Ste''s face cooled. "And what if I refuse?"


    "You''re Keen''s mother. I don''t want to force you, or have this turn ugly."


    "So, is that a threat?" Ste let out a dryugh. "You know I''m Keen''s mother, yet you want me to be Rachel''s personalposer? Work for your mistress?"


    "I told you, there''s nothing going on between Rachel and me. She''s not my mistress."


    Does it even matter whether Rachel is his mistress?


    What mattered was that Ste refused-she wouldn''t be Rachel''s on-callposer.


    Fury simmered beneath Ste''s smile. "The opportunities that should have been mine, you handed to Rachel. The studio that should have belonged to me, you want me to give up for Rachel. And now you want me to serve as Rachel''s personalposer? Haynes, you really know how to milk me for everything I have, don''t you?"


    Haynes'' eyes were dark and distant. "I''ll give you time to consider. Answer me when you''re ready."


    Ste didn''t hesitate. "There''s nothing to consider. My answer is no."


    Haynes stared at her for a long moment, silent.


    His gaze was cold-emotionless, unreadable-yet it sent a chill through the room.


    After what felt like an eternity, Haynes finally spoke. "If you agree now, you can name your terms. Next time we talk, I''m afraid... things won''t be this easy."


    Ste let out a soft, dismissiveugh, her answer in as day.


    Haynes said nothing more. He turned and walked out.


    Ste watched his retreating figure, her face expressionless.


    Work beside Rachel for three years, watching them y happy family every day? If that''s the arrangement, then what''s the point of even divorcing Haynes? She''d still have to deal with whatever demands Rachel came up with.


    She''d have to be out of her mind to agree to any of it.


    ...


    After leaving Ste''s studio, Haynes suddenly asked, "This is the studio Jasper trashed, isn''t it?"


    The memory of the chaos inside-papers strewn everywhere, instruments overturned-was still fresh.


    Benson was caught off guard, then nodded. "Yes, and it''s also the one Ms. Pearce wants."


    Ever since Rachel returned to the


    Rachel


    country, there was always something going on. If he wasn''t busy with one of Rachel''s requests, he was on his way to report back to her, Meanwhile, Ste-Haynes'' own wife-barely had anything going on at all. Whenever Ste needed something, she''d ask Benson for help.


    At first, Benson would always report back to Haynes. But over time, Ste never made any unreasonable demands, and eventually Haynes told him not to bother reporting at all. Maybe it meant Haynes trusted her as family. Or maybe... he simply didn''t care.


    Either way, Haynes suddenly asking about the studio now caught Benson off guard.


    Haynes pressed his lips together, saying nothing.


    He only knew that Rachel had finally found a studio she truly liked-unfortunately


    for everyone, it just happened to be Ste''s.


    Thepensation Haynes offered was generous by any measure. But for someone like Antoney Watson a couple million dors was pocket change. With the concert season about to begin, two million was nothingpared to the scale of their events.


    In fact, Haynes had originally nned topensate Ste with five million. She was, after all, his ex-wife and the mother of his child. He wasn''t cheap-not that cheap.


    If Ste would just soften, even a little, money would never be the issue.


    But Ste was stubborn to the core-she''d never back down.