Stella's fingers trembled slightly as she lifted the phone to her ear, her gaze fixed on Blessing's implacable face. "Hello?" she said, her voice steady despite the turm0il brewing inside her.
Michael's recognizable drawl filled the line, sending a sh!ver down Stella's sp!ne. "Hey, babe."
Stella's mouth tightened, her patience wearing thin. "Michael," she said, her tone devoid of warmth. "What do you want?"
There was a pause, a hint of the predator's calculations in his tone. "I know no one's really willing to listen right now, but... I wanted to explain, Stella. Just to clear the air, you know? Kingsley and I were best friends – I never meant for things to go that far with his sister."
The words sp!lled from him in a rush, a twisted attempt at justifying his barbarism. "I let the devi
