Stella Hawthorne grew up in the middle of nowhere. No fancy degrees. No social grace. Just a girl from the sticks who likes to fight, skip class, drink men under the table, and cheat at cards like it's an Olympic sport. The tabloids had a field day when she married Julius Blackwood—billionaire, recluse, and the man everyone whispered was broken beyond repair. He was left paralyzed after a secret mission went wrong. And, well… not functioning in other ways that matter. They said Stella was the manure on Julius's rose. Julius knows better. Every day, his "country bumpkin" wife surprises him. She's a puzzle. She doesn't have polished resumes or prestigious titles. She has black aces—the kind that get things done when the rules don't work. By day, Stella plays the fool. By night, she's piecing Julius back together—first his legs, then… other things. And once he's standing again? He becomes her biggest cheerleader and her clean-up crew. Welcome to the Blackwood house. Where she makes the mess, he buries the bodies, and together—they play to win.

Chapter 1Dusk had fallen outside the main gates of the Hawthorne Villa. A fresh-faced girl with twin braids and a baseball cap stood before the heavy, ornate iron gates, a heavy-duty woven utility bag slung over her shoulder.Stella Hawthorne stared at the gates, knowing it would be child's play to simply scale them. But she didn't want this to be easy—not in the slightest.Dropping the bag, she put on noise-canceling earmuffs and a safety mask, then pulled a heavy-duty circular saw from the depths of her bag.Moments later, the ear-splitting shriek of metal being ripped apart echoed throughout the villa...The three members of the Hawthorne Family, who were having dinner in the dining room, immediately dropped their silverware."Who's thoughtless enough to do renovations at this hour?" Chloe Hawthorne complained. "Are they trying to ruin our dinner?""That can't be right," Miranda said. "This is an exclusive, fully finished neighborhood. That sound... it's coming from right outside our house."Frederick Hawthorne was about to speak when the butler came rushing in. "Sir, we have a problem!""What the hell is the matter with you?" Frederick snapped, irritated. "Spit it out!"The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead, apologizing profusely. "Forgive me, Sir, I misspoke in my panic. There is a masked woman outside taking a power saw to our front gates."Frederick slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "What! Who has the sheer audacity to saw through my gates in broad daylight?"Miranda quickly stood up, holding his arm to soothe him. "Don't get upset, let's just go see what's happening."The family of three marched toward the front gates, the butler trailing nervously behind them.By the time they arrived, Stella was still busy tearing through the heavy lock."Stop right there!" Frederick bellowed.Stella powered down the saw, pulled off her earmuffs, and shoved them casually into her pocket.She didn't stop because of Frederick's yelling; she stopped because she had just finished slicing cleanly through the smart lock.Raising her leg, she kicked the heavy gates wide open.The three Hawthornes narrowly avoided being smacked in the face by the swinging metal and scrambled back a few steps.Frederick's temper flared hotter. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to vandalize my property?"Stella pulled off her mask, revealing a striking, delicate face, and offered a sweet smile. "What, we just saw each other this morning. Have you forgotten me already?"Frederick pointed a trembling finger at her. "You..."He was so enraged he could barely formulate a thought, finally sputtering out, "You disgraceful brat!"The corners of Stella's lips curled up, and she let out a soft scoff.Didn't he just tell her this morning that she wasn't his daughter? Now she was his "disgraceful brat"?If he thought this was disgraceful...Oh, he hadn't seen anything yet!"Are you insane, Stella?" Chloe shrieked furiously. "You just sawed through our lock! Aren't you afraid we'll call security and have you arrested?"Stella chuckled mockingly. "Security? I walked in here holding a massive power saw in broad daylight. If they were going to arrest me, they would have done it at the entrance. Clearly, I'm doing just fine."Frederick frowned deeply. Security in this neighborhood was famously strict; he had no idea how she had managed to smuggle her "weapon" in."Do you not know how to ring a doorbell?" Miranda scolded. "Was destroying the lock really necessary?"Stepping fully onto the property, Stella flicked the power saw back on and revved it right in front of Miranda, draining all the color from the older woman's face."W-what are you doing?" she stammered, trembling.If she hadn't been gripping Frederick's arm, she likely would have collapsed onto the