Cloudia sighed, ncing toward the hospital room, "Okay, enough. Don''t you have Beckett Patel''s birthday bash to attend tonight? Better hurry up, don''t want to bete."


    "What about Ste?"


    Jaxon was worried about Urs.


    Cloudia said, "Once we locate her, I''ll go talk to her."


    It had be clear to her that intimidation wouldn''t work on Ste.


    So, sweet-talking it was.


    For now, getting Tegan back was the priority.


    ...


    Ste got into the car, and realized there was someone else in the passenger seat.


    "Finley?"


    Finley Yoder, a renowned cardiologist from Ferrond. Especially in surgery, he had never failed, earning him the nickname "Phantom Healer".


    Finley turned to Ste with a mischievous grin, "You little rascal, quite the hide-and-seek champion. Your brother had a hell of a time looking for you. If you were still no news, I suspected he might start digging to Hades, see if you hid there." Hearing about Ronald''s long search, Ste felt a pang of guilt. She cautiously nced at the stern man next to her.


    Ronald took her phone, causing Ste''s brows twitching violently, "What the heck?"


    Ronald said, "No talking."


    Ste was speechless, watching Ronald scrolling through her contacts, messages, Twitter, and various messaging apps.


    So, he was snooping on her?


    Ste, feeling conflicted, snatched her phone back, "What are you doing? I''ve been out of school for years."


    Back then, dating was off-limits in school, but she wasn''t in school anymore.


    Ronald looked at her, let out a low chuckle, and with a scoop, pulled her onto hisp.


    Ste protested, "Hey, Finley''s still here."


    As soon as she said that, the partition between the car seats rose.


    Still, Ste felt ufortable. Wriggling in Ronald''s embrace, trying to get down, she reminded him, "Ronald, I''m really grown up now!"


    Ronald chuckled softly, "Oh? So are you looking to date now?!"


    The corner of Ste''s lips twitched. Dating was thest thing on her mind.


    As Ste kept silent, Ronald continued, "Or perhaps, you''re taking your engagement to him seriously?"


    The wedding was just days away, huh!


    "If I hadn''t shown up, were you really nning to marry him?"


    Ste clearly detected a hint of danger in Ronald''s tone.


    "No."


    "No?" Ronald was skeptical.


    Idris had dug up everything. The reports stated that Ste hadn''t resisted from the start.


    Feeling trapped by the looming danger from Ronald, Ste confessed, "Anyway, he won''t marry me!"


    That was the truth. Herck of resistance stemmed from the knowledge that Yorick would never marry her.


    Especially with Urs in the picture, and her fear of the lurking Schultz family, threatening Ronald if she acted out. "So sure?"


    "Then you''ve seen it, he left me for another woman."


    Ronald fell silent.


    The mention of "another woman" chilled the atmosphere in the car. Though he was displeased about Ste and Yorick, Yorick abandoning her for someone else infuriated him more. His precious, nurtured from childhood, facing such humiliation?


    A dangerous glint flickered in Ronald''s eyes, veiling the enigmatic danger brewing within.