Navigating interactions with elders, especially someone like Mrs. Lugar, whom Ste always praises so highly, can feel stifling for Susanna.


    Yet, being around Hull brings its own kind of pressure. Her heart pounds in her chest whenever he''s near. "Star, can you help me find my mom and Tania?" she pleaded.


    Nothingpared to the security Lacey offered her. Despite the years of separation, Susanna still relied on her mother.


    Ste interrupted, "Didn''t Hull say he''d help you with that?"


    He imed he''d get to the bottom of it. His investigation wasn''t only about who had been hunting down Susanna. It would cover who was targeting her mother, too.


    Susanna sighed, "Yeah, but..."


    "But what?" Ste asked, sensing the distress in her friend''s voice.


    "I can barely face him now," Susanna admitted, feeling cornered.


    Hull was clueless! Didn''t he know what was appropriate to see and what wasn''t? Sure, Star mentioned he


    liked looking at pretty women, but those women were at least clothed. With her, it was as if he had no boundaries.


    Seeing Susanna''s spirits sag, Ste tried to reassure her with a nervousugh, "Hull isn''t that bad. He''s just a bit aloof."


    Susanna snapped back, "Well, to you, there''s no bad guy other than the Larkin family."


    In Ste''s eyes, even Yorick was only a fool, a blind one, hopelessly clueless.


    Susanna brought up the Larkin family, much to Ste''s chagrin. "You always know how to hit where it hurts," Ste replied with a sigh.


    Since the disownment agreement with Cloudia, Ste had severed ties with the Larkin family, clean and clear.


    Ronald entered the room just then, catching Ste in her pajamas, phone in hand. Noticing him, Ste quickly said, "We''ll talk tomorrow, okay?" and ended the call.


    Ronald


    smede her, the faint been indulging in a few too med


    of smoke clinging to him. He''d


    cigarettes in his study.


    He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Who were you chatting with?"


    "Susie. She''s really upset," Ste exined.


    "Why?" Ronald asked, puzzled.


    "It''s Hull. He, um, undressed her. You must have a word with him about that," Ste insisted.


    Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Have a word?"


    He was sure Ste''s idea of "having a word" wasn''t what he imagined.


    With utmost seriousness, Ste nodded, "Absolutely. He needs to understand he can''t do that. If he''s conducting an investigation, he should focus on it. He can''t misbehave just because he


    it up."


    can''t get


    Ronald was shocked. "And you think I should just tell him that? Or, pray tell, how would you suggest I approach this?"


    "Just tell him directly," Ste replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.


    Ronald groaned, feeling a headache brewing. "Do you think I or anyone could tell Hull not to strip Susanna''s clothes off?"


    Ste nodded again. "Yeah, that''s what you should say."


    Ronald rubbed his temples, feeling the strain.


    "Are you sure you''re feeling okay today?" he asked, cing his hand on her forehead to see if she was talking nonsense from illness


    Ste admitted, "Yeah, maybe."


    Her voice was already a tad hoarse.