"Alright."


    The housekeeper hurried to the kitchen to fetch Ste''s breakfast she''d assumed Ste wouldn''t being down and had just set it aside to keep warm.


    Ronald stood up, took the te from the housekeeper, and headed straight upstairs without a word.


    Lottie let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, for heaven''s sake."


    She was about to lose her mind.


    The butler stepped forward. "Don''t worry, ma''am. The young master knows what he''s doing."


    If he hadn''t said that, Lottie might have felt better, but the phrase "knows what he''s doing" just made her head pound.


    Did he really know what he was doing this time?


    Upstairs, in the bedroom-


    Ste was out cold, sleeping like a log. Ronald hadn''t dared to wake herst night either; ever since she got pregnant, she''d been sleeping even more than usual.


    "Sweetheart, wake up and get something to eat," Ronald coaxed softly.


    Ste rolled over, mumbling, "Don''t wanna."


    She was so tired it felt impossible to open her eyes.


    Ronald gently pulled back theforter and scooped her up, his voice full of affection. "C''mon, be good. You''re eating for two now, remember?"


    Everyone always said the baby got its nourishment from the mother, and Ronald had been extra careful with Ste ever since.


    Grumbling, Ste buried her face against his chest, whining, "You''re such a jerk."


    Ronald just chuckled, low and fond. "Yeah, I''m a jerk. So be good to me, will you?"


    Ste still couldn''t open her eyes, but Ronald knew she hadn''t really eaten anything since they got back from the partyst night. He was worried she''d get hungry, so he was determined to get some food in her.


    Suddenly, Ste''s phone started buzzing on the nightstand.


    Ronald picked it up. "Your phone."


    "You answer it," Ste mumbled. She''d never cared about privacy with her phone -if Ronald wanted to answer it, he could.


    He picked up, but before he could say anything, a desperate male voice came through the line.


    "Star, I''m waiting for you at the


    Willow Bay Estates. Please, just let


    me see you-just once," Yoriche


    Quarry pleaded, sounding utterly defeated.


    Ronald''s affectionate expression instantly chilled, his eyes narrowing.


    Willow Bay Estates was one of the most exclusive neighborhoods


    capital-so Yorick had a ce there, He was still hanging around then.


    Yorick, not hearing Ste''s voice, called again. “Star?”


    The way he said her nickname made Ronald''s eyes go cold.


    "What do you want with her?" Ronald''s voice was icy.


    A pause. "...Mr. Quinn?"


    "I


    the Quarry family would have at least a


    little backbone," Ronale


    said,


    his e dripping with contempt.


    Yorick sputtered, stunned, but before he could say another word, Ronald hung up.


    Ste, hearing the name Yorick, was suddenly much more awake. Ronald looked down to find her staring up at him, wide-eyed.


    He smirked, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Still keeping in touch with him?"


    "No way," Ste grumbled. "I blocked every number from the old neighborhood. That jerk must''ve gotten a local number here."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll have someone sort it out he won''t have a number to call you from soon enough," Ronald replied, his voice calm.


    Ste blinked. “Uh... is that really going to work?"


    Ronald didn''t answer. Instead, he used her phone to dial Idris.


    Idris picked up almost immediately. "Miss?"


    "It''s me," Ronald said.


    There was a beat, but Idris quickly caught on-Ronald often answered Ste''s phone these days.


    "Yes, sir?"


    "Yorick''s at Willow Bay Estates. Take care of it. He doesn''t belong in this city," Ronald ordered.


    "Understood, sir."


    As soon as Idris heard the name Yorick in connection to their city, he knew exactly what Ronald meant.