Ste couldn''t help butugh. "Haynes, haven''t you figured it out yet? I don''t want to lend the piano-not because I''m worried about my own concert. It''s just... I can''t stand Rachel. I''d rather smash the piano to pieces than let her touch it."


    She looked him straight in the eye, as if daring him to challenge her. "I hope that''s clear enough for you."


    The room seemed to freeze, the silence thick and heavy.


    Haynes'' handsome face darkened. "Even if you had nothing to do with the kidnapping, Rachel is the one who saved Keen. Ste, do you really value this piano more than a violin? Look at it another way—when things turned dangerous, Rachel distracted the kidnapper. She saved you, too, indirectly."


    His eyes dark, bottomless-were full of disappointment as he fixed them on Ste. “Doesn''t my decision make you feel anything at all?"


    Keen, who''d been silent until now, looked up at Ste, worry flickering in his gaze.


    But Ste didn''t look at him. Instead, her tone turned cold. "Objects are just things -people are what matter. If you ever made me choose between Keen and the piano, I wouldn''t hesitate for a second. I''d choose Keen every time."


    Her voice grew even icier. "But if you want me to hand the piano over to the real mastermind behind the kidnapping? I''d sooner destroy it myself."


    Foreman, always eager to keep the peace, chimed in, "The mastermind? Are you saying... Ms. Pearce is the one pulling the strings?"


    Ste shot Rachel a sideways nce, her smile sharp as a de. "Why did the kidnapper insist I be the one to bring the ransom? Why make me choose between two impossible options? Sure, he spun some story about his grudge with Haynes, but who''s to say any of that was real? And then, in front of Rachel and Keen, he starts acting friendly toward me—just tossing out a few words, and suddenly everyone thinks I''m in cahoots with him?"


    She shook her head, herughter bitter. "Honestly, don''t you find it ridiculous? If I really knew the kidnapper, wouldn''t he try to hide it? Why make it so obvious in front of Rachel and Keen? Was he just ying games, or was he trying to make me the target?"


    Her lips twisted into a half-smile, half-sneer. "No matter what I say, you never believe me. Yet you take a criminal''s word as gospel. It''sughable."


    Rachel shrank under Ste''s gaze, cold sweat prickling at her neck. Ste was too sharp-no wonder Joshua had said her n was full of holes Thank God Joshua had stepped in to clean up the mess; otherwise, Ste might have caught her slip already.


    Ste had said everything she needed to. She refused to waste another second on people who didn''t matter.


    Without another word, she turned and walked out of the hospital room.


    Haynes'' eyes darkened. Instinctively, he started to follow, but Foreman stepped in, blocking his way.


    "Haynes, this whole thing still hasn''t been properly investigated. We shouldn''t have rushed to drag Ms. Cameron here. It''s not fair to her."


    Rachel scowled in silence. When Jasper had suggested bringing Ste in, Foreman had kept his mouth shut. But now that Ste was here, he suddenly wanted to y the good guy. Hypocrite.


    Rachel realized that every time she and Ste shed, Foreman always acted the mediator, but somehow, he always seemed to be on Ste''s side. Could he actually... like her?


    ...


    Ste had barely stepped out into the hallway when she heard a small voice


    behind her.


    "Mom." It was Keen, who''d quietly slipped out to follow her.