Two officers fixed their sharp gazes on Lizetta as they questioned her.


    "Ma''am, the child''s guardian called the police and reported that you''d abducted the child and meant to harm him. We need you to cooperate with our investigation. Can you give us your name, and may we see your identification, please?”


    "Why did you take the child? What''s your rtionship to him? And what exactly were you doing with him just now?"


    As the officers stared her down, Lizetta''s eyes instead drifted to Ste.


    Ste''s lips quirked in the faintest smile before she slipped easily into a mask of panic. Her voice trembled as she spoke, sounding genuinely terrified.


    "Ron is just a child-he''s done nothing wrong! Liz, if you''re angry, take it out on me, please. Just don''t hurt the boy, I''m begging you."


    Ste''s shaky plea made it sound as if Lizetta truly had kidnapped Ron.


    Lizetta noticed that as soon as Ste finished, the officers'' suspicion sharpened still further.


    She almostughed at the absurdity, then turned to the officers and said calmly, "Officers, if I really meant to hurt the child, would I have brought him to the hospital? I was simply trying tofort him. As for my ID, I don''t have it with me."


    After all, nobody carries their identification around all the time.


    But the officers weren''t swayed. Their tone grew even firmer. "Then we''ll need you


    toe down to the station with us to give a statement and assist with the investigation."


    As they spoke, the two officers stepped forward as if to escort her away. At that moment, Ron—whether frightened or just ufortable in Anna''s arms—let out a piercing wail.


    The boy''s cries quickly drew a crowd outside the hospital room, people craning their necks to see what was happening.


    Seeing the police surrounding Lizetta, the onlookers began to whisper and point, eyes filled with suspicion and curiosity.


    "What did someone that pretty do to end up in trouble with the police?"


    "Who knows? If the cops are involved, she must''ve done something bad. ssic femme fatale, I guess."


    "Isn''t she the one who hurt that little kid? Just listen to him crying his heart out."


    Lizetta frowned, trying once more to exin. "Officers, the child is sick. His nanny wasn''t even paying attention to him when found tim he''d already copsed. That''s why I brought him here to the hospital. The doctors can vouch for this. I never tried to abduct or harm him.”


    Despite her clear exnation, the officers remained unmoved.


    “Ma''am, pleasee with us to the station. We''ll get to the bottom of this, and if you''ve done nothing wrong, you''ll be released soon enough. Please cooperate."


    Outside the room, the crowd''s chatter grew louder.


    "She''s gorgeous, but what did she do?"


    "Who knows, but the police are here. She must have done something awful. Real snake in the grass, that one."


    "I heard she was rough with the baby. Just look how upset the poor kid is."


    As the gossip swirled, Ste slipped over to scoop Ron into her arms, her lips curling into a subtle, satisfied smile.


    She knew full well that a minor incident like this wouldn''tnd Lizetta in jail, but watching her get dragged down to the police station for a few hours was satisfying enough.


    That''ll teach Lizetta to meddle in


    West family business. She acts like she''s someone important-if it weren''t for Remington''s protection Ste would''ve made her pay a long time ago.


    Just as Ste was savoring her triumph, a deep,manding voice thundered from


    the doorway.


    "And what exactly do you need my girlfriend to cooperate with?" The man''s presence filled the room with authority. "I drove the boy here myself there''s an investigation to be done, perhaps I shoulde along as well to clear things up?"