Ronald eyed her for a moment before gently touching her forehead to check her temperature. Thankfully, it hadn''t risen again.
His eyes softened as he asked, "What could I possibly hide from you?"
"Was Urs getting kicked out of the hospital your doing?"
If anyone suggested it wasn''t Ronald''s handiwork, Ste would haveughed.
In a swift motion, Ronald pulled her into his arms, causing Ste to lose her bnce and end up sitting on hisp.
"Ow!"
It hurt so much it was almost exhrating.
Seeing her wince, Ronald asked, "Does it hurt again?"
Steined, "Be gentle, will you?"
It really did hurt.
Ronald apologized, "Sorry, I forgot."
"Forgot?" Ste couldn''t help but shiver at the thought. How could he forget something like that?
"You better not forget."
Thankfully, he didn''t im to have forgotten aboutst night''s ordeal, or she''d have nowhere to turn for justice, no way to hold him ountable. Ronald massaged her leg, asking, "Does it hurt here?"
Ste responded, "It''s really sore."
Her legs felt like they didn''t belong to her anymore.
Ronald continued to massage gently, teasing, "So delicate."
Ste pouted in response.
Ronald then asked, "Haven''t you been exercising these past few years?"
The question made Ste feel guilty; Ronald was implying daily exercise was must. Ever since leaving Ferrond, she had let herself go. "No?"
Ste nodded, feeling guiltily.
Ronald dered, "Once you''re better, you''ll run for an hour every day."
Ste internally screamed at the thought. An hour? That sounded like torture.
"Was the Urs situation really your doing?"
"Last night, Idris visited the driver responsible for your ident two years ago. Whatever was said, I wasn''t informed."
Ste didn''t buy it. He had to know; iming otherwise was ludicrous.
Ronald teased, "What? Has our Ste gone soft?"
"Do I look innocent to you?" Ste rolled her eyes.
Soft on Urs? That wasn''t her. The only people who could touch her heart were the Quinns. No one else ever had. Ronald chuckled at her reaction.
Ste then spected, "She must be desperate, nning to seek treatment abroad."
"She won''t be leaving the country," Ronald stated tly, his voice still gentle but his words carrying the weight of a death sentence. "To trap her like that? Alive?"
In Portis City, Urs would struggle to find a doctor willing to treat her. Knowing she couldn''t leave would drive her to despair.
Ronald stayed with Ste for a while before leaving.
Left alone, Ste had just settled back into bed when her phone vibrated.
Seeing the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat. She answered with a whisper, "Yvonne?"
As soon as she spoke, Yvonne''s fury burst through, "Be at the airport to pick me up in three hours."
Ste''s heart trembled. "You''reing to Portis City?"
This was trouble. How would she exin her injuries? im bug bites or a fall?
Yvonne''s tone was fiery. "You think you can run from me, huh? I''ve been on edge searching for you these past two years. Ronald found you, and you still y hide and seek with me?"
I
Yvonne was particrly frustrated about the search for Ste, having turned the world upside down without sess.
This time, Ronald had gone to Portis City for such a long time, and it turns out it was to find Ste.
When she asked him for Ste''s
number, he refused to give it to her.
Just trying to track down Ste''s number had already made Yvonne furious.
In short, right now, she just really wanted to tear someone apart.
Upon hearing Yvonne''s threat, Ste trembled again. "Where are you now?"
Arriving in Portis City in three hours meant she had left Ferrond. The thought sent a shiver down Ste''s spine.
The she-devil wasing.
Yvonne sneered, "nning to warn Ronald? Betray me, and I''ll break your legs."
Ste felt a wave of fear.
Yvonne continued, "I''ll be in Portis City in three hours. I expect to see you when Ind."
The threat was as menacing as Ronald''s had been when he came to
Portis ?ityst time. Indeed, they
shared the same blood, both equally formidable in their warnings
Ste rolled in her bed, asking "So you''ve already left Ferrond?" Yvonne huffed, "Thinking of betraying me to Ronald? Watch your legs."