Chapter 13

Stella felt a sudden surge of panic upon seeing Malcolm's enraged state. But a moment later, she quickly regained her composure. "Why have you come looking for me at this hour, Malcolm? I don't blame you for what happened earlier today. I know it's because of Selene's—" Stella let out an abrupt cry because Malcolm had slapped her to the ground. She stared disbelievingly at him as she touched her reddened, burning face. Not long after, tears welled up in her eyes. It blurred her vision to the point where she could barely see his expression. "How could you hit me, Malcolm?" she whined. Stella's voice had trembled with hurt. However, her usual trick didn't work this time. Instead, it only infuriated Malcolm further. His eyes burned with rage as he grabbed her by the neck. "Even now, you still want to quibble?" he roared. Malcolm's hand tightened around Stella's throat, and stars began to dance in her vision. The intense, suffocating feeling made her instinctively claw at his grip.