"Susie, what''s your mom got to do with the ck Gate?"


    Ste''s voice came through the phone, direct as an arrow. That kind of straightforwardness took Susanna by surprise.


    "Nothing, why do you ask?"


    Her mom was a proper businesswoman. What on earth could she have to do with a ce like that?


    Surely, there was no connection. And if there was, it had to be something infuriating like the ck Gate taking her - against her will. Why a reputable businesswoman like her mom would be taken by them, Susanna couldn''t fathom.


    "Are you sure?" Ste asked, a hint of doubt creeping into her voice.


    "Positive. What''s wrong?"


    Ste sighed. "Well, here''s the odd thing."


    Susanna''s heart leapt into her throat. "What''s odd?"


    "Just earlier, I overheard someone mention that the former head of the ck Gate was a woman named Lacey Tucker."


    While getting a check-up, she overheard her mom on the phone. They were saying that the ck Gate''s ex-boss had returned.


    Lacey. Susanna''s mom''s name was Lacey, too.


    "That can''t be the same person," Susanna responded without hesitation.


    Before Ste could interject, she added, "There are loads of people with the same name."


    "True," Ste agreed.


    But there was something about hearing that name, especially with Susanna''s mom missing, that felt like more than just a coincidence.


    If her mom were safe and sound in Portis City, it could be written off as a name twin. But now...


    "Hang on, it doesn''t sound right," Susanna suddenly eximed.


    "Hmm?" Ste prompted.


    "Hull said my mom was taken by the ck Gate''s people."


    There wasn''t absolute proof yet, but if Hull was saying it, there had to be some


    lead. With leads in ce, this whole thing...


    Susanna''s breath hitched as she realized the implications.


    This was the ck Gate they were talking about She''d heard the rumors. The ex-boss was


    supposedly taken out by the current head. Power struggles in ces like that were bound to have a dark undercurrent.  swnovel


    "Hull said that?" Ste asked.


    "Yeah," Susanna replied, anxiety rising.


    Her mom was named Lacey, the ex-boss of the ck Gate was named Lacey,


    and now her mom had been taken by them? Even with no apparent connection in Susanna''s mind, such coincidences were hard to ignore.


    "What..." Ste started.


    "Star, you have to help me figure this out."


    "Is this why you wouldn''te with me earlier?" Ste asked.


    She''d suspected Susanna''s sudden change of heart had something to do with


    Hull. Were they using Lacey to negotiate with Susanna?


    In Portis City, Susanna didn''t see her mom often, but it didn''t mean there was no bond. Their interactions might have seemed purely financial, but Susanna deeply relied on her mom, always seeking her approval. Her tendency to cry at the drop of a hat showed she wasn''t the kind to cut ties easily.  swnovel


    Susanna took a shaky breath. "What else could it be?"


    If not for her mom, she''d have left with Ste for sure.


    "Should Ie get you now?" Ste offered. "Might as well not."


    Thinking about Hull''s warnings, Susanna figured that even if Ste picked her up, Hull would still cause trouble. Better to stay put, let Hull''s people sort things out. Then she could leave with a clear conscience.


    swnovel


    Her mind was consumed with worries for her mom. Staying with Ste might onlyplicate things if Hull kept hounding her.


    Ste heard the defeat in Susanna''s voice. "What''s going on now?"


    Susanna replied, "Hull keeps harping on about me giving the wrong meds, iming I''m the mole. He won''t let it go without proof."


    Ste was taken aback. What?! Harping on it?


    "He''s just bluffing, surely," Ste said, annoyed. In her view, that''s all it was. Those sharp eyes of Hull''s - they were as shrewd as a hawk''s. He''d seen it all over the years, hadn''t he?