"So, what did you guys talk about?" Ste asked, her curiosity piqued. Yvonne was known for her knack for handling situations, and the earlier chaos had simmered down within minutes.


    "He said he wants to marry me," Yvonne replied. "He wants me to meet him at the city hall tomorrow."


    Ste eximed, "What?"


    Her face froze at Yvonne''s words; clearly she found it difficult to process Xander''s sudden change of heart. Weren''t they about to throw down. How did things turn around so quickly?


    Yvonne let out a skeptical huff. "Do you think that jerk''s up to something?" Definitely a scheme, otherwise it''d be hard to exin his dramatic attitude.


    Ste nodded. "Yeah, he must be up no good."


    In just under an hour, everything had flipped on its head. Dan, who had been distant, suddenly seemed affectionate in their phone call. It was suspicious, to say the least.


    "And Dan, that ck-hearted scoundrel," Yvonne continued, frustration creeping into her voice. "He threw me under the bus on purpose, making it seem like I took those files for him."


    Ste shook her head, at a loss for words. It was clear Dan intended to make Xander suspicious of Yvonne, but fortunately, she wasn''t falling for it.


    "That man''s got a filthy mind," Yvonne said, shaking her head. "After everything we had, he really went there."


    "What does he gain from making you the target of Xander''s wrath?" Ste wondered aloud. "Did he not realize Xander had been on edge ever since Ronald had been breathing down his neck?"


    The memory of Xander arriving armed today shed through Yvonne''s mind-one misstep, and she would die. Her fingers twitched with the urge to crush Dan''s windpipe right then.


    Ste, afraid of her harboring some unnecessary feelings, chimed in, reminding Yvonne of the past. "Remember, you once fancied him."


    Yvonne winced at the words. "Tell me about it. Was I blind back then? How did I ever fall for that?"


    While showing Ste some jewelry earlier, Yvonne had felt a twinge of sadness. But now...


    Ste was reassured by Yvonne''s resilience. That was the spirit of a Quinn. They could love, but if it was not worth it, they knew when to let go.


    "So, are you going to marry Xander tomorrow?" Ste asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Yvonne hesitated. The idea had been hers initially, but Xander''s sudden agreement seemed off.


    They had fought like cats and dogs, but as Xander agreed to the marriage, Yvonne cringed due to the bafflement of Xander''s motive.


    "Should I?" Yvonne asked, gazing at Ste.


    Ste didn''t hesitate. "No way."


    Yvonne added, "Hearing ''getting married''e from Xander''s mouth, why doesn''t


    it sit right with me? Why do you think he''d suddenly offer to marry me?"


    She wasn''t naive enough to believe fairy tales about Xander "falling in love" all of a sudden.


    Ste was silent. Without having been there to witness Xander''s transformation, Ste couldn''t quite put her finger on it, but she was sure of one thing. "It''s probably best not to."


    Yvonne nodded at her suggestion, her resolve strengthening. If this had been her idea to trap Xander, she might consider it. But given Xander''s suspicious behavior, she knew she had to be cautious.


    As they talked, they made their way to Ronald''s study, still deep in conversation about the unfolding drama until they reached the door.