Chapter 161: A Pawn, or Expendable?

The manager and the other staff stood outside watching the spectacle unfold.

No one could have imagined that such a sweet, pretty girl was actually a murderer.

They'd all assumed Stella was Jerry's girlfriend. Only now did they realize Jerry had just been a pawn she'd used.

The male escorts who once boasted they'd be the next Jerry all fell quiet, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and Stella.

There were too many details for them to ask about here, so Tessa and Ryan took her home.

Before leaving, Ryan issued a calm but cold warning to the manager.

"What happened today—I don't want to hear about it from anyone else. Stella's identity is no small matter. Before you decide to cross her, you'd better think long and hard about whether you can afford to cross the Smith family."

Stella had broken the law and should face the consequences, but the Smith family was equally powerful in Majestic City. If word got out, The Gilded Lounge wouldn't escape unscathed either.

Only those who spread idle gossip would face consequences.

The manager nodded frantically in agreement.

They'd barely gotten Stella home when Evan showed up at the door.

He looked deadly serious—nothing like his usual carefree self.

"Can I come in and talk?" Evan asked Flora.

Tessa lifted her head slightly. After getting a clear look at Evan's face, she called out loudly, "Flora, let him in."

Once inside, Evan's eyes swept the room, searching for Stella. When he didn't find her, he turned to Ryan.

"Mr. Williams, Ms. Garcia, I'm here to take my sister home. Thank you for disciplining her. I'll handle things from here."

Tessa's lips curved into a faint smile. "You know exactly what your sister did. I'm afraid she won't be going home with you today."

"Stella's still young. She wasn't thinking clearly when she did those things. After everything came to light, I already gave her a serious talking-to."

"The guy who died was just some lowlife. His death won't make any difference to the world. Why are you holding this against her?"

Evan's complete disregard for human life was staggering.

He didn't care about Jerry's death either—he even seemed to think the guy had it coming.

"If he hadn't tried to social-climb his way to Stella, why would she have paid him any attention? Even if my sister broke the law, she was seduced into it."

What a passionate defense. If Tessa didn't know the truth, she might have actually fallen for it.

"The police told us Jerry fell from a cliff—over three hundred feet high. When he landed, every bone in his body was shattered. His skull cracked open, brain matter splattered inside his helmet... Do you even dare look at how gruesome the scene was?"

"Stella's an adult. She's in her twenties. She should know exactly what she's doing. After causing someone's death in such a horrific way, you're telling me she was 'seduced' into it?"

Even if Jerry was scum, the law should have dealt with him.

What gave Stella the right? She used him and then killed him?

"If you need someone to pay for this, I can go to prison in my sister's place. Tell the police everything was my doing—that Stella had nothing to do with it. Would that work?"

Would that work?

Evan said it as if doing penance was some huge sacrifice he was being forced into.

Ryan spoke coolly. "Where were you when your sister tried to frame Victor and send him to prison? Did you know he's an only child? Where were you when she killed Jerry? Why didn't you talk her out of it then—before she ended up facing these charges?"

The Smith family's parenting was a disaster. Evan was nothing but a spoiled playboy who spent his days hanging around bars and clubs.

Stella was the same. She didn't value human life, and she'd never once thought about atoning for her actions.

"Once we get the information we need, we'll turn Stella over to the police. She can confess to them herself."

After Ryan finished speaking, he called for Flora to show the grim-faced Evan out.

Stella was locked in a room on the first floor. She must have heard every word of their conversation.

Would she feel any remorse? Any shred of guilt for what she'd done?

Tessa didn't check Stella's reaction. Her phone buzzed in her hand—it was Chloe calling.

"You already gave the evidence to the police?" Tessa asked.

Chloe confirmed it. "But that's not why I'm calling. Something bigger just happened."

Something bigger?

Tessa stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the clouds outside burn brilliant colors in the fading light.

After everything that had happened recently, Tessa felt like nothing could surprise her anymore.

One thing after another kept happening, barely giving them time to catch their breath—as if some invisible hand was pushing events forward at breakneck speed.

"The police just called Aunt Eleanor. Oliver turned himself in. He even confessed to using illegal drugs."

"That bottle we submitted became evidence. If they find Oliver's fingerprints on it, the charges will stick."

Chloe sounded exhausted too, overwhelmed by the relentless barrage of revelations.

"Once his toxicology results come back, someone needs to go to the Arkbridge Group tomorrow to stabilize the situation. Ms. Garcia, should you go or should I?"

This had gone beyond sibling rivalry. One wrong move and the Arkbridge Group could be dragged down with them.

No one knew what tomorrow would bring. Chloe had a feeling something major was about to happen.

"I'll go. You stay home and take care of Ms. Mitchell. If the police need anything, you'll have to make the trip."

After hanging up, Tessa relayed everything to Ryan word for word.

"Is Oliver a pawn, or expendable?" Tessa murmured.

Maybe Cecilia had realized Majestic City was no longer safe.

Whether the mastermind chose to advance or retreat—if she was going to leave, they needed to set up a trap to catch Cecilia ahead of time.

"The police in Harmony City are already watching, but the biggest challenge is pinpointing Cecilia's exact location," Ryan said.

As the Grey family's pawn sent to Astoria, Tessa figured Cecilia had backup plans.

People in illegal businesses were always cautious.

"I might have a way to draw Cecilia out," Ryan said.

After holding his gaze for just a few seconds, Tessa realized what method Ryan was suggesting.

"No. It's too dangerous."