The ck Gate was always a mess, but now it wasplete chaos.


    The morning breeze used to be crisp and sweet... but this particr morning, the entire Murray family had lost their minds.<fn7d63> Official source is find?novel</fn7d63>


    Ivanna burst into the kitchen, where Adelle was nursing a mug of ck coffee. "Mom, what the hell is going on? What''s up with the Quinns and the Schultzes?"


    Adelle looked up, clearly exhausted. "What now?"


    Just hearing the names "Quinn" and "Schultz" seemed to suck the life out of her.


    Ivanna mmed her hand on the counter. "My Bristle Bay-some woman named Yvonne just went in and took it. She freaking took it, Mom!"


    She nearly spat the word "took." As the princess of the ck Gate, she was used to people fearing her she didn''t steal from others. Having someone steal from her? Unthinkable.


    Adelle''s face drained of color. She stared at Ivanna, at a loss for words.


    Ivanna pressed on, her own face pale with anger. "What''s going on?"


    She''d been busy caring for Leanne, who was badly hurt, and had no idea the ck Gate was falling apart. When she''d gotten the call from Bristle Bay, she''d nearly lost her mind. Someone dared to steal from her-her!


    Didn''t they know who that belonged to? Were they insane?


    Adelle''s eyes narrowed. "What do you think? It''s all because of that little witch."


    She practically growled the words, grinding her teeth on "little witch" as if she wanted to chew the name Susanna into pieces and spit out the bones.


    Ivanna frowned. "Who?"


    "Who do you think? The one you tried to get rid of before."


    Ivanna''s face darkened instantly. "Her?"


    "You''re telling me Bristle Bay is gone because of her? She''s nothing!"


    Now she was really fuming. In her mind, Susanna was nobody-a stray her father never wanted. Her mother hade back to ck Gate and turned their lives upside down. As far as Ivanna was concerned they should both just disappear


    But now...


    Adelle''s voice was icy. "She''s vanished. Now the Quinns, the Schultzes, even Mr. Miguel-they''re all on our backs, demanding we hand her over. We can''t, so they''re going after our assets Your brother''s, your father''s, mine-every major holding is under attack."


    She faltered, furious beyond words.


    It was bad enough their own stuff was in shambles; now, these families wereing for Ivanna''s interests too!


    That Susanna—she was nothing but trouble. Just like her mother, charming men left and right. Even Mr. Miguel had fallen for her tricks and now the ck Gate was in total disarray.


    Ivanna could hardly believe it. "She''s got that kind of pull?"


    Adelle red. “Apparently, she does."


    Ivanna clenched her fists. "So where the hell is she? Did Dan take her?"


    Dan had been their main rivaltely, power ys escting by the day. He''d dragged Lacey back and now. Susanna was missing, and the whole ck Gate was in chaos. It had to be him, right?


    Adelle shook her head. "Your father''s people checked everywhere. Odds are,


    she''s not even in ck Gate anymore."


    "What?"


    Not in ck Gate?


    Then what was all this for? Ivanna''s rage exploded all over again.