driveway.Frederick and Chloe jumped at the violent noise, and all three of them stumbled back another large step.Stella laughed brightly. "Don't be nervous, Miranda. I'm not doing anything, just checking if the battery is still holding a charge. If it's dead, I'll have to go inside and plug it in."Frederick forced himself to remain calm. "What exactly do you want, Stella?"He hadn't seen this daughter of his in ten years; how had she grown up into such a savage?"Nothing much. Just coming back to my own house. You wouldn't let me in this morning, so when the civilized route failed, I had to get creative. Even if you called security, they couldn't do anything to me. Is it a crime to enter my own home?"She had already stopped by this morning, but Frederick had declared he had no such daughter and refused her entry. Since the polite approach didn't work, she had to resort to brute force.Recovering from her fright, Miranda glared resentfully. "Do you have any manners at all? Your behavior is no different from a common burglar. If the neighbors find out, you'll humiliate us all."Stella's voice dropped a few degrees. "I had a mother to give birth to me, but she died early. I didn't have a father to raise me or teach me, so I guess I never learned what manners are.""Besides, you're just a homewrecker. Where do you get the nerve to talk about humiliation? You lost your dignity a decade ago."Ten years ago, her mother had died of an illness. Less than six months later, her father married Miranda and brought her into the house, along with a nine-year-old Chloe. That was when she realized her father had been hiding a secret family all along.After Miranda and Chloe moved in, Stella's life turned into a twisted Cinderella story. Even though they had maids, Miranda insisted on "building her independence," forcing her to wash dishes and scrub floors in the dead of winter. If she didn't do it perfectly, she was locked in the storage room without food to "teach her a lesson."And once Chloe arrived, she took everything that belonged to Stella. Her bedroom was stolen, her pretty dresses were taken, her shoes were slashed, and even her favorite toys weren't spared. Her textbooks and homework frequently went "missing," constantly getting her in trouble with her teachers.Basically, if Stella cared about it, Chloe took it.As the saying goes, a new stepmother brings a new stepfather. When she complained to Frederick, he blamed her for being immature, saying she should know how to accommodate her younger sister. He even told her he didn't want such an ungrateful daughter.If her grandfather hadn't come and taken her away, she probably wouldn't have survived to adulthood under that toxic duo's roof.Sadly, after her grandfather took her away and got her settled, he left and never returned. Her old mentor told her that her grandfather was likely dead, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone ten years without visiting her once.Frederick bristled at Stella's words. "You... you ungrateful brat! You are not welcome here. Look at you, causing absolute chaos the second you arrive. Leave, now!"She had been gone for ten years; why come back now? Couldn't they just go their separate ways in peace?"I know you don't want me here, and believe me, I don't want to be here either," Stella said as she strolled into the house. "I came back to collect my mother's ashes and the belongings she left for me. Hand them over, and I'll walk right back out that door so I don't have to look at your miserable faces anymore."Her second mentor had relayed this message from her grandfather: once she turned twenty, she had to return to the Hawthorne Family and reclaim what belonged to her mother.Her grandfather had told her the Hawthornes were a pack of heartless vultures and that she shouldn't leave her mother's ashes with them. He wanted her to take them and find a beautiful, peaceful resting place.Before coming here, she had visited the cemetery where her mother had originally been buried, but all she found was a toppled headstone. The urn was gone. Frederick had undoubtedly tampered with it.And then there was the 'Angel's Heart' necklace her grandfather had left for her mother—she had to get that back, too.The three scrambled after Stella as she marched inside, making it look as though she were the true master of the house.Miranda's eyes darted thoughtfully before she quickened her pace. "Don't listen to your father's nonsense, Stella. Of course we welcome you back. You must be exhausted. Why doesn't Chloe take you upstairs to rest?""Mom, I don't want to!" Chloe whined, stomping her foot.Miranda shot her daughter a warning look, and Chloe instantly shut her mouth. Knowing her mother, she realized Miranda had some ulterior motive for wanting Stella to stay.Swallowing her disgust, Chloe hurried forward and forced a welcoming