Damn, what a mess this has turned into...


    Ronald: "Say it. Call me ''honey.""


    Ste: "!!!"


    Wait, what...?


    Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"


    Ste sputtered, "What are you even doing right now?"


    Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Seriously, here she was, trying to have a real conversation with him, and he was pulling this nonsense!


    Ronald grinned. "Say it first."


    Ste: "!!"


    No way...


    This was supposed to be a serious moment!


    Ronald: "If you say it, I''ll tell you what to do."


    "For real?"


    Unbelievable... At a time like this, he''s thinking about *that*?


    Ronald leaned in, his voice teasing, "C''mon, Stell. You need to get used to it."


    He really wasn''t going to let her call him "Ronnie" like before anymore.


    Ste squirmed in his arms, trying to wriggle free, but Ronald''s grip around her waist only tightened.


    Finally, she caved, mumbling, "Honey."


    Her face, already red as a cherry pie, only grew hotter with embarrassment.


    Ronald: "Again."


    She rolled her eyes, but couldn''t hide her smile. "Jeez, you... Honey."


    "Okay, now will you tell me?"


    How had she never realized he could be such a tease?


    Ronald looked satisfied, giving her nose a gentle pinch. "Alright. Honestly, if she really was the former boss of ck Gate, then you don''t need to worry so much."


    "What do you mean?"


    How could she not worry?


    If Lacey Tucker really had been the


    top dog at ck Gate, she''d


    definitely have bad blood with whoever was in charge now. And the fact she''d gone missing from Portis City, only to be dragged back by the current head of the organization? Yeah, this was a mess...


    But Ronald seemed a lot more rxed about it than Ste was.


    He exined, "Look, anyone who could run ck Gate isn''t exactly a pushover, you know?"


    Ste: "..."


    Well... when he put it that way, it almost made sense.


    "But she''s the former boss," Ste pointed out. "How could shepete with whoever''s in charge now?"


    She hated to admit it, but sometimes, when you''re out, you''re out. People move on fast.


    Ronald''s tone turned serious. "That seat at the top? It''s never been stable for the current boss these past few years."


    Ste: "Unstable?"


    Ronald nodded. "Very."


    Ste: "..."


    If that was true...


    "Is it because of Lacey?"


    What could make it so unstable? Maybe it was because the current boss hadn''t exactly gotten there fair and square. If you w your way to the top with dirty tricks, it''s no wonder the throne feels shaky.


    Ronald carried her over to the sofa and sat down, still holding her close. "From what I''ve heard," he said, "Lacey T


    Tucker was always respected at ck Gate. Someone likener isn''t easy to rece."


    "So it''s even moreplicated than I thought?"


    Ste bit her lip, anxiety gnawing at her. If Ronald was right, and the current boss was feeling threatened enough to haul Lacey back in, things were about to get ugly.


    She worried even more about Lacey now.


    Ronald seemed to read her mind, his voice turning gentle but firm. "Honestly, Ste, with her kind of status, whatever''s going down between her and ck Gate isn''t something you can fix."


    Ste: "..."


    He was right. Power struggles at the top? That was way above her pay grade.


    "But that doesn''t mean you can''t help her at all," Ronald added.


    "How?" Ste perked up instantly.


    He met her hopeful gaze, chuckling softly. "Just keep Susanna safe. That''s the


    best thing you can do for Lacey right now."


    Ste was speechless.