Suddenly, Ronald''s phone buzzed again.


    ncing at the number, he stopped teasing Ste and headed straight to the study.


    Ste''s own phone rang shortly after; it was Susanna.


    "Oh my, Star! I''ve got some juicy news for you."


    Ste replied, "What''s so juicy?"


    Honestly, what could be juicier than spotting ise with a woman, pushing a stroller at the Cherry Galleria?


    If there was one thing about Susanna, it was her knack for stumbling upon scandalous tidbits wherever she went.


    Susanna continued, "I''ve got three hot topics for you: one about Yorick Quarry, one about ise, and one about Cloudia. Which one do you want first?"


    Three of them?


    Ste didn''t care. "You pick."


    After all, they were all equally intriguing.


    Susanna started, "Imogen is on the hunt for a marriage partner for Yorick. She''s officially put the word out."


    Ste responded, "Urs''s going to be fuming, isn''t she?"


    Everyone knew about Urs''s feelings for Yorick. If it was love, then why had she been dating several guys while abroad? If it wasn''t, why did she cling to him like glue whenever she was in Portis City?


    Before Susanna could respond, Ste added, "With all the drama between him and Urs, who in their right mind would consider marrying him now?"


    Not to mention Yorick''s messy past engagement with her. After the scandal Ste herself had stirred up, any respectable family in Portis City would think twice before offering their daughter as a potential bride for Yorick. Susanna chuckled. "Oh, but honey, the Quarrys are still the top brass in Portis City. Plenty of folks would jump at the chance."


    Ste sighed.


    Right, she''d momentarily forgotten the stature of the Quarry family. Even though they''d suffered a blow by not partnering with Ronald, they were still a force to be reckoned with. A wounded lion is still a lion. And they''d managed to keep the news about their irreceable mineral under wraps. Most people just assumed the Quarrys wanted to distance Yorick from the Larkin family''s sickly reputation, hence the push for him to marry.


    Ste suggested, "Should we leak this to Urs? Let her know the truth?"


    "I''ve already tipped off Vivian Warner," Susanna revealed.


    Vivian was Urs''s best friend, and if Vivian knew, Urs would find out soon enough. Those two were always scheming, each with more cunning ideas than thest.


    Ste remarked, "If Vivian spills the beans, that friendship''s as fake as it gets."


    "Wasn''t it always? Vivian''s jealousy of Urs is no secret, except to Urs herself."


    Ste chuckled, "True enough."


    Susanna moved on. "Now, about that baby... it''s practically confirmed that ise is the father."


    Ste asked, "What''s your evidence?"


    "The woman is the CFO of the Larkin Group," Susanna revealed, her investigative prowess shining through.


    Ste eximed, "Dipping into thepany pool, huh?"


    Susanna added, "ise was at the hospital with her for a whole week while she was giving birth."


    If the kids weren''t ise''s, that would be a shocker. "And get this, they''re twins - a boy and a girl."


    Ste couldn''t help butugh. "At his age, he''s really going all out, isn''t he?"


    Susanna agreed, "You said it. Your dear old dad''s still got it."


    Ste grimaced. "Ugh... imagine if Cloudia finds out. She''ll lose it."


    The CFO was a big deal, controlling thepany''s finances. Cloudia had always felt secure because she believed Jaxon was ise''s sole heir, ensuring her position in the Larkin family.  en


    But now? This changed everything.


    Scandalous!


    Susanna continued, "Oh, she''ll definitely explode."


    Ste asked, "And what about Cloudia? Is there more drama?"


    Susannaughed. "Oh, L just gave her a piece of her mind."


    "You were at the hospital again?"


    "Nope, just got a call from a doctor.


    friend there. Apparently, L into


    soudia for not letting boret


    II


    Ste was intrigued, "Really?"


    "Yeah, L caused quite the scene, using Cloudia''s adopted


    daughter of being loose, egging her on to steal her biological daughter''s fiancé and even trying to pair her with her biological son. It got ugly."