Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee Click, Cassie snapped open the lighter with her thumb, and the flame jumped to life. Her face was the picture of innocence. "Tanner..." Xyla nervously gripped Tanner's hand, her eyes brimming with tears. But before she could finish her sentence, the next second, she was so terrified it was like her soul nearly left her body. Cassie, sitting in the chair, barely moved her hand, and in an instant, Eulalia was grabbed by the black-clad men. "Let go of me! Let go!" Eulalia screamed, panic twisting her voice as she thrashed around.

Eulalia struggled frantically, but gasoline was dumped right over her head, soaking the shirt she'd thrown on over her swimsuit. The stench invaded her nose and lungs, and she shrieked uncontrollably, not caring how she looked anymore. Cassie wore a bright, almost wicked smile as she brought the lighter closer to Eulalia. "Wait! I did it! I really did!" Xyla screamed. Cassie's eyes flashed with cold fury. "Did you give my mother the same drug when she was seriously ill?" Her voice was calm, almost chillingly pleasant.

"Your bitch of a mother was always doomed to die young!" Eulalia shrieked, her voice razor-sharp with panic. Right now, she was kicking herself for not warning her mom about Cassie's return. She never thought Cassie would go totally off the rails like this. Cassie slapped Eulalia hard across the face. Her smile disappeared in a heartbeat. Eulalia's cheek burned as she crashed to the floor, eyes wide with terror. Something warm dripped down her face. She touched it, and her fingers came away bloody. The ring on Cassie's slender finger flashed with a cold, deadly light.

Eulalia clutched her face, blood pouring out between her fingers. "My face! My face! No!" 'Is my face ruined?' Eulalia panicked, her mind spinning out of control. 'Is my face really ruined?' she screamed inside, terror crashing over her. Xyla's.scream tore through the air, "Eulalia!" Her cry was gut-wrenching. Everyone fell into silence. The whole place was dead quiet. Tallulah, who'd seen everything, ducked behind Matthias in fear, the smell of blood making her want to puke. Matthias, meanwhile, was clearly uninterested in the family drama unfolding before him.

He looked around, didn't find what he wanted, so he just took out his phone. He called the Lab 709 boss. Suddenly, a cheerful ringtone went off nearby. It was jarringly out of place. Everyone turned to see where the sound was coming from. There was the young girl, who'd been facing away from them the whole time, now idly toying with her phone, not even bothering to answer. She looked just like a predator playing with her prey. Matthias swallowed hard, his eyes locked on her. A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

1/7 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee To confirm it, he hung up, his fingers stiff. Almost at the same moment, the young girl's phone stopped ringing Matthias was stunned. His mind went completely blank. Stella slowly stood up and turned around. What? Tallulah thought, her heart pounding. 1 can't breathe! Tallulah panicked. Not her again! Tallulah screamed inside, her mind reeling. The thought slammed into Tallulah's mind, and she totally snapped. Tallulah said, 'You?! Seriously?!" She clenched her teeth, glaring at Stella. Stella raised an eyebrow, her voice flat.

"Looks like we meet again." Matthias's head was spinning with questions. He dialed the number again. On the other end, the ringtone started up again. Stella gave the caller ID a frosty look, then slowly flashed her phone at Matthias. She smirked, somewhere between a smile and a sneer. Matthias gaped. "Wait, you're the one running Lab 709?!" Everyone was stunned. They thought, 'Wait, is this the Lab 709 we're all thinking about?!' The pool bubbled and gurgled. Even the cute little pink flower straw floating in the pool was quivering in disbelief. "Looks like Mrs.

Reed didn't get a chance to fill you in on what went down yesterday," Stella said with a playful laugh, her tone casual. Stella chuckled, sounding totally laid-back. Honestly, the only reason Matthias ended up at the Porter place was that he called at just the right time. Stella was way too lazy to make another trip herself. Matthias said, "What did you just say?" He snapped his head toward Tallulah, catching her pale face and shifty eyes. She looked like she was hiding something. "What happened?" "Why don't you two go have a little chat over there?

