"You guys went to see her because of Urs, right? How did you end up shing with Mr. Quinn?"


    Mr. Quinn, the man who took Ste in.


    Cloudia couldn''t help but marvel at her fortune. How did she end up with such a good family? Yet here they were, unable to gain a single advantage from it.


    Sometimes, she thought it might''ve been better if she''d been raised by simple folks in the countryside. At least then, they wouldn''t be dealing with all this trouble.


    When it came to Urs''s situation, Yorick went silent. They both knew it- they hadn''t handled it well.


    Cloudia shook her head, incredulously. "So Mr. Quinn actually pulled a gun on Jaxon, and she still just walked away?"


    That was her own brother. How could Ste be so cold-hearted?


    Was it really just because they hadn''t taken her side two years ago? But that incident hadn''t been Urs''s fault. Urs had exined everything clearly. How could they let Ste send her to prison based on a single im? Yorick nodded. "Yes."


    Hearing that, Cloudia nearly fainted. She had said she was going to feed the rabbits. So, rabbits were more important than her own brother, huh? That ungrateful girl.


    Cloudia''s anger boiled over, and in that moment, she wished she had never given birth to Ste.


    "Urs''s stuck in Portis City, and Jaxon''s injured now. What a mess!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Mist Bay, Ronald was once again applying ointment to Ste''s wounds, though she still refused to cooperate.


    Once he finished, she burrowed under the covers and wouldn''te out.


    Ronald gently pulled the nket down and yfully pinched her rosy cheeks. "You need to get better soon."


    His tone was a stark contrast to the cold, harsh demeanor he''d shown toward Jaxon.


    Ste mumbled, "And why should I get better?"


    "What do you think?"


    Ste pursed her lips. "No, I didn''t mean it like that. I wasn''t asking that."


    She spoke hastily, her cheeks growing even redder.


    Ronald chuckled, leaned in, and whispered something in her ear that made her already crimson face freeze.


    She red at him. "I''m not talking to you anymore."


    She turned and burrowed back


    under


    "Don''


    covers, her voice muffled.


    the covers again; just


    leave." Content belonge


    She couldn''t bear to look at Ronald right now; seeing him made her want to bite him.


    Where was his dignified aloofness, that untouchable aura? It seemed to have vanished. He was being downright cheeky.


    Ronaldughed as he stood up. "Alright, I''m leaving. Don''t suffocate under there." "Go, go, go."


    Ste''s voice was full of yful reproach.


    After a while, when it seemed quiet outside, Ste peeked out from under the covers.


    But there was Ronald, arms crossed, standing right by the bed.


    Ste frowned. "Why are you still here?"


    Didn''t he say he was leaving?


    covers, but Ronald didn''t


    give her the chance. He scooped her up in one swift motion.


    ly she tried to retreat back


    belongs to en.kikistor


    Ste instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as Ronald pressed a quick kiss to her lips.


    Ste protested, "Watch it, or I''ll bite you."


    Ronald chuckled, "Okay."


    He hadn''t left; he was just waiting for a chance to steal a kiss.


    Ste struggled to free herself from his embrace, but his warm presencepletely enveloped her.


    Ronald looked into her eyes with a gentle smile. "You''re such a silly girl."


    And it was that very silliness that somehow


    the darkness andet


    y managed to wash awaret


    clinging to him.