Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

Barnaby was baffled.

"It's best to avoid that kind of place," he mused, "It's downright dangerous."

Silas chimed in, “Because your mouth's just as annoying as Finley's."

Barnaby was stunned. "Whoa, hold on! That's harsh, huh? What did I ever do to you?"

Silas shrugged. "You didn't do anything to me. But you sure ticked off the boss."

"Wait, what? When did that happen? How come nobody told me?" Barnaby was completely lost.

Silas simply shook his head in exasperation. Barnaby was clearly not getting it.

Barnaby squinted at him, "Oh, you mean those little things? Seriously, is it really that big of a deal?"

"Those 'little things' almost got Finley drowned in the sea," Silas pointed out.

Barnaby's eyes widened, recalling Finley's marathon swim. "Wow, seriously? Isn't that too extreme? Are Mr. Quinn and our boss that petty?"

Just then, Hull descended the stairs.

Barnaby glared at Silas, who was clearly trying to avoid eye contact.

Silas stood up straight, greeting him respectfully, "Mr. Miguel."

Hull was in a deep navy bathrobe, which revealed just enough of his toned chest

to hint at the tattoos beneath. He cut an imposing figure. Even Silas couldn't help but think how Susanna's petite frame matched Hull's towering presence.

Hull settled onto the couch, his voice icy, "Is everything taken care of?"

Silas nodded. "Don't worry, Boss. It's all sorted. Left one alive for you, just like always."

Hull gave a nod of approval, his gaze shifting to Barnaby. The sudden attention made Barnaby jump.

Instantly, Barnaby dropped to his knees. "Boss, I'm sorry! I really am don't want to go to Muliba Desert. Please, give me another chance!"

Silas was dumbfounded. Was Barnaby really this clueless?

Hull's expression darkened.

Barnaby babbled, "I swear. I'll never gossip about you again!"

།

Silas was speechless. Seriously, was Barnaby just a complete idiot?

The word 'gossip' echoed through the room like a firecracker.

Hull was momentarily stunned, then a slight smile tugged at his lips, "Oh? Gossiping about me, were you?"

He emphasized the word 'gossip' with a dangerous weight.

Caught off guard by Hull's tone, Barnaby nodded dumbly, unsure of what else to do.

The room fell silent.

Silas turned away in disbelief. 'What kind of fool am I working with, anyway?'

His biggest fear at that moment was Barnaby dragging him into it, saying the gossip was a shared venture.

Heaven knows he'd always tried to. stop him. It wasn't a mutual discussion but Barnaby's solo sho

oofing rumors. Cool

Oblivious to Silas's frantic attempts at communication, Barnaby was face-to-face with Hull's amused yet dangerous smile. He nodded again, even more uncertain. noveldrama

Hull leaned back, his voice deceptively friendly, "So, what kind of gossip were you talking about? Do share."

His tone was light, but the underlying menace was clear to anyone listening.