Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

"What happened?"

Ronald's warm fingertips brushed gently over her neck, his voice low and soothing. "Who did this to you?"

"Huh?"

Hearing Ronald's question, Yvonne instinctively touched her neck, feeling the faint bruise.

"Did you go see Dan?"

Yvonne fell silent, her thoughts instantly flashing back to that infuriating encounter. Mentioning Dan was like poking an open wound.

Yes, during their scuffle last night, while others might not have noticed, Yvonne could clearly feel it. Dan wasn't holding back at all; each move was calculated to hurt.

That's why, in the end, she hadn't held back either, knocking him out cold. It was laughable, really.

Once upon a time, Dan had been the man she cherished, the one whose memories she held dear. But now, he had turned on her with such ferocity. Wasn't it just absurd?

Yvonne took a deep breath. "I went to get something from him."

"Xander's file, right? Do you really think retrieving it will make any difference?"

Yvonne sighed. "I doubt it. But Xander's been hounding me for it like a madman."

It was clear from Xander's demeanor yesterday-if she didn't get that file back, he wouldn't let it go.

"Did you manage to get it?"

"No," Yvonne admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I knocked Dan out, but he didn't have the file on him."

Dan must have been tougher than she expected. Even after she beat him like that, he refused to give up the file, leaving her with Xander breathing down her neck.

"Don't go looking for him again," Ronald advised.

Yvonne paused, then nodded. "Yeah, I won't."

Though the words seemed simple they carried a weight of unspoken determination. It was time to let go, to release the burden she'd carried for so long.

The man she once treasured had

Pone

Holding

was time to move on. Conto belongs to

mistaken affection was po onome

It

Ronald left, and Yvonne turned back into the house where Stella was still

lounging on the couch. As soon as Yvonne entered, she saw Stella' perched on the sofa back, eyeing her expectantly.

From Yvonne's perspective, Stella looked like a guilty kitten, her little paws resting on the couch, waiting for approval.

Yvonne had planned to tease her a bit, but seeing Stella's vulnerable expression, she couldn't bring herself to do it.noveldrama

"Alright, I know Ronald was giving you a hard time. Don't worry, it's not like we're blood relatives."

What mischief could a little sister possibly cause?

Yvonne ruffled Stella's hair playfully. "If he bothers you again, just let me know... or maybe not."

If anyone else bullied Stella, Yvonne would step in to defend her. But with Ronald, there wasn't much she could do.

Stella noticed Yvonne's tousled hair and reached out to fix it. "Did you really fight Dan last night?"

Yvonne nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"Did you win?"

This was what Stella truly cared about, though she was worried seeing Yvonne's disheveled state.

Before Yvonne could answer, Stella spotted the marks on her neck. "Oh my gosh, did he choke you?"

"No, this was Xander," Yvonne clarified.

In fairness, she wasn't about to falsely accuse Dan. He hadn't laid a finger on her

neck.