"Do you think Yvonne''s in any danger?"


    Before Hull could respond, Susanna jumped in, worry etched all over her face. If Yvonne was in trouble, she had to call her right away and tell her to get out. No questions asked.


    As for her mom... well, she''d figure out a way to get to ck Gate herself and stall those people.


    Hull shook his head. "Danger? No way. No one at ck Gate would darey a finger on her."


    Yvonne was, after all, the Quinn family''s first daughter-the crown jewel. If ck Gate so much as touched her, it''d be like signing their own death warrant.


    "Remember, Lottie''sing after ck Gate because of what Dan did to Yvonne a few years back," Hull continued. "They wouldn''t risk it now, not with Lottie breathing down their necks."


    Susanna let out a shaky breath, feeling a little relief for the first time in hours. Hull seemed to read her mind. "But you, going to ck Gate? That won''t work." Susanna frowned. "What do you mean?"


    He gave her a look. "If you walk in now, all you''ll do is give them leverage over your mom. Don''t be stupid, Susanna. You''d be walking right into their trap."


    ck Gate was tearing the ce apart looking for Lacey. And when Lacey disappeared, she took something with her-something ck Gate had been desperate to find for years. If Susanna showed up now, she''d be nothing more than a bargaining chip.


    "So what do I do? Just hide?" Susanna''s voice cracked on the word. The irony stung.


    All the people running ck Gate were her own flesh and blood, yet because of them, she didn''t even have the right to live her life in the open.


    Hull saw the pain in her eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her gentler this time, not like before when desperation took over.


    Tears slid down Susanna''s cheeks. She never imagined her life would turn out like this—always running, always hiding.


    Hull brushed her tears away with a kiss. "It''s not hiding," he said softly, but firmly. "You just have to stay here. With me."


    There was a quiet power in his words, a promise that made Susanna feel, for the first time, truly safe. She didn''t have to run. She just had to stay by his side.


    So she did. Wrapped in Hull''s arms, Susanna finally let herself rx, letting his strength shield her from the world.


    Meanwhile, ck Gate was in total chaos.


    Lottie hade down on them like a hurricane ruthless, relentless. In just one day, her people had seized of two-thirds of tepeak


    contros! That was


    Mines. Two


    basically the whole operation ck Gate was losing its grip.  s


    Inside the cktower''s library, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.


    There was a crash-then another, Even from outside, you could hear Derek hurling books and ss across the room. The whole ce. looked like a tornado had ripped through.  s


    Adelle and Finch stood by, grim-faced. Dan had just called, ordering Finch back.


    Finch told the butler tly, "I didn''t take Susanna. If they want her, they better hand her over themselves." He didn''t care he just wanted the problem gone.


    Whether they''d taken her or not, they needed to produce Susanna-fast. Derek was fuming, practically seeing red.


    Finch mmed his fist on the table. "Dad, it had to be Dan. He hates us!<fne097> Newest update provided by ?ovelFind</fne097>


    He''s the only one with a reason t take her. All this chaos? It''s his doing. He brought those outsiders in to destroy us!"  s


    Adelle turned to Derek, her voice low and urgent. "Derek, we need to hand her over. Now."