Chapter 9 " You don't need to understand what it means , " Stella said coolly . " Just pass the message along to Summer . She'll know . " " Does this have something to do with Summer ? " Dora's anger flared again . " What are you trying to pull now ? " Stella Rowan , get this straight . All these years you've been eating from the Wright family , living off the Wright family . What more tricks are you trying to play ? " The words eating and living off the Wright family hit Stella square in the chest . She looked at Dora and raised an eyebrow .

" You really think I wanted to live off your family ? " " Mrs. Wright , I don't think you've ever understood one thing . I didn't force my way into the Wright family . Your son pursued me for three years . Then he knelt in front of me and begged me to marry him . " Dora stiffened . " You- " " I didn't cling to him , " Stella went on calmly . " And since you brought it up , with a mother - in - law like you , I haven't actually eaten a single bite of the Wright family's generosity . " Did she want to marry into the Wright family ?

She knew perfectly well how big the gap was between her and Evan . He had barged into her life , taken over her world by force . And yet , after she married him , he never once truly protected her . As for Dora , she'd found endless ways to make her life miserable . Thanks to that , Stella owed the Wright family nothing . Not a cent . Not a favor . Being openly disrespected and called a vicious mother - in - law , Dora felt her chest tighten with rage . " You - this is outrageous , " she snapped . Stella simply gave a small nod and said nothing , her gaze icy as she looked at Dora .

That look nearly made Dora see red . " You really are an orphanage brat . No upbringing at all . You don't even know how to show basic respect to your elders . " " You say you didn't live off us ? Then what exactly have you been eating all these years ? " Stella replied calmly , " If you want to know , we can check the accounts . Look into the household expenses at Inkwood House . Once the numbers are clear , you might even owe me money . " Inkwood House . The villa she and Evan had lived in after marriage .

After they married , Evan had given her several credit cards but Dora monitored every single one . Any time Stella used one , Dora would call immediately , demanding to know what she'd bought . Eventually , Stella stopped using them altogether . +25 Bonus Dora felt dizzy with anger . " What nonsense are you talking about ? Owe you money ? Are you out of your mind ? " At that moment , Evan walked into the room . He saw Dora bracing herself against a chair , clearly unsteady , while Stella sat on the bed , her face cold and unreadable .

1 Ignoring Dora's insults , Stella continued calmly , " Respect your elders ? Please . " " Take Evan out of the picture - what relationship do you and I even have ? Who are you to me , exactly , that I should respect you ? " Dora's face twisted . " You- } ) Evan entered fully now , his expression dark , his presence sharp and oppressive . Seeing him , Dora immediately turned on Stella . " Look at her . Just look at how she speaks to me . I'm her mother - in - law , and she humiliates me like this . " Evan shot a cold look at Stella . Stella turned her head slightly .

Her eyes met his - unyielding , icy . " I'm telling you , " Dora continued angrily , " she must apologize to Summer . What she did was unforgivable . ' Evan looked at Stella but said nothing . Yet the look on his face made it clear he agreed she'd gone too far by hitting Summer at a time like this . Stella's lips curved upward . " An apology ? Fine . I'll apologize . ' Dora froze . ENJOYING THE BOOK ? Give it a rating to show your support ! Share Comments Support Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion.

She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.