Even up to today, ck Gate still hadn''t handed the person over. She''d started to wonder if the poor soul had died right there at ck Gate!


    But now someone was telling her that person had actually been with her own brother this whole time?


    Yvonne let out a long, frustrated sigh.


    She was beyond overwhelmed—she felt totally shut down.


    ...


    Ferrond, the Quinn family estate.


    Ronald was in his study, finishing up some paperwork, about to hop on a video call.


    That''s when his phone rang. Yvonne.


    With his usual cool, collected expression, he answered, "What''s up?"


    "Ronald, how could you do this to me? Do you have any idea how stressed I am? I''m practically sick with worry! Why would you do this?"


    "I turned ck Gate upside down, I really thought Susanna was dead. I''ve been freaking out, thinking I''d never be able to exin things to Hull. Ugh—”


    The more she talked, the more upset she got.<fnfa75> The source of th?s content is FindN0vel</fnfa75>


    By the end, she just broke down and started crying, full-on sobbing. Ronald: "..."


    "You are unbelievable! What did you see in ck Gate that you just HAD to take?


    I could''ve helped you! Why''d you have to go about it like this with Susanna?"


    She was really losing it now, ranting and crying at the same time.


    Clearly, she just like Xander-figured Ronald must''ve wanted something from ck Gate.


    Bute on. It''s not like this was the first thing he''d ever wanted.


    Over the years, if Ronald had his eye on something, it always ended up in her hands one way or another.


    And did they ever need some dramatic excuse, stirring up her anger at Dan, to go after someone? Please. They never needed a reason for anything.


    Yvonne had always been tough. She never cried, no matter what happened— except that one time, when Dan died.


    That time, though, she didn''t just cry-she lost itpletely.


    So right now, hearing Yvonne crying on the phone, Ronald pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off a headache.


    "You''ve always been angry with Dan, haven''t you?" he said quietly.


    Yvonne: "Yeah, but that''s no excuse for you to do this to me!"


    Ronald: "..."


    Yvonne: "You''re just the worst. Seriously, you are the absolute worst brother on the, ought to run


    off with make sure you Star and


    never have a wife!"


    fo


    She was fuming now.


    She knew full well that Ste was Ronald''s Achilles'' heel. No way could he handle losing her.


    So at that moment, Yvonne was


    dead set on sweet-talking Star away


    from him, just s? he know how it felt to be desperate and panicked.


    Ronald''s


    enough nadache was already bad


    enough from her crying, but when he heard that, his face darkene


    you dare.


    Don''t


    Yvonne: "Oh, you just watch me. You better keep an eye out, big brother."


    Ronald: "You-"


    Before he could say anything else, she hung up on him.


    He tried calling back-straight to voicemail. Again-still on another call.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Ste''s end-


    She''d been sound asleep, but the phone woke her up. Barely conscious, she picked it up.


    “Hello?” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.


    Yvonne''s voice came through, agitated: "Star, do you love me or Ronald more?"


    Ste: "!!!"


    Yvonne: "C''mon, tell me am I more important to you, or is Ronald?"


    Yvonne was nearly shouting now, totally wound up.


    Ste was still half-asleep, her brain foggier than ever after Yvonne''s outburst.


    Instead of giving a straight answer, she asked, "What happened?"


    "Just tell me who matters more in your heart?"


    Ste: "Um... you?"


    Wait, why was she even being asked this? Ste was finally starting to wake up,


    but none of this was making any sense.