He said at once, “Mom, I''ll be rooting for you."


    Ste just gave a nomittal hum in response-not cold, not warm, simply neutral.


    Once Ste had left, Haynes finally turned his gaze to Joshua.


    He''d noticed Joshua long ago.


    Even though Joshua kept mostly to himself, trying to blend in, his striking looks made him impossible to ignore.


    Haynes strode over, sizing him up from head to toe, his eyes full of a quiet,manding pressure.


    "Who exactly are you?"


    He''d seen Joshua a few times before, but hadn''t paid much attention at first.


    Frankly, he couldn''t imagine Ste being interested in someone who looked so delicate and out of ce.


    But as Joshua''s appearances at Ste''s side grew more frequent, Haynes started to find him an eyesore.


    Even Neville, for all his closeness, didn''t hover around Ste day and night.


    But this man-every time Haynes saw Ste, he saw him too.


    At the auction, he''d brushed it off; there were plenty of people there.


    But now, for this importantpetition, Ste had brought only him.


    Haynes''s sharp eyes lingered on Joshua.


    If Ste trusted him enough to keep him close, there had to be something more to him.


    Still, Haynes couldn''t shake the feeling that this mysterious man at Ste''s side was here for reasons he dared not voice.


    Most people would have been cowed by Haynes''s intimidating presence.


    Joshua, however, didn''t seem fazed in the slightest. He smiled as easily as ever.


    "My name''s Joshua. I''m Ms. Cameron''s bodyguard and assistant for the time being.


    Ms. Cameron''s fame draws her fair share of trouble. There''s always someone looking to stir things up or put her in harm''s way."


    He shed a meaningful smile. "Especially Mr. O''Brien''s good friend, Jasper. He seems to take the lead in that department.


    With Ms. Cameron''s concert around the corner and an importantpetitioning up, thest thing she needs is to get hurt again."


    Joshua''s words left Haynes with nothing to say.


    Haynes stared him down, his voice cool and quiet,ced with a barely veiled warning.


    "Didn''t Ste ever tell you that a good assistant knows when to keep his mouth shut?


    Loose lips sink ships. One day you might not even know what hit you."


    Joshua


    Smerely smiled, unruffled. "If


    happens to me, that just


    I wasn''t good enough. But rid of me won''t be easy. After all...”


    getting


    He slowed his words, every syble deliberate.


    "I''m working for Ms. Cameron


    She''s fiercely protective of her She wouldn''t let anyone hurt me."


    t belongs to t


    He still wore that pleasant, untroubled smile, but there was the faintest hint of


    challenge in his eyes.


    "Not even you, Mr. O''Brien."


    The moment the words left his


    mouth, Haynes''s expression


    darkened, and even F


    shifted ever so slightly.


    This Joshua was bold—almost brazen—and clearly not afraid.


    For a mere assistant to speak so recklessly, he must have some hidden leverage.


    Could it be...?


    Was Ste treating him differently?


    It wasn''t impossible.


    Otherwise, why would she have chosen a male assistant-one who happened to be so strikingly handsome?


    Foreman, for reasons he couldn''t quite name, felt even more threatened than Haynes.


    Aurora Williams had already been confirmed as the violinist representing the Solmaris region.


    Today, she''de to thepetition venue with Simone Lerman to check out the talent from the Novaris region.


    Just then, Simone gently tugged Aurora''s sleeve.


    "Aurora, that guy... who is he?"


    Aurora followed Simone''s gaze and her eyes widened, just a little.