“I don’t know where your confidence comes from. That person didn’t fire simply because they didn’t want to kill the wrong person.”
“Perhaps, we could renegotiate. Tell me who is behind this and I will make Frederick fall in love with you. Even if he does not love you, he will let you have his child. Then, the child can accompany you forever. Otherwise, he will kill you, and I will snatch away everything that you had ever wanted and cared about,” Stella Grace said coldly.
The people outside had already broken the lock. They were slamming against the door while the Dark Shadow’s men fought against them. They pushed the sofa hard and prevented them from opening the door, giving Stella as much time as possible to negotiate.
“I don’t believe you, how are you going to do it?” Bettany Hadley didn’t believe it at all.
Stella stood up and looked down at her from above. “I’m Stella.”
“It’s impossible. Stella has been dead for a long time.”
“Why do you think that Jasper has married me? You’ve seen his trust in me. Of course, it’s up to you whether to believe it or not,” Stella raised her hand and ordered coldly, “Let them in. Don’t shoot. Their target is Bettany. They will leave once she is dead.”
Bettany was eyeing Stella from top to bottom.
Stella turned around and walked away into a room inside.
“Stop,” Bettany shouted.
Stella halted in her steps.
“Are you really Stella?” Bettany continued to ask in disbelief.
Stella looked at her and said, “Two years ago, you entrusted me to take care of your son. You deliberately asked your son to break his own head so that Jasper would misunderstand me. Honestly, I was very curious about that. How did you convince such a small child to do it? That child is stupid enough.”
Only she, Stella, Jasper, and Ralph alone knew about this matter. Jasper would not tell anyone, and neither would Ralph. That meant that she really was Stella. Bettany finally allowed the truth to sink in.
The defense line in her heart was suddenly broken through.
“Frederick is an orphan. He is very pitiful. His father died of injustice for being wronged as a spy.
Frederick and I were secretly trained on a deserted island since we were young. He was very capable and his methods were extremely cruel, but he was very good to those who grew up together with him.
When he was twelve years old, he was already our leader. He was my direct superior since then.
I only know that his superior was Titan Charles. Now that Titan is dead, Frederick took over the organization. I have no idea who is at the top.
However, I know that mission was a well-planned massacre,” Bettany said.
“Massacre? Why?” Stella asked.
“Little Tiger found the name list of the organization by chance.
She showed the list to Father Tiger, who then told his comrades. The two of them then went to their leader together. Their leader went straight to Chief Charles and they came up with this special mission,” Bettany recalled.
“What about Jasper? What about Hale? And what about the others who were killed?” Stella continued to ask.
“Jasper is Steven Milton’s son. The mission would be believable if he took part in it. No one would doubt the authenticity of the mission.”
They could not send those people who knew the secret on the mission only. Otherwise, it would arouse the suspicion of Little Tiger and the others. Therefore, they arranged a few innocent and oblivious people to go with them.
The team was completely wiped out. However, if only Jasper and I survived, I would be suspected easily. Therefore, they let Hale, who knew nothing, to survive unscathed, so that she could be the scapegoat,” Bettany explained.
“Was disfiguring yourself part of the plan?” Stella stared at her skin-grafting face.
“That was an accident. During the mission, Little Tiger realized something that was wrong. She suspected that I was a spy, so she set the fire on me.”
Realization suddenly dawned upon Stella. “Frederick’s mother was involved with the former President. So, does that mean that Frederick is working for the President? Is the name of the organization, ‘Invisible’?”
“Invisible belongs to Sean, so I’m sure that Frederick’s heart is not really with the President, but his identity is special. I couldn’t figure it out even after so many years around him. Maybe he has never opened up to me and he doesn’t trust me at all. That’s why he is following the orders of his superior to kill me,” Bettany said gloomily.
With a bang, the door was set on fire.
“Miss Wheeler, let’s go,” Elvis Zachary reminded her.
Stella glanced at Bettany.
Bettany was willing to die for Frederick. However, it was impossible for her to testify against Frederick. It was not easy for her to have revealed what she knew just now.
In fact, she was already useless to them.
However, Stella sympathized with her.
Stella suddenly remembered a song that she heard on the radio. It was about how women could fall in love easily and how they would be willing to sacrifice everything for the men they loved.
“Take her along, and ensure her safety. That’s my promise to her,” Stella said in a low voice.
Elvis carried Bettany and they retreated to a room inside.
Stella listened to the gunshots that were falling like the rain. Both sides were on par with each other.
She knew that they would run out of ammo soon. If there was no backup, they would definitely lose.
She walked to the window and made a call.
Frederick Addington answered, “What’s the matter?”
“Two things. First, I once kidnapped Ralph to threaten Bettany but she didn’t reveal anything. Deep in her heart, you are more important to her than her own son. To be exact, you are even more important to her than herself. Second, she has already told me about that mission. She only knows that you are ruling the organization. She didn’t rat you out. She doesn’t know who the mastermind is. Let her go.”
“Whether she stays alive or dead is not something I could decide. Since she had said things that she shouldn’t have, she should be responsible for what she had said. It’s not that I refused to let her go, but my superiors want her dead,” Frederick refused.
“If you let her go, I will tell you where Stella is,” Stella said in a low voice.
Frederick was silent for a moment. “Where is she?”
“Let her go first,” Stella looked at the night sky calmly with a strange sparkle in her eyes,. “Stella once told me about you.
She said that although you two were unhappy before getting married, she still looked forward to the wedding night. Not only did she put apples on the bedside table, but she also put a little boy’s pants under the sheets. She thought that she would have a son and a daughter by doing so.
Unfortunately, on the wedding night, you didn’t go to her at all. She was really sad, and at the same time, frustrated. She smashed the cup and threw the apple and the little boy’s pants into the trash can.
You found out about it subsequently and stuffed her head into the trash can. You then said with disdain, ‘Do you think that I will still have sex with you? You’re dreaming if you thought that I will give birth to a son and daughter with you. I would rather bear a child with a prostitute than with you.’
Because you pushed her too hard, her face was cut by the broken glass in the trash can but you just left in disgust without paying any heed to her at all.”
Although the incident had faded into the passage of time, Stella could still vividly feel the grief that crawled into her heart as she recalled the details of it…