She Took 868
Tessa is quietly eating pineapple while Victor deals with a series of phone calls. She reflects on her exhaustion and strong appetite, likely caused by Victor wearing her out earlier. Suddenly, her phone buzzes with a call from Stella, who informs her that she has sent someone else to help Victor because the Morris family is in chaos. Tessa explains that the family is embroiled in intense conflicts, especially over DNA tests that are tearing Dale and his supposed first love apart, causing turmoil within Black Mountain.
Tessa reveals to Stella that her mother has told her she is not Dale’s daughter, and it’s likely that the twins and Manny are not his children either. This revelation shocks Stella, but Tessa finds satisfaction in the Morris family’s unraveling, believing it to be deserved karma for Dale’s past cruelty. Despite the family’s chaos, Stella insists on sending help to Victor due to his deep hatred for the Morris family, a hatred Tessa has only recently become aware of.
Curious about Victor’s resentment, Tessa asks Stella about it and learns that Victor lost his entire family in what Stella calls a “blood feud.” Stella urges Tessa to ask Victor directly since he is her future husband and they should know more about each other. As Victor returns from his call, Tessa feels the weight of the situation and awkwardly tries to address the topic, realizing the complexity of the relationships and conflicts surrounding them.
868 Blood Feud
“Got it,” Tessa murmured, though her words were slightly muffled as she took another generous bite of pineapple, savoring the sweet, juicy fruit.
Victor let out a weary sigh, the kind that spoke of both exhaustion and helplessness.
Once she finished, Victor’s phone buzzed again. After gently settling Tessa beside him on the couch, he stepped away to answer the call.
Tessa continued eating the rest of the pineapple by herself, thinking about how ravenous she must have been. Victor had definitely worn her out earlier—not entirely in the way one might expect, since they hadn’t gone all the way—but still, the fatigue clung to her. That exhaustion had to be why her appetite was so fierce.
Her own phone suddenly vibrated, pulling her attention from her thoughts.
It was Stella calling.
Tessa swiped to answer. “Stella.”
“I’ve sent someone else to help Victor. Don’t worry about it,” Stella said briskly.
Tessa blinked in surprise. “Wait, you sent someone else? What about Marie and Mr. Derrick?”
“They went back to Falvaria.”
“Oh.” Tessa hesitated. “You really didn’t have to send anyone.”
“Why not?” Stella sounded curious.
“Because the Morris family is in complete chaos right now. It’s so messy inside that they don’t even have the energy to deal with outsiders.”
“Completely a mess?” Stella’s voice carried skepticism.
Was it truly that bad? The Morris children weren’t exactly close, but those born to Artemis had always stuck together.
Noticing the doubt in Stella’s tone, Tessa cleared her throat softly. “Right now, the entire Morris family is tangled up in DNA tests. Dale and his so-called first love are tearing each other apart.”
Stella’s eyes widened. “That intense?”
“Intense doesn’t even cover it,” Tessa replied. “Black Mountain has been in total chaos all day.”
Stella grinned. “Good. Once he’s fighting with his first love, that relationship’s done.”
Tessa scoffed, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “Serves him right.”
“Exactly. He deserves every bit of it.”
***
1738
5:33 pm G P P
Chapter 868: Blood Feud
Finished
After everything Dale had done for that woman—the lies, the cruelty, the terrible things he’d inflicted on others—it was about time they started turning on each other.
Good. They should’ve fallen apart long ago.
Every ounce of his success had been built on destroying other women’s lives. This was karma finally catching up with him.
“My mom called earlier,” Tessa said, her voice low. “She told me I’m not his daughter. At this point, it’s basically confirmed the twins aren’t his either. Once those DNA results come back, I’m betting Manny isn’t his son, either.”
Stella gasped. “None of them?”
“Most likely, none of them,” Tessa said with a sly grin.
Stella let out a low whistle. “That’s wild.”
They’d heard of family scandals before, but nothing this explosive.
