Ronald''s lips curled into a smile.


    It was supposed to be a smile, yet to Ste, it seemed eerily terrifying. "Ronald, please don''t smile like that; it scares me."


    Ste stepped forward, and with a look of pure innocence, cautiously tugged at Ronald''s sleeve.


    But Ronald, at this moment, wasn''t someone to be easily cated. He withdrew his arm, the smile vanishing from his lips, "Who gave it to you?" His voice carried a chill.


    Such an extravagant diamond ring clearly showed someone''s intentions.


    Or was it that she had some secrets in Portis City he wasn''t aware of?


    Did she already have a boyfriend?


    The thought crossed his mind, and a colder shade passed through Ronald''s eyes.


    Ste blurted out, "Jeremy."


    She didn''t even pause to think. She never covered for anyone, regardless of what Jeremy meant to Ronald as a business associate.


    Nor did she care if there was some misunderstanding behind this ring; she refused to be caught in one, especially not with Ronald. "Jeremy?" Ronald repeated as he heard the name, a flicker of surprise crossing his stern gaze, quickly reced by a deeper coldness. Jeremy, huh! How very generous of him.


    Ste nodded, "Yes, Jeremy. He said it was an apology gift."


    Mentioning this made Ste''s head ache.


    An apology gift, really? Saying it out loud didn''t make it any more believable to herself, let alone Ronald.


    What was Jeremy thinking? This was so unreliable.


    As expected, Ronald raised an eyebrow.


    "An apology?" his tone was clearly skeptical.


    Ste nodded again, "Yes. His sister Sirena and I had a fallout, remember? He said it was to apologize."


    In her opinion, this was Jeremy trying to make connections. She had made her stance clear then; no matter what he offered, it wouldn''t change a thing. And she hadn''t said a word in his favor.


    With a snap, Ronald closed the velvet box and tossed it into the trash can. He looked at Ste, his gaze still chilly, "An apology with a ring? Do you buy that?" Ste pouted, gazing hopelessly at Ronald.


    "I know, right?! Do you think he''s out of his mind? When I saw it was a ring, I was stunned."


    After all, he was one of Portis City''s top heirs. To not know what was appropriate to give as a gift?


    That was so unreliable. No wonder Ronald was hesitant to engage with his business proposals.


    Ronald''s gaze on Ste remained inscrutable.


    Feeling a bit uneasy under his stare, she reached out again and took his hand, "Bro."


    In that moment, she was like a little girl who had done something wrong, not daring to act out in front of her parent.


    Ronald reached out, pulling her into his embrace.


    His warm fingertips gently lifted her delicate chin, and as their eyes met, Ste could clearly see a deep abyss in Ronald''s gaze, almost pulling her into his depths. Her exnation seemed feeble to Ronald, but when he spoke again, his maic voice was noticeably softer.


    "So you epted it?"


    Jeremy must be out of his mind. But her exnation was lucid. Knowing the ring couldn''t possibly be an apology gift, why would she ept it?


    Ste replied, "I didn''t ept it. He insisted on leaving it, and by the time I opened it, he was already gone."


    "Really?"


    "Absolutely. I swear, I barely interacted with him in Portis City, as you well know."