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Author: Qior-Qior
last update publish date: 2026-03-09 23:50:16

Kenzie dunk the entire glass of alcohol down her throat immediately the glass was set in front of her.

"More!" She shouted and slammed the glass on the table in front of her, fortunately, the glass didn't break but it earned her a lot of stares from still sobbing people trying to enjoy their evening.

A young man, in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up which exposed his muscles and had a lot of women at the bar swooning over him, he walked over to Kenzie behind the counter with a bottle o
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  • No Longer A Substitute    103

    Devon POV “How could you ever accuse me of that?” I asked, my voice slicing through the tension between us.“How could I not, Devon?” Stella threw her hands into the air in frustration. “Why wouldn’t I suspect you? What have you not done to me?”Her voice rose with every word until it echoed through the school entrance. Parents nearby turned to stare, but Stella didn’t care. Right now, nothing mattered to her except our children.Her lips trembled violently, and the hand she pointed at me shook so badly it looked like she could barely control it. The sight twisted something painfully inside my chest because every accusation she threw at me was built on things I had actually done.“You kidnapped me before,” she continued, her breathing uneven. “And before that, you wanted my babies gone. So tell me, Devon, why are you here? To finish what you couldn’t six years ago?”I felt my throat tighten.“I can tell you’re only saying those things to hurt me—”She let out a bitter laugh that imme

  • No Longer A Substitute    102

    DEVON POV When I first heard Stella was staying in a hotel with two children, my heart sank. It felt like someone had poured ice water directly into my chest. My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion—that she had children with another man while we were separated. For a moment, I nearly lost my mind over it, but eventually I forced myself to calm down and think rationally. Stella had arrived in America with another young woman, so I convinced myself the children probably belonged to her instead. That explanation was the only thing keeping me sane. Later, I confronted Stella about it, and she confirmed exactly what I wanted to hear. She told me the children belonged to the other woman and that they were simply her niece and nephew. I should have let it go there. I really should have. But something about the entire situation kept bothering me. Stella’s eyes shifted too much when she answered me, and her voice carried that familiar tension she always had whenever she

  • No Longer A Substitute    101

    STELLA POV“Alex, what did you just say?” I asked, my heart thumping violently against my chest. “If you’re joking, this isn’t funny and—”He immediately cut me off.“Why the fuck would I joke about something like that?” he yelled.My stomach dropped.The air around me suddenly felt too thin to breathe properly. My heartbeat became so loud and frantic I was certain everyone in the office could hear it.“Where are you?” I asked quickly, already shoving papers aside on my desk.“I’m at home,” Alex replied.“Then what happened? Why are you saying the twins are missing?”“Because I went to pick them up from school, and the teacher said you already came for them.” His voice sounded strained, impatient. “She was acting weird, Stella. I came home hoping maybe you decided to bring them back here yourself, but they aren’t here.”I froze.“I know you,” he continued. “You wouldn’t be out publicly hanging around with them because you’re terrified Devon might find out.”My throat tightened painful

  • No Longer A Substitute    100

    STELLA POVThe drive to Alex’s apartment was quiet.Alex didn’t say a word to me, and I didn’t know if he was upset with me or not. I was too scared to ask because I already knew I had become a burden in one way or another.When we arrived at the apartment building, we quietly went upstairs. The hallway lights were dim, and the entire place was calm and silent compared to the chaos of the police station.I slowly pushed open the twins’ bedroom door and peeked inside.To my surprise, they were both asleep.That alone felt strange because Andrea and Andrew would have definitely taken advantage of me not being around to stay awake longer than they should have.The room was softly lit by a small night lamp near the window. There were two beds in the room, one for each of them. Andrea had kicked her blanket halfway to the floor while Andrew slept stiffly on his back with his arms crossed like a tiny old man.The customized cot beside Andrea’s bed immediately caught my attention. Chloe had

  • No Longer A Substitute    99

    ESTELLE POVMy hands shook as I stared down at the photo on my phone.The twins stared back at me innocently, unaware that their existence alone was enough to destroy everything I had worked for.“How did this happen?” I muttered under my breath. “How could I have missed this?”My chest tightened painfully.“Damn it!”I screamed and, in one violent motion, swept everything off my desk. Pens, files, books, and glass decorations crashed loudly onto the floor.“This must be the secret Vanessa was talking about, wasn’t it?” I hissed. “When did Stella get this bold?”I paced around my apartment angrily, gripping my phone tightly.My thoughts drifted back years ago. Back to the time I convinced Devon that Stella carrying a child would ruin everything for him. Back when I managed to push Stella into getting rid of their baby.At least… that was what I thought had happened.So when did she have twins with him again?“When?” I yelled furiously, pulling harshly at my curls.I should have watche

  • No Longer A Substitute    98

    ESTELLE POVI smashed the whiskey glass against the table.The sharp crack echoed through the apartment as amber liquid splattered across the marble surface and dripped onto the floor.“Damn it!” I screamed. “Damn it all!”My chest rose and fell violently as anger burned through me.The failed arrest.Devon doubting me.Grandma Susan defending Stella.Everything was spiraling out of control.I gripped the edge of the table tightly, my nails digging into the wood. Vanessa knows something. That woman knew something I didn’t, and I hated it.What exactly was she hiding from me?I didn’t know.But I needed to find out. Fast.Stella came back from Colombia acting different. Confident. Untouchable. Like she had suddenly forgotten exactly who I was and what I was capable of doing to her.A cold smile crossed my lips.No.I needed to remind her.I needed to crush that confidence and put her right back where she belonged. Beneath me.My phone suddenly rang. I snatched it up immediately and pre

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