"That woman even had a son."


    Yorick fell silent at those words. The news hit him like a ton of bricks, and he hadn''t quite processed it yet.


    Whenever he looked at ise before, he never would have pegged him as the type to have an affair.


    "How did Cloudia find out?" Yorick asked, turning to Jaxon.


    Jaxon paused for a moment, then let out a mockingugh. "With all the drama surrounding Stetely, it''s obvious she''s behind this. It''s her way of getting back at the Larkin family, tearing apart even her own flesh and blood." Just mentioning Ste made Jaxon clench his teeth in frustration. She was his sister, yet she could do this to him.


    The constant pain from his wound served as a sharp reminder, feeding the resentment that boiled inside him.


    Yorick frowned, irritation bubbling up at the mention of Ste.


    "Don''t you think her rtionship with Mr. Quinn seems... not quite like that of siblings?" Yorick ventured.


    Jaxon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"


    Yorick''s mind shed back to that scene at the Silk-River Residences where Ronald casually came out of the shower with just a towel around his waist.


    Would normal siblings act like that? Obviously not.


    Jaxon, however, didn''t have the energy or interest to concern himself with whatever was happening between Ste and Ronald.


    After a moment of thought, he said, "I heard some gossip- she''s got a fiancé back in Ferrond."


    Yorick''s already grim expression deepened further at Jaxon''s words.


    What a piece of work!


    Yorick felt like he was about to explode with anger.


    Jaxon added, "Seems like she''s engaged to Xander Schultz."


    The Schultz family? The second wealthiest family in Ferrond?


    Yorick''s eyes turned icy.


    Jaxon, watching him closely, felt an even deeper pang of destion. Ste didn''t just have Mr. Quinn supporting her; she had the entire Lugar family behind her, and even... Xander, the dandy Satan.


    ...


    On the ne, however, Ronald, usually known for his self-control,pletely lost it as the temperature in the cabin soared.


    As things escted, Ste''s voice grew more desperate. "I don''t want this, let me go, please, I can''t..."


    Tears and pleas filled the air, but Ronald, uncharacteristically, didn''t relent.


    Nearly two hourster, when Ste''s voice had grown hoarse from shouting, Ronald finally released her.


    Exhausted, shey in his arms,


    drenched in sweat. Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, were full of reproach. "You... you''re terrible. How could you be so... so wicked


    en


    JMS


    Where did he learn all these tricks? She had never noticed how devious he could be before.


    Ronald, looking entirely satisfied, chuckled softly before carrying her to the bathroom.


    Once they were cleaned up, Stey on the bed, too drained to move. Ronald scooped her back into his arms. "Star, you gonna tell me now how you managed to escape from his vi?"


    Xander''s vi wasn''t exactly Fort Knox, but with all the guards, it was close enough. Not even a fly could get out easily. Yet, somehow Ste had slipped past them all.


    Ste snuggled closer, her voice a bit raspy. "They got distracted by the dog barking. Couldn''t pay attention to me." Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"


    A dog? That was an interesting twist.


    Ste continued, "The barking was quite the spectacle. They had to check it out."


    While everyone''s attention was on the dog, she''d made her escape.


    Ronald pinched her nose gently. "I underestimated your stamina."


    They couldn''t catch her on foot, even with a car.


    Ste nestled deeper into his arms, finding afortable spot. "For the first hour, they were all chasing after the dog."


    There was no way the dog could run on the highway, and the whole point was to exhaust Xander and his crew. She had picked the strongest dog and unless Xander''s men started shooting, it would be tough for them to catch up.


    Ronald''s eyes widened. His face froze as he looked down at the little kitten in his arms who was now breathing steadily.


    From her few words, Ronald pieced together how she''d managed her escape.


    Xander''s love for dogs was well-known, and it was just Ste''s luck that Yvonne''s month-long harsh training had included...municating with animals.


    When a person is suffering and unable to rely on anyone, they must make full use of any living beings around them with whom they canmunicate.


    "Ronald." Ste, who had already closed her eyes, suddenly lifted her head to look at him. In the soft, orange glow of themp, her face seemed even more delicate. "What is it?"


    Ste said, "You have to hold me. I don''t want to be apart from you."


    Clearly, the brief separation had left a significant mark on Ste''s heart.


    Ronald''s heart took a hit, and he held her even tighter. He kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well, darling."


    His voice was full of affection, reserved only for her.