Foreman truly believed he was the victim, continuing his self-righteous rant.

"I did this to save you, Star! If you stayed with that monster, his darkness was only going to infect you more!

I didn't do anything wrong! One day, you'll realize I made the hard choice to protect you!"

Abby was so furious she saw red. She lunged forward to scream at him, but Stella held up a hand, stopping her.

Stella looked down at the pathetic man on the floor. "Foreman, do you know why I came here today?"

A sickeningly tender look washed over his bloody face. "Because no matter how angry you are right now... I still hold a special place in your heart, don't I, Star?"

Stella stared at him from above, her voice as light as a feather.

"I came here in person to tell you that my greatest regret in this life is pulling you out

of those woods years ago. I should have let you rot and die there.

Even if Haynes O'Brien never existed, even if Joshua Gardner never existed... I would never, ever love a pathetic creature like you.

Foreman, looking at you right now makes my stomach turn.

To me, you are lower than the maggots in the dirt.

But don't worry. I'm not going to kill you.

Giving you a quick death would be a mercy you haven't earned."

She slowly leaned forward, locking her dead, cold eyes with his terrified ones.

"I'm going to make sure that for the rest of your miserable life, you beg for death every single day. You will spend every waking second regretting that you survived."

Stella straightened up, smoothing out her coat.

"Your nightmare starts right now, Foreman."

She didn't spare him a second glance. "Let's go, Abby."

Abby nodded.

Before the heavy metal door even clicked shut behind them, Foreman's

bloodcurdling, agonizing screams echoed through the hallway.

Stella didn't even flinch. She just kept walking. "Once they've finished breaking him, throw him into Solmaris's maximum-security prison.

Guards can be bought or distracted, but throwing him in that hellhole guarantees he'll never see the light of day."

A look of savage satisfaction spread across Abby's face.

"Oh, I know that place. It's an island fortress. They lock up the absolute worst of the worst in there—the most violent, psychopathic inmates in the country.

Foreman is going to have a very colorful life in general population.

Oh, right! Foreman is the one who murdered Haynes O'Brien's mother. I'll make sure Haynes gets the memo. He'll definitely have some parting gifts for him."

A thought suddenly struck Abby.

"By the way, Stella... Haynes has reached out to me a dozen times. He wants to come see you. Are you sure you don't want to talk to him? He's terrified for you."

Stella shook her head. "No."

Abby understood. Joshua was gone, her baby was gone, and she didn't want to see anyone.

Abby didn't push. "Alright. I'll just text him that you're safe so he stops panicking." Abby couldn't help but sigh internally.

She used to think Haynes was a toxic, clueless jerk who didn't deserve a second glance.

But compared to absolute psychos like Jasper Wilkinson and Foreman Richards, Haynes practically looked like a saint.

It was a miracle he hadn't let those two drag him entirely into the gutter.

...

The dual devastation of physical trauma and a shattered heart kept Stella bedridden for three grueling months.

Leonard's own injuries had long since healed, and the toxins he had willingly ingested for Old Mr. Wyatt's research were completely purged from his system.

Yet, he refused to pack his bags, essentially squatting at Mr. Burton's estate.

One day he was sourcing rare herbs for the old man, the next he was tracking down exotic flora and he ever managed to scrounge up an antique chess set to bribe him.

Since Mr. Burton loved the gifts and Leonard never once tried to force his way into Stella's room content to just watchther watch her window from

from

afar the old doctor turned a blind

eye:

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And when Leonard found out Foreman was locked away in prison, Leonard who already despised the man with a burning passion-made a few quiet phone calls to ensure Foreman was assigned the most welcoming cellmates the island had to offer.