The movie was gripping, but as they stepped out, Jordan’s phone rang. His subordinate’s voice crackled through “Monroe got Anna and Andrew out.
“Understood.” Jordan’s tone was calm, almost as if he’d expected this. He hung up and met Stella’s gaze. “You heard that, didn’t you?”
She nodded before he could apologize. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about my reaction. We don’t have enough evidence against them yet, and we’ve done what we could. They slipped away this time, but that doesn’t mean I won’t find another way.”
“Still… I’m sorry,” Jordan murmured.
Stella waved it off. “Look, over there. I want to check out those clothes.”
With a quiet smile, Jordan followed her lead.
Stella had always suspected that Anna wasn’t acting alone. Locked in her room, she hunched over her laptop, digging through digital trails.
Three years wasn’t that long ago, but erasing all traces of a crime? That was entirely possible.
She combed through surveillance records from the day of her kidnapping, but the footage was either corrupted or missing entirely. Even her best recovery attempts hit dead ends.
Stella kept her eyes locked on the screen, analyzing. Then it struck her–she could dig into Anna’s trail. If Anna had a backer, there’d be communication between them.
Stella’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she attempted to breach Anna’s device, only to be blocked almost instantly.
Stella mused, ‘Someone’s watching. Closely.‘ Whoever it was had reflexes sharp enough to detect her intrusion the moment she made a move. ‘What do they want? And what is their connection to Anna?‘
Before she could probe further, a new email notification flashed on her screen. She clicked it open.
[After all this time, aren’t you even a little curious about who Jordan really is?]
The sender was the same as before, anonymous, taunting. Stella typed back: [Why does it matter? Do I know you? Why should I trust a word you say?]
The reply came seconds later: [Just looking out for you. Wouldn’t want you to get trapped without realizing it.]
She fired off another response, but the system bounced it back, and the recipient blocked further messages. She tried tracing the IP, but the trail vanished like smoke.
Stella wasn’t arrogant enough to call herself the world’s best hacker, but she was damn close. Yet lately, it felt like elite players were crawling out of the woodwork.
‘What kind of mess am I tangled in?‘ The harder she pulled at the threads, the tighter the knot became.
For once, Stella slept through the night. The pain still gnawed at her, but it wasn’t the agony that used to keep her awake. Dawn brought a clear head–and unfinished business.
Chapter 200
She needed to tell Jordan about last night’s discoveries, but before she could, his phone rang. His assistant & urgent cone sent him rushin out the door with barely a goodbye.
Later, then, Stella thought.
Today was the grand reopening of her supermarket. The launch had been delayed after her “accident,” and now, every minute counted
Before leaving, she reminded Mary firmly, “Stay inside today. No unnecessary outings, understood?”
The grand opening was set for 9:58 AM. At the flagship location near the business district, Stella cut the ribbon to cheers from an impressive crowd. The turnout was better than expected for a weekday morning.
Nola, her trusted assistant, stood beside her, visibly moved. “After months of renovations, sourcing materials, and preparations, we’re finally open. The turnout is incredible. This is a good sign.”
Stella smiled, pleased by the enthusiastic response, especially since they’d chosen a weekday rather than a holiday for the launch.
Nola checked her tablet. “A lot of people plan to swing by during lunch. We’ll see another surge then, and the evening rush should hit its peak around dinner.”
“Make sure the staff inside keeps everything running smoothly,” Stella reminded her.
Nola nodded.
Unlike typical corporate strategies, Stella hadn’t poached high–level managers from competitors. Instead, she’d recruited capable but overlooked talent from ordinary positions, promoting them directly within her new venture. Nola admired her unconventional thinking. It was one of the many reasons she respected Stella.
Then, commotion erupted near the entrance. Nola gestured for Stella to stay back and hurried over to handle it.
When she returned, her expression was tight. “It was Lionel. He was shouting about our products being counterfeit, spreading all kinds of damaging rumors. I called the police, but he bolted as soon as he heard me dial.”
Stella had heard about Lionel’s recent downfall. After failing to secure a loan, he’d turned to gambling, only to drown further in debt.
She felt no sympathy. Some people forged their own ruin. Lionel had spent years making ruthless choices; karma was just collecting its due.
Not long after, another troublemaker arrived, this time from the Quinn family. But Stella’s team handled them swiftly.
Later, outside Hayes Group’s headquarters, Lionel spotted Stella and lunged for her, his fingers digging into her arm. His eyes were wild with terror. “Stella, please. You have to help me!
“You’re my only hope. They’ll carve me up for parts if I don’t pay. I can’t! I’m scared-”
Nola moved to intervene, but Stella raised a hand, stopping her. Lionel’s grip was painful, but she didn’t flinch. She stared at him, her gaze
icy.
“You were my only hope once,” Stella said, her voice low. “Then you crushed it yourself. Do you have any idea what that feels like? No. But I can give you a taste. How much do you owe?”
Lionel, too desperate to think straight, took her words at face value. “Ninety million. No, wait, a hundred and fifty million,” he blurted.
“Fine. Give me your account details,” Stella said.
Lionel’s face lit up with manic relief. He fumbled for his phone, hands shaking as he pulled up his banking app. “Here! It’s right here-” He thrust the screen toward her like a lifeline.