I'll deal with the Porter family first, then we'll talk about your problem," Stella said, her tone cool and indifferent. Stella's voice was cool and indifferent. But Matthias and Tallulah's hearts were racing out of control. Without caring about the shocked looks from everyone else, Matthias grabbed Tallulah and pulled her into a corner. A moment later, everyone heard a crisp slap ring out. Matthias had struck Tallulah across the face. But nobody cared about anything else anymore.

The reason was obvious: a squad of cold-blooded enforcers was marching right toward them, their presence so overwhelming that even these spoiled brats, used to running the show, were quaking in their boots. Someone blurted out, "Oh my god!" Somebody squeaked, "It's the Lion Squad!" 217 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee Leading the pack was a man with a broad back and a narrow waist, his whole body spattered with blood. A custom silver mask with a lion motif etched into it covered his face. With long, predatory strides, he stalked straight toward Stella.

This was none other than the sole leader of the Lion Squad, the infamous Lion himself. Eulalia clutched her bleeding face, and when she spotted the Lion Squad, she yelled at the top of her lungs," Take them down! Get them all, now!" 'How dare they cause trouble in Jaffina? They must be tired of living!' Eulalia thought, panic surging through her. Xyla went ghostly pale and clamped a hand over Eulalia's mouth. 'Whenever Lion shows up, Jaffina runs red with blood. The Porter family is nothing compared to him.

There's no way we could ever order him around!' Xyla thought, dread flooding her heart. But Stella was totally unfazed. She leaned back, resting her head on one hand and crossing her legs, looking like she couldn't care less about Lion's intimidating presence. Everyone held their breath. Finally, he came to a halt right in front of Stella, his towering figure casting a shadow that completely engulfed her. He just stared at her silently. In the shadow, the black-clad men were all on standby.

The Shadow Alliance and the Lion Squad had always had this unspoken deal: never mess with each other's business, and if one side needed backup, the other would help out. It was just how things worked between the two bosses. But that didn't mean the Lion Squad could mess with their Young Sovereign, not a chance. "Shadow Alliance?" Lion's voice came out raspy and distorted, like he was speaking through a voice changer. Stella looked up with lazy indifference. "Lion Squad?" An electric tension crackled between them.

On their own, each was all sharp edges and deadly intent, every move meant to draw blood. But now, Stella drawled, "My shoelace came loose," and gave her white sneaker a lazy shake. The laces, already hanging by a thread, flopped loose and dangled off her shoe. "Tie it, for me," she said, like she was ordering takeout, totally casual, but you could tell she expected to be obeyed. She lifted her chin, a little arrogant, making it clear she wasn't asking, she was telling. Stella was stunned. The Lion Squad guys didn't dare say a word. The Shadow Alliance crew was silent.

Everyone fell into silence. 'Did the script just take a wild turn, or is it just me?' everyone wondered, totally baffled. Gasps rippled through the crowd. 'She's seriously fearless, actually ordering Lion around? Total rookie move,' people thought, stunned. 'Is she out of her mind? She must have a death wish!' someone whispered, eyes wide in disbelief. Eulalia sneered to herself, itching for Lion to teach Stella a lesson she'd never forget. She wanted all of Jaffina to see just what kind of trash Stella really was. The next second, a low, amused chuckle came from behind Lion's custom mask.

He dropped to one knee, his black uniform making him look like a shadowy butler. With gloved hands, he let 3/7 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee Stella plant her sneaker on his knee and, with deliberate care, tied her loose shoelaces back up. He even finished it off with a flawless bow, like he'd done it a million times before. Cassie was stunned. The Lion Squad guys didn't know what to say. The Shadow Alliance crew was shocked. Everyone else was shocked. "No freaking way!" Eulalia gasped, her pupils shaking. She thought, 'Did I just hallucinate? Is something wrong with my eyes?

The Lion Squad's boss, the blood- soaked legend of Jaffina, the guy whose name alone makes grown men tremble, and kids shut up, is actually down on one knee, tying a girl's shoelaces?' This scene was so absurd that it was almost unbelievable. "Satisfied?" Lion asked, his voice husky and low. Stella nudged his knee with her sneaker and replied offhandedly, "It's alright." She shrugged, not bothered at all. Everyone stood there, left speechless. 'She's actually being choosy about it?!' everyone thought, totally floored.

