Chapter 118

Stella gripped her phone so tight her knuckles turned pale. She wasn't pretending not to know him—she genuinely had no clue who he was. At least, based on what she could remember now. But after this awkward back-and-forth, she was pretty sure this man standing in front of her was Charles. Locking eyes with him, she spoke firmly, no room for discussion. "Mr. Hart, I'll say it one more time—I don't know you. And if you keep bothering me, I'm calling the cops." Her thumb hovered right over the dial button, just about ready to press it. Charles's expression shifted, the light in his eyes dimmed. He reached out quickly, grabbing her wrist—not forcefully, but just enough to stop her from making the call. "Stella, don't do this." His voice sounded rough, like he was trying to keep it together. "I just want to know... what did Edward do to you? The way you are now—I'm worried about you." Just the contact made her entire body tense up. She tried to yank her hand free but couldn't manage it. "Le