smile. "Stella, aren't you tired of holding that? Put it down and let me show you to a room.""Sure," Stella agreed easily. "Put this in the corner for me, then you can show me upstairs."Without waiting for an answer, she shoved the heavy power saw straight into Chloe's arms, completely indifferent to whether the girl could actually hold it.Chloe staggered under the weight, almost tripping over her own feet. It didn't look that big, so why was it so insanely heavy? And how on earth had Stella been lugging it around so effortlessly?Reading the room perfectly, the butler quietly stepped in, relieved Chloe of the heavy saw, and tucked it into a corner of the living room.Massaging her sore arms, Chloe muttered, "Let's go. I'll take you upstairs."She turned and led the way up the sweeping staircase.Once they reached the second floor, Chloe tried to steer Stella toward the tiny guest room she used to occupy, but Stella ignored her completely and headed straight for Chloe's current bedroom."Hey, that's my room! Yours is over here," Chloe called out. "Did you forget after being away for so long?"Stella's old room was currently being used as a storage closet, which Chloe felt was exactly what she deserved."I haven't forgotten. I wouldn't forget even if I stayed away another ten years," Stella replied. "That is my room. A parasite just moved in while I was gone, and now it's time to return it to its rightful owner."With that, Stella marched straight toward the massive, sunlit bedroom that Chloe had claimed as her own. It had originally been hers—why on earth should Chloe get to keep it?"No!" Chloe stomped furiously behind her. "That's where I live now! You can't stay there.""Really? Watch me."Stella pushed open the door and casually strolled inside. She scanned the layout, then yanked open the wardrobe. Pulling out a fresh set of sheets and a duvet, she stripped the current bedding, tossed it onto the floor, and began making the bed with the new linens.Her movements were sharp and efficient, rivaling the speed of a professional housekeeper."Those are my favorite sheets!" Chloe shrieked. "What gives you the right to change my bed?""The fact that I don't sleep in used sheets, especially when they stink," Stella replied flatly, scooping up the discarded bedding and tossing it unceremoniously out into the hallway.Chapter 2Dusk had fallen outside the main gates of the Hawthorne Villa. A fresh-faced girl with twin braids and a baseball cap stood before the heavy, ornate iron gates, a heavy-duty woven utility bag slung over her shoulder.Stella Hawthorne stared at the gates, knowing it would be child's play to simply scale them. But she didn't want this to be easy—not in the slightest.Dropping the bag, she put on noise-canceling earmuffs and a safety mask, then pulled a heavy-duty circular saw from the depths of her bag.Moments later, the ear-splitting shriek of metal being ripped apart echoed throughout the villa...The three members of the Hawthorne Family, who were having dinner in the dining room, immediately dropped their silverware."Who's thoughtless enough to do renovations at this hour?" Chloe Hawthorne complained. "Are they trying to ruin our dinner?""That can't be right," Miranda said. "This is an exclusive, fully finished neighborhood. That sound... it's coming from right outside our house."Frederick Hawthorne was about to speak when the butler came rushing in. "Sir, we have a problem!""What the hell is the matter with you?" Frederick snapped, irritated. "Spit it out!"The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead, apologizing profusely. "Forgive me, Sir, I misspoke in my panic. There is a masked woman outside taking a power saw to our front gates."Frederick slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "What! Who has the sheer audacity to saw through my gates in broad daylight?"Miranda quickly stood up, holding his arm to soothe him. "Don't get upset, let's just go see what's happening."The family of three marched toward the front gates, the butler trailing nervously behind them.By the time they arrived, Stella was still busy tearing through the heavy lock."Stop right there!" Frederick bellowed.Stella powered down the saw, pulled off her earmuffs, and shoved them casually into her pocket.She didn't stop because of Frederick's yelling; she stopped because she had just finished slicing cleanly through the smart lock.Raising her leg, she kicked the heavy gates wide open.The three Hawthornes narrowly avoided being smacked in the face by the swinging metal and scrambled back a few steps.Frederick's temper flared hotter. