A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 423

The living room was thick with a chilling silence.

Darleen hurried to Fairfax's side, where he held the unconscious Xenia, and screamed at Starla.

“You should go after the person who hurt you! Why are you tormenting us? You vicious woman, do you want us all to die?”

Starla set down her cup. “You know,” she mused softly, “death is certainly one way to end things.”

Her words hung in the air, cold and heavy, draining the color from Fairfax and Darleen’s faces. They stared at her, horrified.

Starla looked up, a slow, unnerving smile spreading across her lips. “Would you like to die?”

She was smiling, but there was a terrifying, unhinged quality to it. She looked as though she might, at any moment, snatch a knife from the fruit bowl and plunge it into them.

The flicker of defiance Darleen had felt upon Fairfax’s return was instantly extinguished. She had forgotten—Starla’s people had struck her in front of Fairfax before, and he had been powerless to stop them. There was no overpowering her now.

The realization settled deep in Darleen’s soul.

Fairfax’s jaw was tight, his eyes burning with a cold light as he stared at Starla.

Just then, Xenia stirred in his arms, coughing weakly. Her eyes fluttered open, and when she saw Fairfax holding her, the dam of her composure broke. A wave of self-pity washed over her, and her nose stung with unshed tears.

What she didn't grasp was that Starla was far beyond being appeased.

Fairfax ignored her plea, his eyes still fixed on Starla. “Get a car,” he commanded, his voice tight with suppressed fury.

Starla leisurely examined her perfectly manicured nails. “I already told you. She’s not dying. Why waste money on a hospital?”

“Starla, don’t push me too far!” Fairfax bellowed. He was a man accustomed to privilege and respect, and this utter humiliation was more than he could bear.

His day had already been a disaster. He’d been on his way to see Herbert when Gabriel called with news of escalating problems abroad, forcing an immediate trip to Yoran Country. He had only come home to grab an important file, but his car had been blocked at the entrance to the estate. When he tried to force his way in, Starla’s men had calmly removed his tires. The sheer audacity of it left him reeling.