*
Simone asked, "But what if she''s better than you?"
Aurora smiled, a glint of challenge in her eyes. "Well, if we neverpete, how would we ever know?"
Simone couldn''t help but nce in Ste''s direction.
Aurora was never one to feign modesty or exaggerate another''s abilities just to appear humble. If she was willing to make such aparison, it meant Ste''s skill wasn''t far off from hers at all.
"Ste''s mother was a renowned violinist," Simone added thoughtfully. "It''s no wonder Ste''s so talented-she''s got the pedigree."
At the mention of Ste''s mother, Aurora''s smile faded a little.
Her father and three older brothers had always kept the truth about her mother''s death from her. But a few years ago, her uncle had found her and given her a letter that her mother had left behind.
The memory made Aurora''s throat tighten, her chest heavy with longing. She had never met her mother, yet she knew her mother had given up so much for her.
Her mother had traded her very life for Aurora''s future.
She couldn''t let her down. She wouldn''t.
Across the room, Rachel''s eyes went wide as she watched Joshua fussing over Ste-pouring her tea, making sure she wasfortable, speaking to her with quiet concern.
She rubbed her eyes, certain she was seeing things.
Was that really Joshua? The same man who was infamous for his wild temper and hair-trigger threats?
No one else seemed to notice Rachel''s astonishment; Haynes and Foreman were both distracted, their attention fixed firmly on the same scene.
Haynes pressed his lips into a thin line, a cold aura radiating off him.
Foreman''s hands curled into fists at his sides, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
If he wanted to get rid of Joshua, it wouldn''t be difficult. The trick would be doing it without anyone suspecting him.
He nced sideways at Haynes, something sly crossing his face as the
beginnings of a n formed in his mind.
*
Just moments earlier, the sky had
been bright and clear. But in the blink of an eye, dark clouds rolled in, and the rain began to pour-heavy, relentless, drumming against the windows.
Everyone hurried to the lounge area for shelter.
Ste was already there, seated quietly, lost in her thoughts. Of all the people who came today, there were only two she didn''t mind
seeing Keen and Foreman Set
greeted Keen earlier, then slipped away to rest.
Now, as the others filed in, Ste scanned the crowd, her brow furrowing when she didn''t spot Keen anywhere.
She strode over to Haynes. "Haynes, where''s Keen?"
Even though Haynes had cleared his schedule for the day, work still hounded him -his phone hadn''t stopped ringing. He ended a call just as Ste approached.
Turning, he realized Keen was missing, and his expression shifted.
He looked to Rachel. "Where''s Keen?"
Rachel looked bewildered. "I have no idea. I haven''t seen him."
Ste bit back her anger. "Haynes, Keen is your son. Don''t you think you
the one watching him,
instead of dumping the
responsibility on someone else?"
Her face was expressionless as she strode towards the door. "Honestly, I should
have known better than to trust you with him."
Outside, the rain hammered down even harder. Keen was frail-getting caught in the rain could mean a fever, or worse.
Ste grabbed the nearest umbre and made for the door, ready to go search for him herself.
Haynes caught her arm before she could step out.
She met his gaze, her eyes icy and unyielding. "What are you doing?"
Haynes swallowed hard. "Stay here I''ll go look for him."
Ste scoffed. "And why should I believe you?"
She shook off his hand and strode out into the rain.
With a frustrated sigh, Haynes snatched up another umbre and followed her outside.
Just as Ste stepped into the storm, two figures came running toward her-a tall one and a small one, both drenched.
Her heart leapt as she recognized them-it was Keen, with Joshua at his side.
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