Tegan stayed for dinner at the Quinn family''s home, spending the entire afternoon catching up with Ste.


    She talked about all the little things, the ups and downs of her years with Uriah.


    Listening to her, Ste finally realized that Tegan and Uriah''s rtionship had been festering for a long time, rotten to the core.


    Of course, she felt a pang of regret for them, but what could she do?


    Especially when Tegan described how Uriah would side with her on everything- unless it involved Leslie. Then, it was apletely different story.


    The final straw was when Helena came to live with the Horner family. Uriah started arguing with her because of Leslie, and Tegan just couldn''t take it anymore.


    From what Tegan said, Ste could almost picture Leslie and Helena teaming up to drive her away. She even wondered if Leslie was the one who brought Helena into the Horner household in the first ce.


    "Alright, you pretty much know the whole story now. From here on out, I''m counting on you in Yornd!" Tegan said, her tone lightening after unburdening herself all afternoon.


    "I know. Don''t worry, I''ll have it all arranged," Ste promised.


    "Star, Susie and I are so lucky to have you."


    Ste just smiled.


    "Seriously, if it wasn''t for you, I don''t think I could have taken this step," Tegan admitted.


    She knew exactly how much Leslie despised her. Once she was no longer under Uriah''s protection, she would be in danger for a long time.


    With Ste''s help, she could take that first step and have a chance to survive.


    "If Uriah finds out about this, he''ll probably want to tear me to pieces," Ste mused.


    "Are you..."


    "Don''t worry. You think I''m scared of him?" Ste said with a scoff.


    She used to have a decent impression of Uriah, but after hearing Tegan''s story today, she had lost all respect for him.


    Helping Tegan was a given. As for Uriah wanting to tear her apart... Ste wasn''t afraid.


    Tegan chuckled at her friend''s fierce expression. "He wouldn''t dare."


    Ste had Ronald, not to mention the entire Quinn and Lugar families, backing her up. Even if Uriah wanted to rip Ste limb from limb, he couldn''t.


    That was the main reason why, after thinking it through, Tegan had decided to ask Ste for help.


    "Don''t do anything rash. Just block Leslie''s people, that''s all," Tegan instructed. Ste raised an eyebrow but said nothing.


    Just block them? Sorry, but if she was going to get involved, nobody was walking away unscathed.


    If Leslie dared to send people after Tegan, Ste wasn''t going to y. She wouldn''t I


    her best girls get hurt.ex of


    In fact, she nned on sending that trouble right back in Leslie''s face.


    After their talk, Tegan left the Quinn residence. But just as she opened the front


    door, Finley came charging in.


    The impact sent Tegan stumbling,


    and she instinctively reached out for something to grab onto Her hands found... Finley''s waist.


    Tegan froze.


    Finley froze.


    He wentpletely rigid the moment he felt arms wrap around his midsection.


    He looked down to see Tegan, basically kneeling in front of him, hands mped tightly around his waist.


    Their eyes met.


    Finley: "!!!"


    Tegan: "!!!"


    The world seemed to grind to a halt.


    Ste had been about to head


    upstairs to rest when she noticed Tegan had left her phone. She came backout to give it to her, onto


    walk in on the scene in the foyer.


    Ste: "!!!"


    Instantly, everyone in the room, including the maids, waspletely dumbfounded.


    Ste''s mouth twitched. She looked at Tegan, still kneeling in front of Finley with a death grip on his waist.


    An image of Finley clinging to her own legs that morning shed through her mind.


    Then, another memory surfaced: Susanna stumbling outside Wave Residence, her hand catching on Hull''s belt to break her fall.