To put it bluntly, Xander and Yvonne''s marriage was nothing but a business arrangement.


    Just as Xander walked in, he caught Ronald saying, "Clingy and desperate," and those words made Xander''s jaw clench.


    Clingy and desperate? Really?


    People get desperate when they''re head-over-heels in love. That wasn''t the case here. He and Yvonne were simply... partners in a deal.


    How did it turn into being "desperate" in Ronald''s mouth?


    Catching Xander''s re from the corner of his eye, Ronald just smirked. "Tell Yvonne to keep her temper in check, will you?"


    Idris looked confused. "Keep it in check? Why?"


    But before he could finish, he saw Xander standing at the doorway, arms crossed, face like thunderclouds.


    Ronald shrugged, "Can''t help someone too much, you know."


    Idris choked on his coffee. "Uh...right..."


    If possible, Xander''s scowl got even darker.


    Ronald picked up on Idris''s awkward cough, turned, and met Xander''s icy stare head-on.


    The look on Xander''s face said he was ready to bite someone''s head off. Ronald''s grin grew wider. "Mr. Schultz, wouldn''t you agree?"


    That was it. Xander practically fumed.


    He let out a coldugh, stalking over on his long legs to drop into the seat right across from Ronald.


    "Real ssy, Ronald. Stabbing me in the back on purpose?"


    "Just making sure you don''t get toofortable, buddy."


    The Schultz family-everyone in the room knew the score. Xander''s dad wasn''t keeping ties with the Quinns out of some warm, fuzzy feeling.


    No, he was wary-scared even.


    If Yvonne got herself tangled up in the Schultz family''s mess, it''d be a hell of a lot easier for Xander to take back what belonged to his mom.


    He might be a Schultz by name, but he''d been at war with that family for years.


    Even though he''d walked away from them three years ago, wed back nearly everything that was his mom''s-he wanted more.


    Because the Schultz family had built their early fortune on his mother''s dowry. And his father? Paid her back by betraying her.


    Xander was only fourteen when his father''s "true love"-the woman he''d never let go of-showed up while Xander''s mom was dying in


    ''ve


    childbirth. The shock killed both his mother and his baby sister


    And yet, his father brought that woman and her child straight into the Schultz mansion, letting them live off everything that should''ve


    been his mom''s.


    That wound had never healed for Xander. He didn''t just want what belonged to his mother.


    If he couldn''t have the whole Schultz legacy, he''d see it burn.


    "Ronald, you can stab me in the back on a lot of things," Xander said, his voice ice-cold, "but not this."


    Before Ronald could retort, Xander pressed on, "I know you me me for you and Ste losing those three years."


    "But don''t forget-she''s my fiancée. I never meant to hurt her."


    His voice was getting louder, rougher. If there was one thing the old man did right,


    it was arranging things with Ste.


    Nobody knew, but when Xander found out Ste was going to be his wife, he''d been up all night, unable to sleep.


    And yet...


    How the hell did Ste end up falling for some guy she grew up with? Just


    thinking about it made Xander want to punch something.


    Ronald narrowed his eyes, cold as ice, "You really think Yvonne can help you take everything back?"


    "At least I don''t have to rein her in," Xander shot back through gritted teeth, "Let her loose in the


    family, make a mess of Schultz..


    He wasn''t just looking for chaos.


    Those murderers had lived the good life for way too long. Their time was up.


    Ronald took a sip from the mug in front of him—a pretty pink one, obviously Ste''s.