“I know, right?” Tessa said. “So whether you send people to help Victor or not doesn’t really matter anymore.”
The Morris family was in the middle of tearing itself apart from within. They didn’t need anyone else to make things worse.
And if the Morris family collapsed, the entire Ashen Pact would crumble along with it.
Stella’s voice hardened. “We’re still sending people. You don’t understand Victor’s hatred for the Morris family.”
Tessa fell silent.
At the mention of Victor’s hatred, she found herself glancing toward the window.
There he stood, back turned to her, his posture rigid and cold. His presence alone seemed to chill the air around him.
“What kind of hatred?” Tessa asked quietly.
She had only recently realized how deep Victor’s resentment toward the Morris family ran, but she’d never dared to ask what had caused it.
“You don’t know?” Stella sounded genuinely surprised.
“No. I never asked.”
“That’s your future husband we’re talking about—and possibly your biological father’s enemy. How can you be so calm about not knowing?”
Tessa froze in place.
The phrase “future husband” sent an unexpected flutter through her chest. Read full story at find⦿novel.net
***
5:33 pm G P P
Chapter 868: Blood Feud
Finished
“I just thought… it wasn’t my place to ask,” she said softly.
She had always believed Dale was her father.
Because of that belief, she had never dared to question it.
“Oh, right,” Stella said. “That would have been awkward. But now you can ask—if Dale isn’t your father after all.”
It was only a possibility, but since her mom had already called to say she wasn’t Dale’s child, it seemed more than likely.
“Maybe I’ll just ask you directly,” Tessa said.
Stella paused for a moment.
Tessa glanced at Victor again. He had just ended his call and was walking back toward her.
Just before Stella hung up, she added one last thing, her voice low but sharp. “It’s a blood feud. He lost his entire family.”
Tessa froze again.
“Alright, just ask Victor yourself,” Stella said finally. “He’s your future husband. You two should really know more about each other.”
Then the line went dead.
Tessa stared at her phone, listening to the silent beeps on the other end. She looked up just as Victor stopped in front of her.
God, he was tall.
When she stood, her head barely reached his chest. Sitting down, she only came up to his thigh.
She ended the call, but one glance at Victor’s face told her he had probably overheard the last part of the conversation.
Tessa smiled awkwardly. “So, um…”
“What blood feud?” Victor asked evenly. “What did Stella tell you?”
The chapter gently unfolds the tangled web of family secrets and simmering resentments that bind Tessa and Victor, highlighting the emotional weight they both carry. Tessa’s quiet reflection on the crumbling Morris family and the devastating DNA revelations underscores the fragility beneath the surface of their lives. Meanwhile, Victor’s cold, distant demeanor hints at a deep-seated pain and hatred that Tessa is only beginning to understand, setting the stage for a complex and charged connection between them. The tension between past betrayals and the uncertain future creates a poignant atmosphere of vulnerability and guarded hope.
As the chapter closes, the unspoken truths and simmering conflicts linger in the air, urging Tessa to confront the realities of her lineage and Victor’s haunted past. Their relationship, shadowed by family feuds and hidden wounds, feels both fragile and inevitable—an emotional battleground where trust and understanding must be carefully forged. This delicate balance of pain and tentative affection captures the essence of their journey, leaving readers eager to see how these intertwined lives will navigate the challenges ahead.
The next chapter promises to dive deeper into the tangled web of secrets and resentments that bind Victor and Tessa. As the truth about Tessa’s paternity looms closer to the surface, the emotional stakes rise, threatening to shake the fragile foundation of their relationship. Victor’s cold demeanor and the mysterious blood feud hint at a painful past that could either drive them apart or forge an unbreakable bond.
Tessa’s growing curiosity about Victor’s hatred toward the Morris family sets the stage for intense revelations and heartfelt confrontations. With the Morris family in turmoil and alliances shifting like sand, the tension will only escalate. Readers can anticipate a chapter filled with charged conversations, unspoken emotions, and the slow unraveling of truths that will challenge loyalties and test the characters’ resilience.