Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella) novel Chapter 1011

All because of Berry’s latest antics.

Xander had no choice but to rush back to Ferrowland with Yvonne—and on top of everything else, she was pregnant.

And Yvonne...

The moment she accepted that Xander was the father, her brain practically short-circuited. It wasn’t until the plane took off, and after she’d gulped down two glasses of water, that reality finally started to set in.

Xander draped a blanket gently across her lap.

But as he stood up to leave, Yvonne grabbed his wrist with surprising force.

Xander stopped, caught in her grip.

He locked eyes with her, his breath tightening in his chest.

So this was it—the long-dreaded confrontation he’d been expecting, finally coming to pass.

The image of Dan lying in a hospital bed—twice, thanks to Yvonne’s fury—flashed through Xander’s mind. Instinctively, he turned his hand over and clasped Yvonne’s.

“You’re not allowed to lose your temper right now,” he said, voice low.

Yvonne’s breaths were getting quicker, harsher.

“If you want to hit me, can you at least wait until the baby’s born?” Xander tried, sounding almost hopeful.

“You ran out on me!” Yvonne shot back, her voice tight with accusation.

At that, Xander’s face fell.

Did she really think he’d wanted to run? He hadn’t—even for a second. It had been Shawn, Lott, and Ashley who dragged him away. He’d never wanted to bolt; he barely understood what was happening before they hustled him out of there.

Yvonne’s grip tightened on his wrist, making Xander wince. “Are you completely brainless or what?!”

Xander recoiled a little.

She pressed on, furious. “So you’re telling me… you sleep with me and then you’re the one who runs off?”

Her voice was shaking now. Every word she spoke, the anger mounted. The humiliation she’d felt waking up alone that morning... There was a reason she’d beaten Dan so mercilessly after; she’d been just as devastated—just as confused and miserable—herself.

“You absolute jerk!”

Now, the truth hit her full force. Yvonne exploded, leaping from the plush airline seat as if scalded. She was ready to unleash weeks of pent-up rage right onto Xander.

The nerve! It was him—the coward who ran away. Him!

But Xander had no intention of releasing her; if he did, she’d be on him in a heartbeat.

“Promise you won’t hit me, and I’ll let go.”

“Oh, so you think you’re getting off that easy?” she shot back.

“Do you even realize how screwed up this is? Why the hell did you run?!”

Yvonne was practically trembling with fury.

If he hadn’t run, she might never have thought Dan was responsible for that night. Her anger burned hotter; they’d just gotten married and the first thing that happened was—this.

“I didn’t run,” Xander insisted.

“Then what did you do?”

“It was Shawn!” he blurted.

Right then, Shawn himself stepped onto the plane. He caught the tail-end of Xander’s outburst and immediately stiffened. The next second, recoiling as if he’d been scorched, he started to retreat, eyeing the cockpit like it was a lifeboat.

But Yvonne had seen him. She pointed an accusing finger, eyes blazing. “Don’t even think about it! Get over here!”