Ste just chewed out, "So, no one''s got the guts anymore, huh?"
Really, was there no one left brave enough?
Stirring the pot, Ste dered, "There''s no way this''ll happen a third time."
She sounded so sure, like she already had the evidence in her hands.
Ronald grinned and pinched her cheek affectionately. "Two years in Portis City and your IQ''s taken a real nosedive."
"Ow, that hurts..." Ste shot Ronald a wounded look.
Seriously?
"But I''m just telling it like it is," she protested.
Anyway, she''d analyzed the situation to death, and that''s just how things stood.
But from here on out, whether it was Dan plotting revenge or Aira scheming, this mess wasn''t going to blow over so easily. Once you got on Yvonne''s bad side, nobody got out unscathed.
"Mmm-"
Suddenly, a smell hit Ste, and she felt nauseous. She instantly pped her hand over her mouth.
Ronald''s brow furrowed. "What''s wrong?"
"Something stinks. I think I''m gonna hurl."
At that, Ronald shot a look at the housekeeper.
The housekeeper caught on right away and hurried over with a ss of cold lemon water-Ste was extra sensitive to smellstely.
The kitchen staff had been extra careful, but somehow, they''d still managed to trigger her stomach.
Ronald took the ss and held it to Ste''s lips. “Here, sip this. It''ll help.”
Lemon was great for pregnant women-helped mask all those overpowering smells.
After a few sips, Ste felt much better. "Yeah, that''s a lot better."
Ronald set the ss down, and his gazended on a tter of salmon that had just been brought out.
His expression darkened. "No more fish at the table from now on."
"Huh? There''s fish?" Ste looked confused.
She hadn''t noticed any fish during dinner. When did they bring that out?
Ronald was always so observant.
She hadn''t felt sick when he sat down, but the minute the fish showed up, something was off.
The housekeeper went pale. "I-I''m so sorry, sir."
"Everyone in the kitchen loses three days'' pay. Today."
The housekeeper just nodded, not daring to argue.
Ste protested, "Come on, it''s not that big a deal..."
"The kitchen''s had your list of food restrictions for weeks now," Ronald reminded her, his tone brooking no argument.
Ste: "!!!"
Okay, so Ronald wasn''t about to let anyone make rookie mistakes like that.
If it was an honest mistake, fine. But if they knew and slipped up anyway, that was
a different story.
"Still feeling sick?"
"No, I''m fine now. Just... have Idris keep an eye on my sister, okay?"
Aira was Dan''s fiancée, and her family was nothing to sneeze at.
Ronald scoffed, "Dan wouldn''t dare try anything in this house. And Aira? She''s not even a blip on the radar."
Ste: "!!!"
She couldn''t argue with that.
She remembered the video-Dan and his buddies had gotten their butts handed to them. As long as they were in Ferrond, there was no way Yvonne was getting the short end of the stick.
Thinking that, Ste rxed a little.
Because of her food sensitivities, Ronald had just disciplined the kitchen staff. By that afternoon, the butler had called everyone together for an emergency meeting.
If anyone slipped up again, it wouldn''t just be three days'' pay on the line.
Everyone at the Quinn family estate knew Ste was the apple of Ronald''s eye.
After lunch, Ste was exhausted after running errands all morning. She just wanted a nap.
Ronald was sitting on the living
room
papech, sifting through urgent
paperwork. Ste curled up, resting her head in hisp, drifting off.
Ronald nced down and smiled at her pouting lips and droopy eyelids.
"Sleepy?" he asked, amusement in his voice.
Ste just murmured, "Mmm."
He gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek and shot the butler a look.
The butler understood immediately and fetched a soft throw nket.
By the time Ronald draped the nket over her, Ste was already fast asleep. He tucked her in with the utmost care...