“Huh?” Susanna's eyebrows shot up. They'd sent someone else?

"What about Yvonne and Mr. Schultz?" she asked.

"They've already gone back to Ferrowland."

"Oh. Really, there was no need to send anybody," Susanna said.

"Why not?"

“Because the Murray family is in complete chaos right now," Susanna replied. "They're so tangled up in their own mess, they don't have the energy to deal with anyone from the outside."

"Total chaos?" Stella echoed, sounding doubtful. Was it really that bad? Derek's kids might not be close, but Adelle's children had always stuck together.

Seeing Stella's hesitation, Susanna cleared her throat and leaned in a little. "Right now, the whole Murray clan is getting DNA tests done. Derek—that old bastard— and his precious Adelle are turning the place upside down."

Stella's voice sharpened. "That dramatic?"

"Dramatic is putting it mildly. Their mansion at Blacktower has been an absolute circus all day!"

Stella's laughter had a wicked edge. "Good. If he's at war with his darling Adelle, that relationship is as good as over. He had it coming."

"Exactly," Susanna said, nodding.

"It's what he deserves,” Stella agreed. “After everything Derek did for that woman— all the people he trampled? If there's trouble now, it's long overdue. He built his entire comfortable life off of other women's misery. Looks like karma's catching up with him."

Susanna let out a breath. "My mom called me earlier said I'm not Derek's daughter. And now it's almost certain those twins aren't his, either."

"Once those paternity results come in, Finch might not be his son, either."

"All of them?" Stella sounded amazed.

"It's looking that way. Maybe none of them are his."

"This is wild!" Stella burst out, half laughing in disbelief. "I've never heard anything like this!"

“No kidding. That's why it really makes no difference if you send anyone to help Hull. The Murrays are so busy tearing each other apart, they couldn't possibly pose a threat to anyone else."

"With the Murrays in shambles, the whole Black Gate syndicate is probably headed straight for a meltdown."

"We're sending people anyway," Stella insisted. "You have no idea how deep Hull's grudge against the Murrays runs."

Susanna felt silent. The mention of Hull's hatred made her glance instinctively toward the window stood there with his back to

He

her broad-shouldered, radiating a cold, intimidating presence.

"What kind of grudge is it?" Susanna asked after a pause.

Come to think of it, she'd only recently realized Hull's loathing for the Murrays went

far beyond ordinary rivalry. But she had never worked up the nerve to ask about it.

Stella sounded genuinely surprised. "You don't know?"

"I don't."

"Girl, that man's your future husband—and his archenemy just might be your biological father. How do you not ask about a feud like that?”

Susanna's cheeks grew warm. The phrase "future husband" made her chest tighten.

"That... would've just made things

even more awkward," she admitted,

lowering her voice. All this time, she'd assumed perek was her

father, that connection had made it impossible to bring up the subject.

“True. Must've been a weird topic when you thought Derek was your dad,” Stella conceded. “But now you know he probably isn't, so you can ask Hull directly if you want."

Even if it wasn't set in stone, Susanna's mother had called, saying she wasn't Derek's daughter. If her own mother said so, then that was that.

“Actually... I'd rather just ask you about it."

There was a pause. Susanna risked another glance at Hull-he'd just hung up the phone and was already striding back towards her.

Stella's low voice came through the phone, deadly serious. "He holds a blood feud. Hull's entire family was wiped out."

Susanna's heart hammered in her chest.

"Look, you should be asking Hull that question. He's your future husband, after all.

You two should really start talking about things like this."

And with that, Stella hung up.

The dial tone buzzed in Susanna's

ear. She looked up to find herself dwarfed by the man now standing in

front of her. Hull was built like,

wall when she stood, she barely

came up to his chest, sitting, she was level with his thigh.