Chapter 53

Stella stared blankly at the phone lying on the floor, feeling a tight knot in her chest. If Charles was planning to cut ties, then he should've just done it clean—why bother pretending to care? She'd already vowed to stay away from anything Hart-related. But now, all of this just felt like some kind of joke. After thinking it over for a while, Stella picked up the phone and shot him a message: "I know about Emma. I owe you one for this. If there's ever anything you need me to do, just say it—I'll make it happen." The reply came within seconds. "I don't need anything from you." She stared at the screen. Her eyes stung a little, and she bit her lip hard to keep it together. Without responding, she quietly set the phone aside. But just like before, she blocked him again. Reaching out this time was purely to say thanks—it didn't mean she was letting him back into her life. She didn't want to see any more of his texts popping up. Clearly, Charles had messaged again after that. She just did