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to vandalize my property?"Stella pulled off her mask, revealing a striking, delicate face, and offered a sweet smile. "What, we just saw each other this morning. Have you forgotten me already?"Frederick pointed a trembling finger at her. "You..."He was so enraged he could barely formulate a thought, finally sputtering out, "You disgraceful brat!"The corners of Stella's lips curled up, and she let out a soft scoff.Didn't he just tell her this morning that she wasn't his daughter? Now she was his "disgraceful brat"?If he thought this was disgraceful...Oh, he hadn't seen anything yet!"Are you insane, Stella?" Chloe shrieked furiously. "You just sawed through our lock! Aren't you afraid we'll call security and have you arrested?"Stella chuckled mockingly. "Security? I walked in here holding a massive power saw in broad daylight. If they were going to arrest me, they would have done it at the entrance. Clearly, I'm doing just fine."Frederick frowned deeply. Security in this neighborhood was famously strict; he had no idea how she had managed to smuggle her "weapon" in."Do you not know how to ring a doorbell?" Miranda scolded. "Was destroying the lock really necessary?"Stepping fully onto the property, Stella flicked the power saw back on and revved it right in front of Miranda, draining all the color from the older woman's face."W-what are you doing?" she stammered, trembling.If she hadn't been gripping Frederick's arm, she likely would have collapsed onto the driveway.Frederick and Chloe jumped at the violent noise, and all three of them stumbled back another large step.Stella laughed brightly. "Don't be nervous, Miranda. I'm not doing anything, just checking if the battery is still holding a charge. If it's dead, I'll have to go inside and plug it in."Frederick forced himself to remain calm. "What exactly do you want, Stella?"He hadn't seen this daughter of his in ten years; how had she grown up into such a savage?"Nothing much. Just coming back to my own house. You wouldn't let me in this morning, so when the civilized route failed, I had to get creative. Even if you called security, they couldn't do anything to me. Is it a crime to enter my own home?"She had already stopped by this morning, but Frederick had declared he had no such daughter and refused her entry. Since the polite approach didn't work, she had to resort to brute force.Recovering from her fright, Miranda glared resentfully. "Do you have any manners at all? Your behavior is no different from a common burglar. If the neighbors find out, you'll humiliate us all."Stella's voice dropped a few degrees. "I had a mother to give birth to me, but she died early. I didn't have a father to raise me or teach me, so I guess I never learned what manners are.""Besides, you're just a homewrecker. Where do you get the nerve to talk about humiliation? You lost your dignity a decade ago."Ten years ago, her mother had died of an illness. Less than six months later, her father married Miranda and brought her into the house, along with a nine-year-old Chloe. That was when she realized her father had been hiding a secret family all along.After Miranda and Chloe moved in, Stella's life turned into a twisted Cinderella story. Even though they had maids, Miranda insisted on "building her independence," forcing her to wash dishes and scrub floors in the dead of winter. If she didn't do it perfectly, she was locked in the storage room without food to "teach her a lesson."And once Chloe arrived, she took everything that belonged to Stella. Her bedroom was stolen, her pretty dresses were taken, her shoes were slashed, and even her favorite toys weren't spared. Her textbooks and homework frequently went "missing," constantly getting her in trouble with her teachers.Basically, if Stella cared about it, Chloe took it.As the saying goes, a new stepmother brings a new stepfather. When she complained to Frederick, he blamed her for being immature, saying she should know how to accommodate her younger sister. He even told her he didn't want such an ungrateful daughter.If her grandfather hadn't come and taken her away, she probably wouldn't have survived to adulthood under that toxic duo's roof.Sadly, after her grandfather took her away and got her settled, he left and never returned. Her old mentor told her that her grandfather was likely dead, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone ten years without visiting her once.Frederick bristled at Stella's words. "You... you ungrateful brat! You are not welcome here. Look at you, causing absolute chaos the second you arrive. Leave, now!"She had been gone for ten years; why come back now? Couldn't they just go their separate ways in peace?"I know you don't want me here, and believe me, I don't want to be here either," Stella said as she strolled into the house. "I came back to collect my mother's ashes and the belongings she left for me. Hand them over, and I'll walk right back out that door so I don't have to look at your miserable faces anymore."Her second mentor had relayed this message from her grandfather: