Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella) novel Chapter 847

“What… what do you mean?”

Melissa honestly felt lost.

Lottie’s eyes narrowed. “Ms. Norton, you know, I’ve seen a lot of women try to play games in front of me over the years.”

Especially back when Stella and Ronald hadn’t made anything official.

Melissa couldn’t even begin to count how many women in all of Ferrowland had tried to cozy up to her, and Lottie was frankly tired of it.

Some of them came in with the whole innocent act, saying they wanted to be like a daughter to her; others were far less subtle, claiming they’d devote their lives to her comfort.

She’d seen it all—even at the Quinn family’s garden parties, there was always some woman pulling out a new trick.

But Melissa? This was a first.

Melissa felt a surge of irritation, but she wasn’t about to snap at Lottie. The Norton family wasn’t nearly as powerful as it used to be, after all.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m sorry, but I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Lottie.”

Pretending?

I’ve been out of the country, she thought. I haven’t even been keeping up with Ferrowland’s gossip.

Sure, there was that incident at the last party, but that was ages ago—and everything had been sorted out. Even if she had been pretending back then, so what?

Seeing Melissa’s blank expression, Lottie’s gaze only grew sharper, more dangerous.

It was making Melissa squirm. “Wait, Lottie, what exactly do you think I did?”

“What did you do? The evidence is right in front of your face, isn’t it? You’re a clever woman, Melissa. There’s no running from the consequences of your actions.”

Melissa’s mind spun.

Evidence? What evidence?

She glanced down at her feet—and saw a pregnancy test. Oh, God.

Wait, what? I’m not pregnant.

She racked her brain but couldn’t come up with a single explanation.

“This really isn’t mine!” she practically wailed.

Lottie’s glare was intense—her words about Melissa “playing dumb” still echoing in the room.

“I swear, I’m not pretending!” Melissa insisted, almost on the verge of tears.

Wait…

It hit her. Stella and Ronald were engaged now, with a baby on the way. The whole Quinn family had given their blessing.

So why had this pregnancy test suddenly turned up here?

In an instant, the pieces clicked. Melissa finally understood what was at stake.

And suddenly, she was more panicked than ever.

“Lottie, I swear, this isn’t mine. I would never do something so disgusting.”