Chapter 293

Stella frowned, fixing him with a steady gaze. “You’re not planning to back out now, are you, Mr. O’Brien?”

Haynes replied coldly. “After everything you’ve just said, do you really think Ed would try to back out?”

Any man with even a shred of pride wouldn’t go back on his word at this point. Still, who could guess what schemes Haynes might be brewing? When it came to cunning and strategy, Stella knew she wasn’t his equal. A faint smirk played at the corners of Haynes’ mouth, though his eyes remained icy. “I haven’t even verified your medicine yet. What if you’re handing me poison? I’d be losing everything and getting nothing in return.”

He used to think Stella was far too timid to ever try to deceive him. These days, though, he wasn’t so sure. Her reckless spending and the chaos she’d stirred up for him lately made one thing clear: Stella was no shrinking violet. In fact, she was bold—sometimes alarmingly so. Didn’t she realize his rivals could easily kick her out, leaving her utterly humiliated?

“Losing everything and getting nothing in return,” Stella repeated his words quietly.

To him, their marriage was nothing more than a transaction—a business deal, something to be weighed and bargained over whenever it suited him. Perhaps there was some feeling left for her; otherwise, she wouldn’t have lasted this long in such a loveless marriage. But whatever affection he had for her would never compare to what he felt for Rachel.

A faint, mocking smile flickered across Stella’s lips. “If you’re worried about poison or fake medicine, that’s easy enough to settle,” she said.

Getting to her feet, Stella strode over to the door, where Rachel was peering anxiously inside. Rachel had been waiting in the hallway, eyes glued to the scene, nerves on edge when she realized Stella hadn’t left yet. Had Stella changed her mind?

Lately, Stella had put Jasper through hell. If Rachel hadn’t kept Jasper from acting rashly—afraid Stella might suddenly back out—he’d have tried to get revenge a long time ago.

Catching the fleeting panic on Rachel’s face, Stella smiled. “Mr. O’Brien is worried the medicine I brought you isn’t real. He’s afraid he’ll pay up and sign the divorce papers, only to end up with nothing in the end.”

She pulled a few pill bottles from her bag and held them out. “Ms. Pearce, feel free to take a few tablets from each bottle and have them tested. If everything checks out, we can proceed right away.”

“And if there’s a problem…” Stella’s tone was pointed, “well, then we’ll have to revisit the whole arrangement.”

Rachel’s eyes darted nervously. “Alright,”

She selected a few pills at random from each bottle and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Stella called after her.

Rachel froze mid-step, turning back stiffly. “Is… is there something else?”

Right now, Rachel didn’t dare raise her voice to Stella. One wrong word, and Stella might just refuse the divorce altogether.

Stella saw right through her anxiety and offered a gentle smile. “Haynes and I will wait here for your results, Ms. Pearce. I do hope you can get those tests done quickly—otherwise, this mandatory waiting period will be for nothing, and we’ll have to start the whole month over again.”

Rachel glanced uneasily at Haynes before murmuring, “I’ll go check them now.”

With that, Rachel hurried away!

Stella settled calmly back into her chair, closing her eyes as if to rest, her demeanor utterly unruffled—radiating quiet confidence. No different from last time—her own special blend. But the so-called “life-saving medicine” she’d given Rachel left her least bit worried about what those tests might show. Even if she’d slipped actual poison into the pills, Rachel would lie and claim the medicine was genuine.

Stella wasn’t the…