Chapter 197

Sadie clung to Stephen's hand and pleaded, "Stephen, you've got it all wrong. I wasn't... It's just that Mrs. Yagle, well, there's something about her. Come on, Trevon's taken. Why would I want to marry him?"

She gritted her teeth in denial, her voice a mix of defiance and charm. "I'm not crazy enough to sell myself short."

Stephen's stern look softened, and he playfully flicked her forehead. "For a second there, I thought you'd lost your head over Trevon."

"As if! You're way hotter than Trevon!"

Stephen was not swayed by her sweet talk. He warned her again, "Keep your distance from Trevon. Grandpa and the others have plans for your future, and you're not to mess things up, got it?"

Sadie made a face but nodded in agreement.

Seeing Stephen relax a bit, she ventured a quieter question. "So, why are you so chummy with Madeline, huh?"

Stephen's face took on a thoughtful cast. He remembered asking Caleb after the auction if he had really stopped bidding on that painting just to let