First, there was the psychiatrist debacle. Now, the endoscopy incident. Every attempt to get her help seemed to backfire in spectacr fashion. At this point, Yvonne wasn''t even willing to let a doctor visit her at home, let alone set foot in a hospital.


    Xander pressed his fingers against his temples, feeling a headacheing on.


    Bzzz, bzzz-the phone vibrated. It was Ronald.


    He picked up, and Ronald didn''t waste words. "The Hull situation is at a tipping point. Stay alert-ck Gate might strike back."


    At this stage, ck Gate was like a cornered animal. And a cornered animal is at its most dangerous when it has nothing left to lose.


    Xander gave a cold huff. “ck Gate''s finished. They''re being crushed from every angle. Even if they wanted to bare their fangs, there''s nothing left for them to bite."


    He wasn''t remotely concerned about ck Gate any longer.


    He added, "And just so it''s clear: everything I''ve taken from ck Gate during this mess is mine. If anyone tries to pull tricks about ownershipter, they can forget it."


    Ronald replied, "Dan got in touch with the Jonas family this morning."


    That snapped Xander back to attention. The Jonas family-from Yornd?


    So Dan still had some tricks up his sleeve, even now, getting close to a family with that kind of reach. That alone was worth paying attention to.


    "How''d he pull that off?" Xander asked.


    "No idea. He was seen having breakfast with the Jonas heiress this morning."


    Xander blinked. The Jonas heiress? Breakfast?


    "Wait-wasn''t his fiancée supposed to be Aira Wilson? The Wilsons'' daughter from Copperidge?" Xander''s mind raced. "So what exactly does it mean that he''s seen having breakfast with the Jonas family''s daughter?"


    Ronald''s voice was cool. "The Murrays only care about what benefits them. What do you think the Wilsons can offer them at this point?"


    "Wanting benefits? Wouldn''t you have been a better catch?" Xander scoffed, unable


    to hide his contempt for Dan or his dubious decision-making.


    Ronald replied, “Back then, he didn''t really know who Yvonne was.”


    "So he didn''t approach her by design?" Xander pressed.


    “If he''d had an agenda, do you really think he''d have faked his own death and run from Ferrond?" Ronald countered.


    Xander fell silent.


    He had to admit, Dan''s disappearing act never made much sense. By all logic, the Murays always chased What benefitted them most Getting close to Yvonne meant tying themselves to the entire Quinn family—maybe even the Lugars.


    But instead, Dan faked his death and vanished.


    What did that say? Maybe he did go to Ferrond with a mission, but meeting Yvonne had been an ident—and he''d never figured out her real identity.


    "So now he''s hoping to use the Jonas family''s influence to shield ck Gate?" Xander guessed.


    Ronald snorted, "There''s only ever been one fool in ck Gate who let feelings get in the way Derek The rest Don''t even get me started Teugh that followed was all scorn.


    He wasn''t wrong. In all the generations of ck Gate, only Derek had ever acted out of anything but selfinterest Every other leader had always put the organization''s profits first.


    And as for Dan—sure, he''d recently announced Finch would be taking over as leader, but now he was suddenly cozying up to the Jonas family? There had to be a catch.


    Xander let out a dry chuckle. "Yvonne really has terrible taste in men. What a mess she got herself into."


    "Just keep your guard up," Ronald said.


    He was about to hang up, but Xander stopped him. “Hold on.”


    "What''s the matter? Getting cold feet?"


    Xander snorted. “Me? Afraid? Of Dan, or ck Gate? What do you take me for, an amateur?"


    "Don''t get cocky. ck Gate''s survived this long for a reason."


    Xander shot back, "When did you get so cautious, Ronald? That doesn''t sound like you at all."