Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath

Stella rolled over and pushed herself upright.

The room wasn't completely dark—a nightlight glowed faintly in the corner, casting a soft shadow across her face. She looked almost emotionless.

"Sick as she was, I'm honestly surprised Ursula managed to hang on this long before finally kicking the bucket," Stella said, her tone flat.

Everyone figured Ursula would be finished within days after Jaxon Larkin threw her out of the Larkin household.

No one expected she'd survive this many nights on the street.

Tegan huffed. "So what if she was tough? You can fight fate all you want, but in the end, she still died a miserable wreck."

You can refuse to accept your lot, but you can't trample over someone else to get ahead.

After all, what goes around comes around.

Stella's brow arched slightly when she heard how bad Ursula's end had been. "How miserable are we talking?"

Tegan hesitated, lowering her voice. "Under the highway bridge. Two homeless guys... did things to her."

She trailed off, letting the ugly details hang unsaid.

But Stella got the picture.

Homeless. That was fitting.

tried so hard to keep up her fancy image—she'd even tried to

the Larkin estate, Ursula did everything she could to keep her own reputation spotless, constantly putting Stella

accepted she was just the adopted daughter, always acting like she

where she ended

"That's

it was worse than

when you were in the hospital, if Susie and

made Tegan's

was his sister—his

to hurt Stella more times than she

she knew about, others she probably

heaviness in her chest. "Thanks for all you did

thought you'd like

had tormented Stella in every way possible, and now karma had finally caught

it fate, or just plain

after I moved back, I barely even thought about

Not just Ursula.

shoved their names in her face, she hardly remembered them at

just

life in Ferrowland's

Stella replied, her answer simple but loaded