once she turned twenty, she had to return to the Hawthorne Family and reclaim what belonged to her mother.Her grandfather had told her the Hawthornes were a pack of heartless vultures and that she shouldn't leave her mother's ashes with them. He wanted her to take them and find a beautiful, peaceful resting place.Before coming here, she had visited the cemetery where her mother had originally been buried, but all she found was a toppled headstone. The urn was gone. Frederick had undoubtedly tampered with it.And then there was the 'Angel's Heart' necklace her grandfather had left for her mother—she had to get that back, too.The three scrambled after Stella as she marched inside, making it look as though she were the true master of the house.Miranda's eyes darted thoughtfully before she quickened her pace. "Don't listen to your father's nonsense, Stella. Of course we welcome you back. You must be exhausted. Why doesn't Chloe take you upstairs to rest?""Mom, I don't want to!" Chloe whined, stomping her foot.Miranda shot her daughter a warning look, and Chloe instantly shut her mouth. Knowing her mother, she realized Miranda had some ulterior motive for wanting Stella to stay.Swallowing her disgust, Chloe hurried forward and forced a welcoming smile. "Stella, aren't you tired of holding that? Put it down and let me show you to a room.""Sure," Stella agreed easily. "Put this in the corner for me, then you can show me upstairs."Without waiting for an answer, she shoved the heavy power saw straight into Chloe's arms, completely indifferent to whether the girl could actually hold it.Chloe staggered under the weight, almost tripping over her own feet. It didn't look that big, so why was it so insanely heavy? And how on earth had Stella been lugging it around so effortlessly?Reading the room perfectly, the butler quietly stepped in, relieved Chloe of the heavy saw, and tucked it into a corner of the living room.Massaging her sore arms, Chloe muttered, "Let's go. I'll take you upstairs."She turned and led the way up the sweeping staircase.Once they reached the second floor, Chloe tried to steer Stella toward the tiny guest room she used to occupy, but Stella ignored her completely and headed straight for Chloe's current bedroom."Hey, that's my room! Yours is over here," Chloe called out. "Did you forget after being away for so long?"Stella's old room was currently being used as a storage closet, which Chloe felt was exactly what she deserved."I haven't forgotten. I wouldn't forget even if I stayed away another ten years," Stella replied. "That is my room. A parasite just moved in while I was gone, and now it's time to return it to its rightful owner."With that, Stella marched straight toward the massive, sunlit bedroom that Chloe had claimed as her own. It had originally been hers—why on earth should Chloe get to keep it?"No!" Chloe stomped furiously behind her. "That's where I live now! You can't stay there.""Really? Watch me."Stella pushed open the door and casually strolled inside. She scanned the layout, then yanked open the wardrobe. Pulling out a fresh set of sheets and a duvet, she stripped the current bedding, tossed it onto the floor, and began making the bed with the new linens.Her movements were sharp and efficient, rivaling the speed of a professional housekeeper."Those are my favorite sheets!" Chloe shrieked. "What gives you the right to change my bed?""The fact that I don't sleep in used sheets, especially when they stink," Stella replied flatly, scooping up the discarded bedding and tossing it unceremoniously out into the hallway.Chapter 3Dusk had fallen outside the main gates of the Hawthorne Villa. A fresh-faced girl with twin braids and a baseball cap stood before the heavy, ornate iron gates, a heavy-duty woven utility bag slung over her shoulder.Stella Hawthorne stared at the gates, knowing it would be child's play to simply scale them. But she didn't want this to be easy—not in the slightest.Dropping the bag, she put on noise-canceling earmuffs and a safety mask, then pulled a heavy-duty circular saw from the depths of her bag.Moments later, the ear-splitting shriek of metal being ripped apart echoed throughout the villa...The three members of the Hawthorne Family, who were having dinner in the dining room, immediately dropped their silverware."Who's thoughtless enough to do renovations at this hour?" Chloe Hawthorne complained. "Are they trying to ruin our dinner?""That can't be right," Miranda said. "This is an exclusive, fully finished neighborhood. That sound... it's coming from right outside our house."Frederick Hawthorne was about to speak when the butler came rushing in. "Sir, we have a problem!""What the hell is the matter with you?" Frederick snapped, irritated. "Spit it out!"The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead, apologizing profusely. "Forgive