Lion's large, gloved hand gently grasped Stella's slender ankle and placed her foot back down. Stella, meanwhile, just kept her head propped up with one hand the whole time, looking totally unfazed. The Shadow Alliance crew didn't dare say a word. 'That's our Young Sovereign, alright, even Lion jumps when she says so!' The Shadow Alliance crew was totally losing it, bursting with pride. They thought, 'Damn, that's badass!' Lion rose to his full height, standing tall and unyielding. Behind that mask, his eyes were icy and haughty, sweeping over the Porter family with a calculating look.

Nobody dared make a sound. The tension was so thick you could practically choke on it. "Today, I'm here to be a witness," he said. 'A witness?' everyone wondered, totally baffled. 'A witness to what?' they thought, their minds spinning. Before anyone could process what was happening, Stella, lounging in her chair, shot Lion a lazy, almost mocking smile. Her laughter barely faded before someone carried in an old, white ceramic urn, its presence sending a chill through the room. Everyone stood there, left speechless. 'Wait, is that a cremation urn?

Did someone seriously just bring out an ash jar?' The crowd was totally floored. Xyla's eyes went wide in shock. Tanner froze for a second, then exploded with rage. "Who did this?!" Tanner was seething with rage. "Yeah, that was me," Cassie replied, her voice Icy and unbothered. She flicked her lighter between her fingers, lips curling into a wicked, rosy smile, her eyes deep and devilish. She looked every bit the little demon. "Are you telling me you dug up your own mother's grave?" Tanner stared at her, horrified. Cassie just shrugged, totally unfazed.

"Yep." She raised her hand, fingers pale and elegant. "Did it with my own two hands." Everyone stood there, left speechless. 117 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee 'Did we just hear that right?' everyone thought, totally floored. After a while, Tanner finally exploded, "You're out of your mind!" Cassie just sneered, "Wasn't I already crazy?" Cassie didn't believe for a second that Tanner was clueless about what his new wife had done. Cassie strolled over to the urn and took it. "I want everyone here to know, my mother didn't die from some disease.

She was poisoned by you!" Cassie declared, her voice cold and merciless. She fixed Xyla with a glare that could freeze hell over. Xyla's mind went blank, a sudden ringing in her ears as shock crashed over her. Without even realizing it, she clenched her fists so tight that her nails broke the skin of her palms, blood welling up, but she didn't feel a thing. Eulalia cried out, "You're lying!" Tanner snapped, "Shut up!" They said it in perfect unison. A sarcastic laugh came from Stella as she lounged in her seat, shifting into an even more relaxed pose.

She still looked like she owned the place, total boss energy. Tanner snapped, whipping his head around. "What the hell are you laughing at?" Stella shot him a frosty, bored look. "If you were really clueless, you'd have blurted out a denial, as she did. Telling her to shut up? That's not how an innocent person reacts." She gave a lazy nod toward Eulalia. Basically, telling her to shut up was just his way of keeping the cover from being ripped off. Tanner didn't know what to say. Tanner's chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged bursts as Stella's words hit him right where it hurt.

He was so furious and embarrassed that he could barely contain himself. "Do you have any proof?" Xyla shot back, her initial shock fading as she put on a look of wide-eyed innocence. "Besides, after cremation, all that's left is carbon. There's nothing you can test. Cassie, are you having another episode?" Xyla forced a smile onto her face, trying to look unfazed. 'I'm not that easy to fool, she thought, feeling confident. "You really do know your stuff," Cassie chuckled, her tone light but with a hint of mockery. But Xyla's heart gave a nervous jolt.

"A regular research institute couldn't pull this off, but that's what Lab 709 is here for," Cassie said, her voice cool and confident. Everyone was stunned. 'Holy crap!' The crowd was stunned. 'So this is what Lab 709 was brought in forl' everyone realized, minds blown. Lab 709 was the biggest and most elite lab in the world, practically legendary, almost mythical in status. "But before that, there's something else I need to do," Cassie announced, her tone cool and unhurried. Cassie ran her fingers over the cold urn, the clash of beauty and death making everyone freeze for a second.

