I couldnât help thinking that Ewan was exaggerating. Was Steven that scary? Ewanâs respect was a little over the top.
I didnât lose my cool. If the Larsons wanted to cause a scene, so be it. There wasnât anyone else at the Lincoln residence aside from Ignatius, who could only get mad since he was paralyzed in bed.
âMr. Lincoln⦠thereâs also some trouble with the Lincoln family. Mr. Dax has been arrested under the suspicion of being involved in an abduction and murderâforâhire case. Butâ¦â
Ewan hesitated. âIâm sorry about this, sir. The weeds are too entangled to be cleared in one 1. go.
If one didnât make sure to thoroughly exterminate the pests in oneâs life, the pests would eventually return.
âWeâll just have to make sure the gardeners clear them more frequently. Even if we canât uproot them, we still have to scare the weeds and let them know theyâll be removed if they grow too quickly,â Steven said softly.
I could tell he was insinuating something, but I was a little embarrassed to ask with him and Ewan being so open around me.
After dinner, Steven leaned on my shoulder and asked, âDo you want to watch a show?â
ny self.
Now that Ewan wasnât around, he was back to being his clingy âWell, I have a show for you.â I raised an eyebrow and held his hand. âI bet Charles and Nadia want nothing more than to rip my throat out now.â
They had to be furious over their precious Ann being dangled from the beams for a whole night.
âIâm here for you,â Steven said seriously as he brought me away.
I followed him, blurting out, âYour legs are so long.â
Had he taken steroids over the years? Based on my hazy memories, heâd only been around six feet tall when I gifted him some clothes. He was at least an inch taller now.
22 He turned to give me a silly grin. Then, he winked and said, âMy legs arenât the only things that are long.â
It took me a while to realize what he was saying. His gaze was as innocent as ever, but his words were far from that.
As soon as we entered the Lincoln residence, my âmotherâ, Nadia, pounced on me. Steven stood before me, keeping me safe behind him. He looked at Nadia icily.
She didnât manage to stop in time, but Steven pulled me along with him as he dodged her. She fell on her face.
He said seriously, âYou donât have to get on your knees before us so early in the morning.â
Nadia looked murderous. She pointed at me and screeched, âYouâre a fucking psycho, Stephany!
You mustâve caught it from someone else! How dare you hang Ann from the beams for a whole night? Iâll kill you!â
She wanted to hit me, but Steven caught her wrist and shoved her away. There wasnât any hint of his usual silliness as he stood there. In fact, he looked downright handsome. âWho allowed you to touch my woman?â
Nadia was stunned. She subconsciously turned to look at Charles, who was still trying to test whether Steven was a dimwit. âStephany is our daughter, Steven. This is a family matter.â
âYour daughter? Didnât you sell her to me after asking my grandfather for that 200âmillion- dollar investment ?â Steven held me protectively. âSince you sold her to me, she doesnât have anything to do with you anymore. I dare you to lay a hand on whatâs mine.â
Charles frowned. He wondered how an idiot could be so oppressive. Was Steven putting on an act, or were these his true colors?
I was equally surprised as I gaped at Steven. Which side of him was the real him?
âStephie, youâve crossed the line this time. You canât blame your mother for getting so mad. How could you hang Ann from the beams like that? That was so dangerous.â Charles lowered his voice, not daring to do anything rashly because he couldnât read Steven.
âWhat are you gonna do about it?â I leaned against Steven. âCall the cops if you want.â
âWhy, you!â Charles and Nadia pointed at me with trembling fingers.
âGet the hell out here, Stephany! Iâm gonna kill you!â There was a ruckus outside the door. It was Ann and Kelvin.
Annâs face wa bruised and battered. She had some gauze on it. She looked like she was beside herself with hysteria as she stood there with several people. She was obviously here to get revenge on me.
1 could laugh at how dumb she was. This was the Lincoln residence, and I was pregnant with the Lincoln familyâs heir. Did she and Kelvin think the Lincoln family was beneath them?
Or did they have a death wish?
Stevenâs eyes darkened. He glanced at Ewan, who nodded and stepped away.