It was Ronald who had sent word for Tegan toe to Mist Bay, and it was the Mist Bay driver who picked her up. None of this would have happened if she hadn''te to Mist Bay.


    Tegan shook her head. "Don''t apologize. If it weren''t for the quick reflexes of your driver, that truck would have run right over where I was sitting."


    Would she have survived that?


    At that moment, Tegan''s voice was calm, with a sense of relief from narrowly escaping disaster.


    However, her words hit like a ton of bricks for Uriah, crashing down on his heart. Ste spoke up, "You..."


    "I saw it," Tegan continued, "the truck driver''s first instinct was to avoid danger for himself. But your driver saved me."


    The driver positioned himself in the way of the truck, stopping its wheels in their tracks. In a split second, he jumped out and climbed onto the truck, dragging the truck driver out.


    Tegan knew that person had deliberately aimed to take her life. Had it been anyone else driving, or had she driven herself back, it might have been herst day.


    These words were meant for Ste to hear but also made things clear to Uriah.


    Ste gripped Tegan''s hand tightly. "Tegan."


    She understood it, too. When Tegan was with Uriah, people merely disliked her, and Uriah protected her.


    But now, they didn''t just dislike her. They hated her enough to plot against her life.


    If it weren''t for Uriah, she, the savior of the Horner family, would be treated worse than a stray dog in that household.


    Once, it was Uriah who kept her going, but now...


    Tegan grasped Ste''s wrist. "You''re heading back to Ferrond tonight, aren''t you?"


    Ste hesitated. Faced with Tegan''s gaze, she couldn''t bring herself to say "yes." With Tegan in such danger, it didn''t seem right to leave. Knowing someone was plotting against Tegan''s life, she couldn''t rest easy.


    When noticing Ste''s hesitation, Tegan''s lips curled into a bitter smile. "I''ll go too."


    "Tegan." Uriah, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, his voice tinged with panic and restraint.


    Ste was stunned by Tegan''s decision to leave with her.


    Tegan ignored Uriah. She held Ste''s hand tightly, "Star, you have a way, don''t you?"


    Ste hesitated.


    A way? Was this girl nning to escape Uriah?


    Ste instinctively nced at Uriah, whose face was tense, his hands clenched into fists.


    She understood. Tegan wanted to leave Uriah and head to Ferrond, something Uriah would never agree to.


    And Tegan''s plea for a "way" meant she wanted Ste to use Ronald''s


    uence t


    get her out. Had things


    gotten this bad between her and Uriah?


    Uriah stepped forward, pulling


    Tegan''s hand from Ste''s grasmet es Wntent belongs to


    "Tegan, don''t you think you should..."


    "Give you a reasonable exnation?"


    He didn''t get to finish before Tegan interrupted him.


    "Then shouldn''t you exin why your mother has been against me all these years?" Tegan demanded.


    "What right does she have? What right does the entire Horner family have?" She nearly shouted thest part.


    Uriah was at a loss for words.


    Ste felt a jolt in her chest.


    Tegan yanked her hand away from Uriah''s grip, her eyes filled with


    resentment as she looked with om


    him.


    The warmth and passion that once filled her gaze were gone.


    Facing Tegan''s cold stare, Uriah felt a pang in his heart. "Did you believe what Forrest said?"