Questions came at Jeremy like a machine gun.


    Jeremy''s mood immediately took a nosedive. "Is that what you''ve been learning from hanging out with Urs all these years? How to talk trash about others?"


    Sirena stammered, "No, I didn''t mean..."


    "She''s Ronald''s foster sister."


    "What?"


    At Jeremy''s revtion, Sirena''s mouth formed a perfect O of surprise.


    But Jeremy was in no mood to borate. Ever since Sirena had grown close to Urs because of Jaxon, every word out of her mouth seemed to give him a headache.


    It probably started when she became a regr at the Larkin household, and now it felt as if her tongue had developed a mind of its own.


    Jeremy had been in a good mood earlier, but thanks to Sirena, irritation was quickly recing it.


    "Stay locked up!" he snapped.


    With her tendency to stir trouble, he was convinced she needed to be kept out of the loop until Mr. Quinn and Ste left Portis City.


    Even though the contract had already been signed. If Ronald changed his mind, he couldn''t do anything!


    To y it safe, Sirena had to be kept out of the picture.


    After ending the call, Jeremy immediately dialed the butler. "If she gets her hands on her phone again, you''re fired."


    "Yes, sir," came the flustered but respectful reply.


    Jeremy hung up and turned to Harper. "Forget about picking out a gift. A girl raised by Mr. Quinn? She''s seen it all. If we don''t impress her, it''ll just irritate Mr. Quinn." Better safe than sorry.


    Harper nodded. "Okay."


    Finally, she let out a relieved sigh.


    ...


    Over in Spring Hill, Ste was tossing and turning in her sleep.


    Her restless sleeping habits,bined with her recent drunken state, had Ronald on edge. Concerned for her well-being, he decided to keep watch in her room. Sitting on the sofa with hisptop in hand, he busied himself with work.


    As Ste turned, she kicked the nket aside, exposing her slender legs under her nightgown. Her ankles, pink and delicately shaped, caught Ronald''s eye, stirring a faint warmth inside him.


    Setting hisptop on the coffee table, Ronald got up and moved to cover her up. But Ste had the nket firmly pinned under her,


    blking it impossible to pull back


    over her!


    it


    Resigned, he gently lifted her to free the nket. The movement, however, roused her from sleep.


    Blinking groggily, her eyes met his as she murmured softly, "Ronald."


    Her voice was stillced with the scent of wine, despite having been fed a sobering soup earlier, which seemed ineffective.


    Ronald let out a quiet hum in acknowledgment and carefully tucked the nket back over her.


    Just as he was about to stand up, Ste suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Ronald paused. "Hmm?"


    "Do you like me?"


    There was a brief silence in Ronald''s gaze. "Still drunk?"


    "Do you like me or not?"


    Ronald finally said, "I do."


    "How much?"


    Ronald found himself at a loss for words.


    Drunk Ste was particrly clingy, especially now.


    He leaned in closer, his warm breath brushed against her neck, touching her flushed cheeks with a hint of huskiness in his voice, "How much do you like me, Star?"


    "So much, so very much."


    Ste''s soft reply, stillced with a hint of drunken haze, melted thest of Ronald''s resolve.