Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 288 The One She Protects "Did you make this?" Stella raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a half-smile. Sebastian's eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze. Just as Stella reached out to take it, Sebastian "accidentally" let his hand slip, and the sandwich, so bad it could make someone puke, dropped straight into the trash can. "My hand slipped," Sebastian said, his face dead serious. There wasn't a hint of guilt in his voice. 'Fine, whatever, Stella thought. "I'm off," Stella said, leaning in and planting a soft kiss at the corner of Sebastian's lips.

She straightened up, gave a relaxed wave, and strolled toward the door. Moments later, the thunderous revving of a motorcycle engine echoed from downstairs. ** At Edenbury Academy, Stella swung onto her Lightning LS-218, revved it hard, and parked right in front of the main building. She ripped off her helmet, face totally unreadable, and shot a cold glance up at the school. Her phone started ringing. She picked up with one hand.

"Hey, babe, we're already on the plane," Cassie purred, curled up in her first-class seat like a lazy cat, her red lips and pale skin making her look soft and fragile. Cassie snorted, "Those idiots lost their minds when they got the call." Stella just hummed, "See you tonight." With that, he hung up. Stella locked up her bike with a flick, shoved one hand in her pocket, and strolled upstairs like she owned the place. The moment Stella walked in, the whole hallway went dead silent.

Anyone who'd witnessed her legendary move, pinning Wendy's face into her lunch tray in the cafeteria, could never forget it. Even though Stella hadn't been around for days, nobody forgot what happened. Stella didn't bother with the stares. She strolled upstairs, totally unfazed, and when her tie started to annoy her, she just yanked it off with one hand and wrapped it around her bandaged palm. People all around couldn't help but suck in their breath. 'She's so badass!' someone thought. Soon, Stella showed up at the door of Class 3.

She pushed it open, and the once lively classroom instantly went dead silent. She walked straight to her seat and tossed her shoulder bag onto the desk. She slouched into her chair, hands shoved in her school jacket pockets, leaning back like she owned the place. Nobody dared talk to her, and Stella couldn't care less about anyone else. Chantel strolled into the classroom, laughing and joking with her group, her eye-catching purple hair impossible to miss. But the second she saw Stella, her smile froze and disappeared. Stella was lazily scrolling through her phone.

Just then, a message from John popped up. He was at the hospital, had already sorted out all the payments, and sent her the receipts. He even sent a photo of himself, stone-faced at the hospital entrance, making a heart sign with one hand. Stella was stunned for a moment. John instantly deleted the photo. John: [Ms. Carter, sorry, sent that by mistoball 1/3 Successfully unlocked! Chapter 288 The One She Protects Stella couldn't help but roll her eyes. Before anyone could figure out what was going on, the hallway exploded with frantic footsteps and a loud crash as the door slammed open.

Someone shouted, "Bad news!" A guy burst into the classroom, out of breath. Stella shot him a cold look. Chantel frowned. "Why are you yelling? What happened?" With Declan not around, Chantel was basically the queen bee of Class 3, so of course, she was the one to ask. The guy stammered, "C-Chadwick just got dragged off by Leonardo from the Technical High School next door!" Chantel's face went pale. "What did you just say?" 'Leonardo from the Technical High next door?' she thought. That guy was nuts when it came to fighting, and he and Declan were always beefing.

They'd jump the fence just to pick fights, but this was the first time anyone had ever straight-up snatched Chadwick out of the school. Stella arched an eyebrow, resting her chin on one hand while coolly twirling a black pen in the other. For a split second, a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes. "Chantel, what do we do now?" the guy blurted out, sounding totally freaked. The whole class was on edge. Chadwick was so scrawny that even a slap from Leonardo could send him flying, let alone a punch. Chantel's eyes darted nervously.

She knew better than anyone that Leonardo was the son of a mob boss from Haliville, and their crews usually minded their own business. "Chantel, you've got to lead us! Let's go get Chadwick back!" someone yelled, slamming the desk and jumping up, all fired up and loyal. Chantel snapped, "Why are you freaking out? Call Declan first! Aren't those two always glued together?" Someone hurried to call Declan. But the line just kept coming up busy. "Is Declan off working again?" "Heard someone spotted him at a night market stall a couple of days ago." "What now?

Are those guys from Technical High School going to beat Chadwick to death?" Chantel just stared at them, lost for words. With everyone staring at her, her face darkened. Chantel really didn't want to be the one to stick her neck out and make enemies, especially when the other side was also from the streets. This mess was way too deep. "Chantel?" another guy said. Everyone heard the sharp thud of a desk getting kicked. Stella got up, looking totally unbothered and cold, a hint of red at the corners of her eyes. Everyone stood there, dumbstruck.

They watched as Stella spun her black pen with a flourish, then slowly and deliberately pinned up her long hair. Her sharp, elegant jawline was revealed. Once her hair was up, she looked dangerously cool, her aura filling the room. Hands shoved in her pockets, Stella walked over to the guy who'd rushed in with the news, moving with deliberate calm. No one dared speak; every eye was locked on her face. "Next door?" Stella stopped right in front of him. The guy was stunned. Her presence was so overwhelming that he couldn't get a word out.

2/3 Chapter 288 The One She Protects Stella shot him an impatient look, grabbed a mop from the corner, and kicked it. With a sharp snap, the mop head broke clean off the wooden handle, the jagged edge obvious. 'Seriously, how did she break that with just a kick?' someone thought. Stella's voice was lazy, tinged with impatience. "I'm asking you a question." The guy stared, dazed, at the broken stick in her hand, then looked up at Stella's stone-cold face. He swallowed hard, lips trembling.

"N-Next door, Technical High School's leader, Leonardo, and we need to climb the fence-" Stella frowned and wondered, 'What kind of nonsense is he even saying? Forget it. I'll go find him myself. Let's see who's got the guts to mess with someone under my protection.' Expressionless, Stella grabbed the broken stick and strode out of the classroom, the wood scraping loudly against the floor. The Class 3 students, who'd been frozen in shock, all craned their necks to watch her leave.

"Holy shit, she just walked out like that?" "Is she really going to the Technical High next door?" "Is she crazy or what?" Chantel's face darkened. She felt like Stella had totally stolen her thunder, especially when she caught some of the students giving her those looks that said it all. The feeling of her status being challenged just made her even more annoyed. Chantel sneered, "Anyone can run their mouth, but let's see if she can actually bring him back; that's what really counts." She clearly didn't believe Stella could make it happen.

The others just exchanged glances, nobody saying a word. Downstairs- 3/3 Subscribed 5 Likes Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.