Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella) novel Chapter 878

Hull pulled her into his arms, pressing her head to his chest. “Susie.”

Susanna’s voice was muffled. “I just want my mom to be okay. So, from now on, don’t talk to me about that man.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have discussed it with you at all,” Hull replied, his tone deep and steady.

Susanna fell silent.

Hull continued quietly, “He doesn’t even know you. He knows you exist, but he’s never tried to see you.”

Derek knew he had a daughter named Susanna out there somewhere, but he’d never made an effort to meet her. Even when Lacey—her mom—had her world fall apart and everyone abandoned her, that man, her so-called father, never showed up. He left Susanna to pick up the pieces alone, didn’t care if she was in danger, just let her fend for herself.

Just like everyone said about him… Derek only cared about the kids Adelle gave him. Any other kids, from any other woman, didn’t even register to him. He was so cold he acted like they didn’t exist at all.

Susanna’s voice was small. “He doesn’t know me?”

“No. Just now, he showed me your photo and started interrogating me…”

“Interrogating you about what?”

Hull looked down at Susanna. The first time he’d met her in Portis City, she’d shone as bright as a star. She’d grown up with just her mom, but Lacey had raised her to be cheerful and confident, just like a little princess.

But then the Murray family came and took her mom, smashing Susanna’s world to pieces…

Hull’s voice was bitter. “He asked me which of my women you were. He said this whole thing with Black Gate—you were just a pawn, a distraction.”

Susanna blinked. “What?”

“He even said, if you’re just my decoy, there’s no need for him to bother finding you—he’d just hand you over.”

He told her all this now so she’d know the truth—so Derek couldn’t twist things later and claim Susanna was just Hull’s pawn, just a tool in his game against Black Gate. If anyone told Susanna that to her face, she’d never forgive it.

Susanna’s nose was red with anger as she glared at Hull. “So am I just your pawn against Black Gate?”

Hull hesitated.

This girl… Sometimes she could be too clever for her own good.

He sighed. “Susie…”

She cut him off. “If that’s how it is, then let Derek watch closely—let him see exactly how you use me, your so-called ‘decoy,’ to destroy everything he cares about!”

Hull just looked at her, speechless.