Chapter 6: Tyler Is Kidnapped

Stella froze in place.

Graham Whitaker rushed to Susie Landry's side without hesitation. He gently took her hand, his eyes filled with unmistakable tenderness as he observed the reddened skin on her hand.

"How did you get hurt again?" he asked softly.

Stella stood still, her heart aching despite her decision to let go. She watched Graham, consumed with concern for Susie, without sparing her so much as a glance. It was like she was invisible, an unimportant shadow lingering in the room.

Susie leaned weakly against Graham, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Her voice trembled as she murmured, "I was just being careless…"

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Stella’s mouth. The same old act. Susie’s vulnerability was always enough to earn Graham’s complete trust, every single time. In his eyes, Susie was fragile and deserving of care, while Stella was meant to be ignored.

If Graham had bothered to look down, he would have seen the angry red mark on Stella’s ankle from the same spilled soup. But he didn’t.

A wave of bitterness rose in Stella’s throat. She thought back to the year they married, when she had burned her hand baking him a birthday cake. At the time, Graham hadn’t shown a shred of concern. Instead, he had reproached her, saying, "Don’t waste your time on meaningless things like this again."

Now, a few drops of hot soup had splashed on Susie, and he acted like the world was ending.

Susie nestled closer into Graham’s arms, her voice soft and pitiful. "Don’t blame Ms. Summers. I just wanted to apologize to her. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t accept it."

"Apologize to her?" Graham’s gaze turned sharp, cutting into Stella like a blade. "She’s the one at fault here!"

Stella lowered her eyes to the shattered porcelain on the floor. It reminded her of their broken marriage.

"If I’m not welcome here," Stella said, her voice icy, "then it’s just as well. I don’t want to watch the two of you play house any longer." She raised her head, locking eyes with Graham. Her expression was cold and detached. "Give me the necklace, and I’ll leave right now."

"The necklace?" Graham’s laugh was humorless, almost a growl. His face hardened with anger. "Susie got hurt because of you, and all you can think about is that necklace? Stella, do you even have a heart?"

Stella let out a bitter laugh. She pressed her hand to her chest as though to steady herself. "You’re asking me if I have a heart, Graham Whitaker? The one without a heart here is you."

The pain she had buried deep inside swelled to the surface, suffocating her. Her nose tingled, and she swallowed hard to force back tears.

"For years, I’ve tried to understand your heart," she said quietly. "But I never could."

Graham stared at her, his face flushed with anger. Stella’s laugh turned mocking.

"Why haven’t you called an ambulance yet?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If you wait too long, the redness on your beloved Susie’s hand might fade."

Graham’s scowl deepened as he scooped Susie into his arms and headed toward the living room. "Get an ice pack!" he barked at the staff. "And call the family doctor. Have him come immediately!"

The house staff scrambled to follow his orders, leaving Stella standing alone, unnoticed.

She let out a heavy sigh. It seemed she wouldn’t be getting the necklace back today. With that, she turned and left without looking back.

Cold wind whipped across Stella’s face as she walked along the street. Rain began to fall without warning, heavy droplets soaking her hair and clothes almost instantly.

People around her hurried to find shelter, but Stella kept walking, unsteady on her feet. The rain grew heavier, stinging her skin like tiny needles. It felt as though the downpour was trying to break her apart, but she was already numb to the pain. The despair in her heart drowned out everything else.

A crack of thunder echoed through the sky, making Stella freeze in her tracks. Her fingers trembled as she crouched down, hugging her knees.

She hated thunderstorms.

Rain and tears mingled on her face as she whispered to herself, "Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong?"

She had given everything to this family, only to end up with nothing. She was a laughingstock, a fool.

…

Meanwhile, back at the villa, Graham only noticed Stella’s absence after Susie’s injury had been treated.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

The shattered porcelain on the floor had long been cleaned up, but the image of Stella standing there, her eyes filled with sorrow, lingered in Graham’s mind. A strange feeling gnawed at him, like something important was slipping away.

Thunder rumbled outside, drawing his attention. The sound made his brows furrow.

"She went out in weather like this?" he muttered. "She’s terrified of thunderstorms."

He pulled out his phone and opened their message thread. The last text Stella had sent him was from a month ago, asking about flowers for their wedding anniversary. His fingers hovered over the screen.

…

Stella unlocked the door to her apartment. The space was cold and empty, devoid of life.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her attention. It was a message from Graham.

"Where are you?" it read.

Stella let out a bitter laugh and ignored it. After a quick shower, she collapsed into bed, exhausted. When she woke the next morning, she saw several more messages from Graham.

"Where are you?"

"Answer me."

"Stella, stop being stubborn. It’s raining outside. Come home."

Stella stared at the messages, her heart filled with scorn.

"He’s with Susie Landry," she muttered. "What does he want me to go back for? To help look after his precious mistress?"

Just as she was about to put her phone down, a new message from an unknown number appeared.

Curious, she opened it. The message contained only a single photo.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the image. Tyler, her son, was blindfolded, his hands tied behind his back. He was sitting in a dimly lit room.

Stella’s heart clenched painfully, her blood running cold.

Her son—her only child—had been kidnapped!