Hull shook his head, a little incredulous. "Sure, I''ve met my share of schemers before, but never anyone this cunning-pulling off moves this bold. That''s a first."


    He rified, "She wasn''t just some random girl hanging around Quinn. She was actually close with Ste-good friends back in college, I think?" The years blurred the details, but Hull remembered enough.


    Susanna raised a brow. "Really? She was close with Ste? Wow, takes some serious scheming to pull that off."


    Hull nodded. "Yep. But she got herself exiled from Ferrond by Mr. Quinn- couldn''t keep her feelings for him hidden, and eventually confessed. He tossed her out, just like that."


    "He actually kicked her out of the country?" Susanna looked startled.


    Hull''s tone was certain. "That''s right. If I recall, it was right after the first confession." Truthfully, that was about the only intersection Ronald and Berry ever had.


    Susanna''s eyes sparkled with admiration as she caught onto the point. "Now that''s what I call a real man!" she burst out. The way he dealt with problems-clean, direct, no drama. Not like that Yorick, hemming and hawing over Urs, swearing he wanted to marry Ste, but still getting involved in so much mess. Men like him— Susanna would dly keep them on another continent.


    Catching her starry-eyed praise of Ronald, Hull''s face clouded over. He pulled her to his chest with one quick motion. "And what about me? I don''t measure up?”


    His tone made it clear he wasn''t thrilled. Susanna froze for a second, then gave a sheepish littleugh. "Y-you? Of course you do." Was this some kind of joke? Whether Hull was a real man—she knew that answer better than anyone. If he were any more of a man, she wouldn''t be able to handle him—he was already more than she could take. She had zero doubt: if she so much as pretended to disagree, she wouldn''t be able to leave the bedroom for a week.


    "You definitely, you''re totally the real deal," she stammered, trying to keep him in a good mood.


    Hull changed the subject, his voice even again. "Back to Berry. What''s the deal with her now?"


    Berry-a name that had vanished for


    years from a


    any conversation near Ronald. After her confession, she''dpletely disappeared. Ronald had zero patience for distractions like that and be protectiveness of Ste was justmon knowledge.


    "She''s in Novaderma,” Susanna muttered, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "She had cosmetic surgery to look like Ste."


    Hull''s frown deepened. "Are you serious?"


    "She''s copying everything-Ste''s clothes, her whole lifestyle, habits-you name it. It''s honestly kind of creepy." Susanna shook her head in disbelief.


    So, after all the careful plotting Mona Haig had done her n supposedly wless —here it was, unraveling in broad daylight, gossiped about by Ronald''s people without Mona ever suspecting.


    Susanna finished her story and


    looped her arms around Hull''s neck.


    1.n


    "See? None of them are any good. Yorick, especially. He might''ve passed along this info, but there''s no


    way


    yhe didn''t have some angle. Remember when he was so awful to Ste back in Portis City? Now he shows up ying the good guy?


    Give me a break."


    Hull let out a littleugh. “Someone once told me that two people who are nothing


    alike can never really be friends. Back then, I wasn''t sure I believed it."


    "Hm?" Susanna tilted her head.


    He looked at her and nodded. "Now, I do." Since Susanna hade into


    his orbit, she''d always seemed a little naive to him- but now he saw more and more of Ste''s qualities in her, little simrities that snuck out when he wasn''t expecting them.


    Susanna blinked, then caught his meaning. She pouted, cheeks puffed with mock


    indignation. “Hey! Are you saying I''m dumber than those two?"