Yvonne didn''t even spare Xander a nce. Instead, she picked up a piece of tender beef and dropped it into Ste''s bowl. “Ignore him. Just eat, sweetheart."


    Xander just stared, at a loss for words. Hadn''t he said it a hundred times? Ste was hardly a child anymore-she didn''t need to be fussed over like this. Or... did she? Was he missing something? Best to stay quiet, he decided when Ste was around, anything he said just seemed toe out wrong.


    He cut off the call with Shawn, who was still rambling on the other end, and turned his attention to Yvonne with a pleading expression. "You really want to be this harsh with him? I just don''t want anything to happen while he''s out there on his own."


    It was pitch ck outside, nothing but mountains for miles. Shawn had over forty miles to walk-he might not even make it by sunrise.


    "You''re wee to go with him, you know," Yvonne said, barely looking up.


    Xander was left speechless.


    Yvonne went on, "Honestly, he''s a grown man, not some helpless damsel. You really think ''it''s not safe'' is a good enough excuse?"


    He winced—when she put it that way, his argument did sound pretty flimsy. Shawn was furious right now; if anyone tried to intervene, they''d probably end up on the receiving end of that anger.


    So, Xander fell silent.


    Finally, Yvonne nudged him along. "Alright, enough. Eat up. Once we''re done, we''re heading back to the Schultz estate."


    Xander''s head snapped up. "Back to the Schultz estate?"


    "Of course. Where else? I''m your wife now, aren''t I? Unless you think I should be staying somewhere else."


    He couldn''t help the twitch in his jaw as he nced at Ste, wondering what conversation she and Yvonne might have had upstairs. As far as he knew, Yvonne would rather walk on hot coals than live with the Schultz family. Truth be told, the feeling was mutual-he found the whole ce suffocating. The people, the atmosphere, their very presence seemed to make the air unbreathable.


    And now Yvonne was volunteering to move in?


    "Technically, we should... but—"


    Yvonne shut him down before he could finish. "No buts."


    He hesitated. "You''re serious? You actually want to live there?"


    She shot him a look. "Do I seem like I''m joking?"


    He swallowed. No, she definitely wasn''t joking.


    If he was honest, he almost felt sorry for the others back at the estate. Nobody could torment that crowd quite like Yvonne could. And then there was the whole Berry and Mona situation. Was Yvonne really nning to live there or was sheying groundwork for revenge? He couldn''t help but wonder.


    He nced at Ronald, whose face soured the instant the Schultz family was mentioned. Carefully, Ronald ced a peeled shrimp into Ste''s bowl.


    "I really can''t eat any more," Ste protested gently, pushing her bowl away. "I''m stuffed."


    She had eaten plenty already. Ever


    rn


    since they''dHearned she was expecting twins, Ronald had been. obsessed with her nutrition. Her stomach kept growing, but she herself was barely putting on any weight-enough to make Ronald believe she was dangerously undernourished.


    Yvonne, still battling morning sickness, just picked at her food before finally pushing


    her te away. She and Xander set off for the Schultz estate as soon as they finished.


    Once they were out of earshot, Ronald turned to Ste. "So what did you and Yvonne talk about earlier?"


    Ste nced at him, her eyes calm. “She said she was going back to take Mona and Berry down, once and for all."


    Ronald''s expression darkened.


    Ste added quietly, “I just don''t want them to get off easy.”


    As far as the Schultz family went, aside from Xander-now that everything had been cleared up-there wasn''t one among them she could folerate Tristan Schultz, Mona, Regina, Yale Schultz..cand


    w there was a new name to add


    now


    to the list, Berry.


    “But I don''t think Berry''s real goal is to rece me,” Ste murmured, half to herself.