me, Sir, I misspoke in my panic. There is a masked woman outside taking a power saw to our front gates."Frederick slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "What! Who has the sheer audacity to saw through my gates in broad daylight?"Miranda quickly stood up, holding his arm to soothe him. "Don't get upset, let's just go see what's happening."The family of three marched toward the front gates, the butler trailing nervously behind them.By the time they arrived, Stella was still busy tearing through the heavy lock."Stop right there!" Frederick bellowed.Stella powered down the saw, pulled off her earmuffs, and shoved them casually into her pocket.She didn't stop because of Frederick's yelling; she stopped because she had just finished slicing cleanly through the smart lock.Raising her leg, she kicked the heavy gates wide open.The three Hawthornes narrowly avoided being smacked in the face by the swinging metal and scrambled back a few steps.Frederick's temper flared hotter. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to vandalize my property?"Stella pulled off her mask, revealing a striking, delicate face, and offered a sweet smile. "What, we just saw each other this morning. Have you forgotten me already?"Frederick pointed a trembling finger at her. "You..."He was so enraged he could barely formulate a thought, finally sputtering out, "You disgraceful brat!"The corners of Stella's lips curled up, and she let out a soft scoff.Didn't he just tell her this morning that she wasn't his daughter? Now she was his "disgraceful brat"?If he thought this was disgraceful...Oh, he hadn't seen anything yet!"Are you insane, Stella?" Chloe shrieked furiously. "You just sawed through our lock! Aren't you afraid we'll call security and have you arrested?"Stella chuckled mockingly. "Security? I walked in here holding a massive power saw in broad daylight. If they were going to arrest me, they would have done it at the entrance. Clearly, I'm doing just fine."Frederick frowned deeply. Security in this neighborhood was famously strict; he had no idea how she had managed to smuggle her "weapon" in."Do you not know how to ring a doorbell?" Miranda scolded. "Was destroying the lock really necessary?"Stepping fully onto the property, Stella flicked the power saw back on and revved it right in front of Miranda, draining all the color from the older woman's face."W-what are you doing?" she stammered, trembling.If she hadn't been gripping Frederick's arm, she likely would have collapsed onto the driveway.Frederick and Chloe jumped at the violent noise, and all three of them stumbled back another large step.Stella laughed brightly. "Don't be nervous, Miranda. I'm not doing anything, just checking if the battery is still holding a charge. If it's dead, I'll have to go inside and plug it in."Frederick forced himself to remain calm. "What exactly do you want, Stella?"He hadn't seen this daughter of his in ten years; how had she grown up into such a savage?"Nothing much. Just coming back to my own house. You wouldn't let me in this morning, so when the civilized route failed, I had to get creative. Even if you called security, they couldn't do anything to me. Is it a crime to enter my own home?"She had already stopped by this morning, but Frederick had declared he had no such daughter and refused her entry. Since the polite approach didn't work, she had to resort to brute force.Recovering from her fright, Miranda glared resentfully. "Do you have any manners at all? Your behavior is no different from a common burglar. If the neighbors find out, you'll humiliate us all."Stella's voice dropped a few degrees. "I had a mother to give birth to me, but she died early. I didn't have a father to raise me or teach me, so I guess I never learned what manners are.""Besides, you're just a homewrecker. Where do you get the nerve to talk about humiliation? You lost your dignity a decade ago."Ten years ago, her mother had died of an illness. Less than six months later, her father married Miranda and brought her into the house, along with a nine-year-old Chloe. That was when she realized her father had been hiding a secret family all along.After Miranda and Chloe moved in, Stella's life turned into a twisted Cinderella story. Even though they had maids, Miranda insisted on "building her independence," forcing her to wash dishes and scrub floors in the dead of winter. If she didn't do it perfectly, she was locked in the storage room without food to "teach her a lesson."And once Chloe arrived, she took everything that belonged to Stella. Her bedroom was stolen, her pretty dresses were taken, her shoes were slashed, and even her favorite toys weren't spared. Her textbooks and homework frequently went "missing," constantly getting her in trouble with her teachers.Basically, if Stella cared about it, Chloe took