“Huh?” Susanna''s eyebrows shot up. They''d sent someone else?


    "What about Yvonne and Mr. Schultz?" she asked.


    "They''ve already gone back to Ferrond."


    "Oh. Really, there was no need to send anybody," Susanna said.


    "Why not?"


    “Because the Murray family is inplete chaos right now," Susanna replied. "They''re so tangled up in their own mess, they don''t have the energy to deal with anyone from the outside."


    "Total chaos?" Ste echoed, sounding doubtful. Was it really that bad? Derek''s kids might not be close, but Adelle''s children had always stuck together.


    Seeing Ste''s hesitation, Susanna cleared her throat and leaned in a little. "Right now, the whole Murray n is getting DNA tests done. Derek—that old bastard— and his precious Adelle are turning the ce upside down."


    Ste''s voice sharpened. "That dramatic?"


    "Dramatic is putting it mildly. Their mansion at cktower has been an absolute circus all day!"


    Ste''sughter had a wicked edge. "Good. If he''s at war with his darling Adelle, that rtionship is as good as over. He had iting."


    "Exactly," Susanna said, nodding.


    "It''s what he deserves,” Ste agreed. “After everything Derek did for that woman— all the people he trampled? If there''s trouble now, it''s long overdue. He built his entirefortable life off of other women''s misery. Looks like karma''s catching up with him."


    Susanna let out a breath. "My mom called me earlier said I''m not Derek''s daughter. And now it''s almost certain those twins aren''t his, either."


    "Once those paternity resultse in, Finch might not be his son, either."


    "All of them?" Ste sounded amazed.


    "It''s looking that way. Maybe none of them are his."


    "This is wild!" Ste burst out, halfughing in disbelief. "I''ve never heard anything like this!"


    “No kidding. That''s why it really makes no difference if you send anyone to help Hull. The Murrays are so busy tearing each other apart, they couldn''t possibly pose a threat to anyone else."


    "With the Murrays in shambles, the whole ck Gate syndicate is probably headed straight for a meltdown."


    "We''re sending people anyway," Ste insisted. "You have no idea how deep Hull''s grudge against the Murrays runs."


    Susanna felt silent. The mention of Hull''s hatred made her nce instinctively toward the window stood there with his back to


    He


    her broad-shouldered, radiating a cold, intimidating presence.


    "What kind of grudge is it?" Susanna asked after a pause.


    Come to think of it, she''d only recently realized Hull''s loathing for the Murrays went


    far beyond ordinary rivalry. But she had never worked up the nerve to ask about it.


    Ste sounded genuinely surprised. "You don''t know?"


    "I don''t."


    "Girl, that man''s your future husband—and his archenemy just might be your biological father. How do you not ask about a feud like that?”


    Susanna''s cheeks grew warm. The phrase "future husband" made her chest tighten.


    "That... would''ve just made things


    even more awkward," she admitted,


    lowering her voice. All this time, she''d assumed perek was her


    father, that connection had made it impossible to bring up the subject.


    “True. Must''ve been a weird topic when you thought Derek was your dad,” Ste conceded. “But now you know he probably isn''t, so you can ask Hull directly if you want."


    Even if it wasn''t set in stone, Susanna''s mother had called, saying she wasn''t Derek''s daughter. If her own mother said so, then that was that.


    “Actually... I''d rather just ask you about it."


    There was a pause. Susanna risked another nce at Hull-he''d just hung up the phone and was already striding back towards her.


    Ste''s low voice came through the phone, deadly serious. "He holds a blood feud. Hull''s entire family was wiped out."


    Susanna''s heart hammered in her chest.


    "Look, you should be asking Hull that question. He''s your future husband, after all.


    You two should really start talking about things like this."


    And with that, Ste hung up.


    The dial tone buzzed in Susanna''s


    ear. She looked up to find herself dwarfed by the man now standing in


    front of her. Hull was built like,


    wall when she stood, she barely


    came up to his chest, sitting, she was level with his thigh.