Even the tattooed guy hiding in the pool poked his head out, pink flower straw still hanging from his lips. Cassie raised her hand and unsealed the urn with a deliberate motion. 5/7 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee "Back then, you hired a occult master to hammer eight soul-binding nails into my mother's skull, so her soul could never find peace..." Cassie said, her voice icy and unflinching. She reached into the urn, a wicked, dazzling smile curling on her lips, so beautiful it was chilling, making everyone shudder. She lifted her hand.

Cassie's hand, pale and flawless as jade, came out dusted with her mother's ashes, eight rusty nails clutched between her fingers. Each nail was carved with twisted, cursed script, meant to steal someone's luck and life, pure evil to the core. "Ah!" Xyla screamed, stumbling back in shock. She never thought Cassie would actually dare to reach into the urn. Her mind was spinning, panic flooding her. Cassie stalked forward, step by step, making Xyla shrink back in terror. "You tried to steal her life, her luck, just so you could live it up forever?

Too bad for you..." Cassie sneered, her voice cold and merciless. She passed the urn off to her crew, then planted herself right in front of Bastienne, looking down at her like a queen watching a bug squirm, enjoying every second of her fear and humiliation. Cassie bent down. She brought her lips right to Xyla's ear and whispered, "I was in the closet that night. I saw it all myself." Xyla was shocked. Her eyes shrank in horror. 'Wait... that means, Xyla's mind short-circuited, terror, crashing through her. The two of them locked eyes. Cassie gave her a chilling, wicked smile.

"She was still alive when you did it." There came a "BOOM" in Xyla's brain. It hit like a bolt from the blue. Every last scumbag in the room was left reeling, no one spared. 'Alive? Was she actually still alive?' Everyone froze, stunned. 'Wait, does that mean... The realization hit, sending chills down their spines. 'They hammered those nails in while she was still breathing?' Someone blurted out, voice trembling with shock. Stella snapped her fingers, and someone dragged in a big, tightly-tied sack, dumping it on the floor with a loud thud.

Whatever was inside started squirming, making muffled noises that sent shivers through the crowd. Lion's voice was cold as ice. "Open it." Soon, a middle-aged guy in ceremonial robes was dragged out for everyone to see. The Lion Squad stepped up and pulled the gag from his mouth. The man looked scared out of his mind, pupils blown wide. "It was her! She gave me 6 million and made me do all that twisted stuff! I swear, I didn't mean to!" Stella's voice was cold as ice.

"What exactly did you do?" The occult master totally lost it, muttering, "Using a living soul to anchor the house to bless the family's fortune!" Stella kept asking, "Explain. What's a living soul?" The occult master broke down, sobbing, "You hammer the nails into a living person, and use the dying breath right after they go. That's how the spell works!" The crowd instantly exploded. 'That's so messed up!' people thought, horrified. "Liars! You're all liars!" Eulalia shrieked, her voice going shrill with hysteria. 6/7 Chapter 451 Lion Drops to One Knee Stella looked up at Lion.

"According to Lion Squad rules, how do you settle this?" His eyes went cold and deep, shadowed with menace. "Life for a life," he said, his voice like ice, final and merciless. "No!" Eulalia cried out, instinctively clutching her mother in desperate panic. Every spoiled brat and trust fund princess in the room sucked in a breath, eyes wide with shock. They thought, 'The Porter family... 'They are going to be totally screwed.' Stella didn't even flinch at those cold-as-ice words. "Not even close." Lion tilted his head, eyeing her. Someone handed Stella an old file.

She said, "Years ago, Cassie's mom had her lawyer make sure every last asset, and 31% of Porter Group, went straight to her real daughter." Stella let that hang in the air. Stella fixed Tanner with a cold stare. "So, Tanner, where's the cash?" Tanner looked like he'd just been struck by lightning, his gaze flickering nervously. "I-I'm her father! Cassie's not in her right mind, so I had to handle everything as her guardian!" Cassie let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"So that's why you poisoned me, just to drive me insane!" Tanner snapped, "I'm still your father!" The next second, Cassie twisted one of those soul-binding nails from the urn between her fingers and slammed it straight into Tanner's shoulder. "Owwww!" Tanner's scream echoed through the whole place, pure agony. The rich kids clung to each other for dear life, scared out of their minds. They were all trembling in fear. Cassie chuckled darkly. "Too bad for you, I'm a little crazy, and my moods?

Totally unpredictable." Subscribed Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.