Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Jesse rubbed her nose with a wry smile, brushing off the concern as she said, “Got into a scuffle this afternoon.”

“With who?”

“It’s over, Estrella. Let’s not dig into it.”

“Jesse, don’t make me investigate it myself.”

Estrella’s temper was something Jesse was all too familiar with. She might seem all sunshine and rainbows on a regular day, but if you crossed a line with her, you’d be in for a rude awakening.

“I ran into Paula today. She brought backup, and I was outnumbered.”

As soon as Jesse finished her sentence, Estrella was on her feet, heading for the door. Jesse grabbed her arm urgently. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Estrella’s face was a storm cloud as she snapped, “You expect me to sit down for dinner when you’re beaten up like this?”

Jesse held on tighter, trying to calm the storm brewing within Estrella. “Estrella, it’s done, and it wasn’t all Paula’s doing. Don’t do anything rash.”

Estrella saw there was more to the story. She reined in her anger and sat back down. “Fine. I won’t. Just tell me everything.”

They settled back at the dining table, and Jesse began recounting the story. “A few days. ago, I got into it with Melinda. Guess she couldn’t let it go and teamed up with Paula.”

Melinda was Jesse’s stepsister. Jesse’s mom had passed away when she was just a toddler, and her dad had quickly remarried Damita, who was pregnant at the time. Damita never took a liking to Jesse and would often take advantage of her husband’s absence to berate and mistreat the child.

After a particularly nasty incident in middle school, Jesse had changed. Her father, under the constant influence of Damita’s whispers, had grown colder towards her. Life as a Manning wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for Jesse.

Estrella’s face was grim as she asked, “Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you get checked. out at the hospital?”

“Just some bruises. Took a few kicks to the gut, bleeding a little, but the hospital said it’s nothing serious.”

Hearing about the injury, Estrella’s heart clenched with pain. She knew Paula must have ambushed Jesse on purpose, taking advantage of her less favored status in the Manning family to strike at her – a proxy for her real target, Estrella herself.

15:24 Chapter 28 “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself. Otherwise how can I keep up the good fight with those two?”

“If you say you’re fine, then I trust you,” Estrella said, ladling out chicken soup for Jesse. “Eat up, and next time, don’t be a hero.

If you see they have the numbers, just run.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Jesse had intended to run that afternoon, but Paula had been prepared, blocking all possible escape routes. Jesse didn’t share these details with Estrella, not wanting to stoke her fiery nature. The Manning family’s involvement and the existing business tensions between their fathers were enough reason to keep things low-key.

After dinner, as they approached the crossroads in their cars, Estrella warned, “Jesse, call me the instant anything comes up, alright?”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“Good. Now go home and rest up.”

“Yeah.” Jesse hesitated before adding, “Estrella, let’s just let tonight’s incident slide, okay? Don’t go after Paula.”

“I got it. I’ll listen to you.”

Listen to her? Not go after Paula? Estrella might have agreed verbally, but as soon as they parted ways, her foot slammed down on the accelerator, speeding towards the Lamont residence. If she let this slide, Paula would take every opportunity to go after Jesse, and Melinda would only become more emboldened Estrella wasn’t about to play nice.

“Ms. Estrella, our young lady isn’t home. Perhaps you could come back another time?”

“Ms. Estrella, I must ask you to leave.”

Despite the servants’ attempts, they couldn’t stop Estrella from barging into the Lamont’s grand hall.

“Miss Estrella...” a servant began, but Estrella cut them off with a glare, her hands deep in the pockets of her slacks. “Bring Paula down to me.”

No sooner had she demanded this than Paula, in her loungewear, descended the stairs, clearly annoyed. “Estrella, what’s all this racket about? Is this the kind of manners you family teaches?”

Without a word, Estrella grabbed an antique vase from a side table and hurled it at Paula. “Did you corner Jesse this afternoon?”

The vase shattered against the wall, sending Paula into a panic as she dusted off the 2/3 1534 LI Chapter 28 fragments. “Estrella, have you lost your mind? This is the Lamont residence, not some back alley!”

As Paula’s finger bled from a shard, her anger erupted. “So what if I cornered her? I went after Jesse, not you.”

Paula’s admission fueled Estrella’s fury. In a few strides, she had Paula by the throat. “Say that again. I dare you.”

As Paula choked out her defiance, Estrella’s grip tightened. Today had been a direct hit at her through Jesse, and Estrella was not going to let it stand.

With one swift move, Estrella dragged Paula down the stairs by her hair, determined to settle the score once and for all.

Dragged down the steps by Estrella, Paula was fuming with indignation. Scrambling to her feet, she lunged for Estrella’s face.

“You bitch! How dare you strike me in my house? I’ll take you down!”

However, her fingers barely grazed Estrella when Estrella’s right leg shot out, delivering a brutal kick to Paula’s midsection.

Paula gasped in pain, stumbling backward to land hard on the floor. When it came to brawling, she was no match for Estrella.

Clutching her belly, tears streaming down her cheeks, Paula spat out a threat through gritted teeth. “Estrella, this isn’t over. I swear, next time I’ll take Jesse out myself.”

Hearing the threat, Estrella unleashed another two kicks squarely onto Paula’s abdomen. In essence, Estrella was serving back the same treatment Paula had intended for Jesse. Regrettably for Estrella, she wasn’t wearing her stilettos today, just some mid-

heels.

After the warm-up skirmish, Estrella knelt on one knee in front of Paula, seizing her hair. “Are Melinda and Damita in cahoots with you?

Through her tears, Paula retorted, “What does it matter who’s with me? Just know that you and I...”

Paula’s words were cut short as Estrella delivered several stinging slaps across her cheek. “Still talking tough, are we?”

With each blow from Estrella, Paula’s face swelled and blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth. Facing Estrella alone, Paula was destined only to be on the receiving end of the beatdown.

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