it.As the saying goes, a new stepmother brings a new stepfather. When she complained to Frederick, he blamed her for being immature, saying she should know how to accommodate her younger sister. He even told her he didn't want such an ungrateful daughter.If her grandfather hadn't come and taken her away, she probably wouldn't have survived to adulthood under that toxic duo's roof.Sadly, after her grandfather took her away and got her settled, he left and never returned. Her old mentor told her that her grandfather was likely dead, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone ten years without visiting her once.Frederick bristled at Stella's words. "You... you ungrateful brat! You are not welcome here. Look at you, causing absolute chaos the second you arrive. Leave, now!"She had been gone for ten years; why come back now? Couldn't they just go their separate ways in peace?"I know you don't want me here, and believe me, I don't want to be here either," Stella said as she strolled into the house. "I came back to collect my mother's ashes and the belongings she left for me. Hand them over, and I'll walk right back out that door so I don't have to look at your miserable faces anymore."Her second mentor had relayed this message from her grandfather: once she turned twenty, she had to return to the Hawthorne Family and reclaim what belonged to her mother.Her grandfather had told her the Hawthornes were a pack of heartless vultures and that she shouldn't leave her mother's ashes with them. He wanted her to take them and find a beautiful, peaceful resting place.Before coming here, she had visited the cemetery where her mother had originally been buried, but all she found was a toppled headstone. The urn was gone. Frederick had undoubtedly tampered with it.And then there was the 'Angel's Heart' necklace her grandfather had left for her mother—she had to get that back, too.The three scrambled after Stella as she marched inside, making it look as though she were the true master of the house.Miranda's eyes darted thoughtfully before she quickened her pace. "Don't listen to your father's nonsense, Stella. Of course we welcome you back. You must be exhausted. Why doesn't Chloe take you upstairs to rest?""Mom, I don't want to!" Chloe whined, stomping her foot.Miranda shot her daughter a warning look, and Chloe instantly shut her mouth. Knowing her mother, she realized Miranda had some ulterior motive for wanting Stella to stay.Swallowing her disgust, Chloe hurried forward and forced a welcoming smile. "Stella, aren't you tired of holding that? Put it down and let me show you to a room.""Sure," Stella agreed easily. "Put this in the corner for me, then you can show me upstairs."Without waiting for an answer, she shoved the heavy power saw straight into Chloe's arms, completely indifferent to whether the girl could actually hold it.Chloe staggered under the weight, almost tripping over her own feet. It didn't look that big, so why was it so insanely heavy? And how on earth had Stella been lugging it around so effortlessly?Reading the room perfectly, the butler quietly stepped in, relieved Chloe of the heavy saw, and tucked it into a corner of the living room.Massaging her sore arms, Chloe muttered, "Let's go. I'll take you upstairs."She turned and led the way up the sweeping staircase.Once they reached the second floor, Chloe tried to steer Stella toward the tiny guest room she used to occupy, but Stella ignored her completely and headed straight for Chloe's current bedroom."Hey, that's my room! Yours is over here," Chloe called out. "Did you forget after being away for so long?"Stella's old room was currently being used as a storage closet, which Chloe felt was exactly what she deserved."I haven't forgotten. I wouldn't forget even if I stayed away another ten years," Stella replied. "That is my room. A parasite just moved in while I was gone, and now it's time to return it to its rightful owner."With that, Stella marched straight toward the massive, sunlit bedroom that Chloe had claimed as her own. It had originally been hers—why on earth should Chloe get to keep it?"No!" Chloe stomped furiously behind her. "That's where I live now! You can't stay there.""Really? Watch me."Stella pushed open the door and casually strolled inside. She scanned the layout, then yanked open the wardrobe. Pulling out a fresh set of sheets and a duvet, she stripped the current bedding, tossed it onto the floor, and began making the bed with the new linens.Her movements were sharp and efficient, rivaling the speed of a professional housekeeper."Those are my favorite sheets!" Chloe shrieked. "What gives you the right to change my bed?""The fact that I don't sleep in used sheets, especially when they stink," Stella replied flatly, scooping up the discarded bedding and tossing it unceremoniously out into the hallway.