"Everyone''s just blowing smoke up your ass, and you''re buying it hook, line, and sinker."


    Yorick nearly passed out from sheer frustration. "You!"


    Ste retorted, "Sure, you''re the CEO of Quarry Group, but need I remind you who really pulls the strings?"


    "Shut up!" Yorick snapped.


    "Your dad might not be showing his face around the office these days, but let''s talk numbers, shall we? Anything over 100 million needs his signature, doesn''t it? And how much are you nning to shell out? You think you can afford it? If your dad hears you''re draining the ount for that sickly lover of yours, you think he''d approve?"


    Ste''s words were like nails on a chalkboard to Yorick, making his head nearly explode with irritation.


    This woman, always ready with a snappyeback or a sharp retort.


    Now, Yorick found himself wishing she''d just hit him physically instead; anything was better than her venomous words.


    But he couldn''t deny the truth in Ste''s words. Ever since Urs returned, the Quarry Group''s financial protocols had been revised. Significant expenditures no longer just needed the CEO''s approval but the chairman''s signature as well.


    Ste wasn''t entirely correct, though. It wasn''t 100 million, but ten million that required Thane''s signature!


    Fuming, Yorick''s vision blurred with anger. "Then what do you propose?"


    "You can''t afford it, yet here you are asking for terms? What''s the n, strong-arm me?"


    That remark hit him like a punch to the gut.


    Yorick was on the verge of hanging up, but considering how hard it had been to get Ste on the phone, he managed to hold back.


    "Trying to bully your way through with me? You''ve got some nerve."


    "I''m not!" Yorick protested.


    "Then can you afford it? Mist Bay alone would set you back, what, five hundred million?"


    Five hundred million!


    Hearing that figure made Yorick''s face turn grim.


    He instinctively wanted to use Ste of extortion, but he couldn''t deny the current market value of the ce.


    Taking a deep breath, Yorick admitted, "I don''t have that kind of money right now."


    Damn this woman, he thought. How had he never noticed her shrewdness before? She had dissected the inner workings of Quarry Group with rming uracy. She was right; the power had indeed shifted back to his father since Urs''s return. "Oh, no money? So you''re begging now? With that attitude?" Ste taunted.


    Yorick''s face went from grim to downright thunderous.


    Begging Ste? Who did she think she was?


    "I just wanted you to introduce me to him."


    Yorick had encountered the man a few times, and not once did things end well. But now, he needed to see him!


    "So, you''re still begging, huh? Is this how you ask for help?" Ste pressed.


    Yorick was speechless. The word ''beg'' made his blood boil.


    Ste picked up a cup of water by the bed and took a sip. When Ronald pushed the door open, he saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes.


    This little troublemaker, what was she up to now? He couldn''t hear what was being said on the phone, but Ste spoke, "It won''t work begging me now. Whoever wants to live here, let theme and beg." With that, she hung up the phone.


    Ronald was holding a te of fruit, its flesh red and tender, looking very tempting.


    Ste rolled out of bed to grab a bite.


    Ronald set the te down and casually checked her forehead for a fever. "No fever?"


    "You think I''m like you, getting drunk and having a fever."


    A smirk crossed Ronald''s lips. "Who was on the phone?"


    "Yorick."


    At the mention of "Yorick,'' Ronald''s gentle gaze momentarily froze.


    "What does he want now?"


    Ste popped a fruit into her mouth. "He''s caught wind you''re the man in charge here. Wants me to set up a meeting."


    She bit down, and the hard seed inside caught her by surprise.


    Ronald instinctively reached out, ready to help her spit it out, just like when she was a child.


    But when she saw his hand, Ste paused and quickly headed to the bathroom.


    When she returned, sheined, "Why do you even like these? The seeds are too hard. They hurt."


    These were red heart guavas. Every time Ste ate them, her teeth couldn''t handle it, but unfortunately, Ronald really enjoyed them. Ronald chuckled softly. "Don''t be picky."


    Ste frowned. "This isn''t about being picky. They''re just hard to eat."


    Ronald, ever indulgent, pinched her nose. "Did you give him a piece of your mind?"


    He always admired her fiery spirit, like a tigress, ensuring she never got the short end of the stick, even when he wasn''t around.