Ste looked at Ronald, utterly puzzled.


    Finley raised an eyebrow, just as confused. "What on earth do you mean?"


    Ronald pressed, "How did you check on her?"


    Finley was stunned. What was Ronald getting at here? Was there some secret technique he was unaware of?


    Finley stared at Ronald with a bewildered expression, not grasping his meaning.


    "Um, with my eyes," Finley muttered, trying to make sense of Ronald''s cryptic question.


    Ronald''s face darkened, and he stared at Finley like a clueless fool. "And if she gets sick for this, will you take responsibility?"


    Finley was speechless. "Uh, what? How could she get sick? It''s just some digestive enzyme. You know that."


    She had taken it before, after all.


    Equally confused, Ste interrupted, "Yeah, it''s just a digestive enzyme."


    Ronald nced between the ss in Ste''s hand and her face, then snatched it away.


    Finley was still lost. "What on earth is going on?"


    A little stomach difort didn''t warrant a thorough medical exam before taking the over-the-counter remedies. It wasn''t that big of a deal.


    Ronald''s intense concern for Ste was baffling to Finley. "You''re going overboard with this."


    There was a limit to being attentive and caring. Ronald''s protectiveness of Ste was suffocating to Finley, though whether Ste felt the same was unclear.


    Ronald red at Finley coldly. "She might be pregnant, and you give her random meds?"


    Finley was dumbfounded, his eyes wide as he looked between Ronald and Ste. Then it hit him. "Oh, heck! Ste, you might be pregnant!"


    How had he not considered that possibility? Thinking back, Finley realized that Ste''s recent symptoms were indeed reminiscent of early pregnancy:ck of appetite, fatigue, and even sudden cravings for foods she used to dislike.


    Ste was equally shocked by Ronald''s words.


    "I''m pregnant?" she asked uncertainly.


    Finley scoffed, "You''re the one who''s pregnant, and you''re asking him?"


    Ste was at a loss. Was she really pregnant?


    Ronald gently ruffled Ste''s soft hair, giving Finley a stern look. "You''re going to


    the Muliba Desert, Finley."


    Finley protested, "I just forgot. Don''t be so harsh."


    Ronald was pissed. "Forgot something this important?"


    Finley sighed. "Fine, fine, I messed up. My bad."


    He hadn''t realized just how meticulous Ronald was about


    everything concerning Ste. Yet the thought of going to the Muliba


    Desert was not appealing to Finley.


    Desperate, Finley turned to Ste for help. "Ste, my dear, please say something."


    Only Ste''s words could possibly sway Ronald. No one else stood a chance against him.


    Ste looked to Ronald, about to


    speak, but Ronald preempted heret


    with a chilling warning. "I''ll adde another six months if you plead for him."


    "Say no more. Ste, don''t say a word," Finley quickly interrupted. "I can handle


    it."


    He couldn''t afford to have Ronald any more riled up.


    Finley gave Ronald a pleading look. "This is brutal, just brutal."


    Ronald smirked. "Want me to add even more?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!