Chapter 197 

Renald effortlessly scooped Stella into his arms and made his way downstairs. 

Glancing at her nightgown, he quickly offered her his jacket that had been resting on the sofa. 

Stella wrapped herself in it, feeling the warmth Ronald had left behind. 

“What’s got you wandering downstairs this late?” Ronald inquired. 

Stella hesitated, her stomach rumbling. She wanted to confess her hunger but was unsure of Ronald’s stance on late–night snacks. He had always been strict about meal times and snacking habits. 

But she couldn’t bear it any longer. 

“I’m hungry,” she admitted, her eyes pleading. 

Ronald raised an eyebrow. “You had a pretty hearty dinner, though.” 

Despite having a full plate at dinner, Stella’s wide, watery eyes were hard for Ronald to resist. They made him want to tease her. 

“Really hungry?” 

Very,” Stella nodded earnestly. 

Idris couldn’t stand it any longer. “Maybe we should whip up a little something in the kitchen.” 

He knew how strictly Ronald monitored Stella’s diet, almost to the point where Idris wondered if Stella had ever had her fill. 

As expected, when he said that, Ronald gave him a look. 

Idris backed down, “Ms. Quinn is really hungry.” 

Seeing Idris defend her, Stella cast him a grateful glance, but that didn’t escape Ronald’s notice. 

Pulling her close, he conceded. “Alright, but no crash diets.” 

He recalled Yvonne’s ordeal with a poorly planned diet, which had led to severe nutrient deficiencies. The thought of Stella going through something similar always loomed over him. 

“I won’t,” she promised. 

“Ms. Quinn doesn’t gain weight easily anyway,” Idris added, as if stating the obvious. Stella had always maintained the same figure. 

Ronald pinched Stella’s cheek. “Let’s see what the kitchen can do.” 

Relieved, Stella hurried off to request a bowl of beef chili from the kitchen staff. She noticed a few new faces among them but didn’t linger on the thought. 

When she returned, she caught Ronald and Idris mid–discussion about the Quarry family’s latest move. 

Ronald scoffed. “Thane’s understanding, huh!” 

Send Ursula to him, the sick one? What’s he thinking? 

Idris shared his surprise, especially after hearing about the Quarry family’s threat to keep Yorick away from Ursula. 

Ronald’s expression hardened. 

“No need to send her my way.” 

Idris agreed. Ursula, ill or not, was far from meeting their standards. 

“However, keeping Yorick from seeing her is an intriguing idea,” Ronald mused. 

Idris nodded. “It might make the Quarry family think there’s something between you and Ursula.” 

“Let them think what they want. But putting Yorick on the spot could be interesting.” 

Ronald hadn’t expected Thane to play it this way, but the opportunity to unsettle Yorick was too good to pass up. With Yorick’s attention wholly on Ursula, being barred from seeing her would be an exquisite torture.. 

.9/1