Ronald arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"


    "She''s nowhere near my height," Ste said matter-of-factly. "She''s almost four inches shorter. There''s no way she could take my ce."


    With so many witnesses, anyone with half-decent eyesight could see the obvious difference in their heights.


    "She and Mona must''ve cooked up this whole scheme—hoping I''d die on the operating table," Ste went on. "That way, Berry could step in and y my part in


    front of you."


    A substitute...


    Berry was so infatuated with Ronald that even the role of a stand-in would have satisfied her.


    Their faces couldn''t have been more different. It was impossible to imagine how many surgeries Berry had undergone just to make herself the spitting image of Ste.


    When Ste mentioned that Berry had probably wanted her to die in childbirth, an icy chill crept over Ronald, radiating from every inch of him.


    "Screw giving them a taste of their own medicine. Let''s just wipe them out!" he growled.


    Ronald didn''t believe in half-measures.


    Ste shot him a brief look—he still had that fierce edge he''d had all those years ago.


    But right now, she simply watched him in silence. The murderous glint in his eyes softened; a momentter, he pulled her into his arms and settled her on hisp, pressing her head gently against his chest.


    "Sorry," he whispered.


    "I''m not afraid anymore," she replied.


    Years ago, when she''d first witnessed Ronald kill, she''d been frozen in terror. But that was a lifetime ago.


    Her words drew a hint of a loving smile to his lips. “What about Berry, then?”


    "Yvonne has a n," Ste said. "Berry can''t die just yet. Seems she''s got some unfinished business with Yale."


    "She''s trying to use all this as leverage to take down Yale and Mona."


    Ronald nodded slightly, clearly interested to learn that Yvonne had her own private vendetta against Yale.


    He cradled Ste''s head and kissed her deeply.


    "Mmph-" she protested softly.


    There he went again-kissing and cuddling her right out in the open, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    "Now that Yvonne''s back,” he murmured, “she''ll be at our wedding, won''t she?"


    Ste had always been anxious about whether Yvonne could make it to the ceremony.


    But now, that worry was gone.


    She nodded. "Yes."


    Ronald and Ste were remarkably unfazed by the entire Berry situation. In their world, people like Berry and. Mong were mere


    pests-insignificant, easily crushed if the mood struck.


    Together, Yvonne and Xander returned to the Schultz estate.


    Tristan, Yale, and Mona were all at home. When the pair walked in unexpectedly, the three exchanged loaded nces each with their own private calctions.


    Though Xander was Tristan''s son by blood, the mysterious death of his mother had always cast a shadow between father and son. Now, seeing him return with Yvonne in tow, their minds shed back to thest time Xander had been at the estate when he''d made off with, sizable share of the Schultz family''s wealth.


    Yale''s face went ashen with rage.


    That only worsened when Yvonne casually announced, "I''ve decided to move back


    in."


    All three of them stiffened. Mona''s face, especially, twisted in open dismay at the thought of Yvonne under the same roof.


    Tristan frowned. "Move back in?"


    "It''s only right," Yvonne replied sweetly. "Xander and I are married now. As your daughter-inw, it''s my responsibility to live here and take care of you."


    Xander stayed silent, bemused.


    Take care of him? Did she even hear herself?


    The mention of "responsibility" made all three of them nch. It couldn''t have been


    more obvious they didn''t believe her for a second.


    The heiress of the Quinn family,


    taking care of someone else? They''d consider themselves fucky if she didnt turn the ce upside down. The idea was downright absurd.