. But let’s be real. This guy’s broke. You think he’s gonna pay you? A few hundred bucks at best? Don’t be idiots. He’s playing you.”
The men hesitated, glancing between Hasan and Stella, unsure who to trust.
Stella was bluffing, but she knew exactly what she was doing. These weren’t Hasan’s loyal followers. Those guys had ditched him the second the money dried up. These were just hired hands, mercenaries with no real loyalty. And she was about to exploit that.
She tightened her grip on the spray bottle. “One step closer, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Then, she played her final card. “Here’s a better deal: I’ll Cash App each of you three grand right now. Let us walk away, and the money’s yours. Refuse, and you get nothing.”
The men’s eyes lit up. “Three grand?” One of them muttered. Deal.”
Nola stared at Stella in disbelief. ‘Who negotiates with kidnappers like this?‘
Stella pulled out her phone, created a group chat, and sent the payments. The instant sounds of notifications made the men grin.
“Ladies,” one of them said, suddenly polite, “you’re free to go. We’ll make sure Hasan doesn’t bother you.”
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