Ste turned to Antoney. "What''s wrong?"


    Antoney hesitated, then asked, "If you don''t go back to the Williams family, everything that belongs to them will have nothing to do with you anymore. Are you really okay with that?"


    Ste was surprised to hear Antoney say something like that. He was always the idealist, never one to care much about money or property. If he had, he wouldn''t have turned down his own father, Nicolle Watson, all those years ago.


    Ste answered honestly, "If it''s not mine, I don''t waste my time thinking about it.” Antoney pressed, "But what if you were supposed to have a share?"


    She paused to consider. “If it''s not mine, I don''t want it. But if it is, then no one''s taking it from me."


    Antoney nced at his watch, silently calcting. The founder''s original shares would be maturing at the end of the year. When that happened, thewyers and thepany''s old guard would definitely reach out to Ste. On one side was the career she loved, and on the other, the shares Nora had left behind. He wondered what Ste would choose.


    No one but Antoney knew about the shares Nora had left Ste-not even Ste herself. The Williams family waspletely in the dark. If they''d known, they never would have driven her out. But once the shares matured, the truth woulde out. And knowing those four scheming men in the Williams n, they''d move heaven and earth to pressure Ste into transferring the shares.


    She might look untouchable now, but taking on those four calcting men would be a real challenge.


    After the concert, Antoney would have to hurry back to his own family. When the time came, Ste would need all the help she could get to im what was hers.


    For now, though, he would let her focus on thepetition.


    It wasn''t long before Joshua arrived. The group ordered dinner and the restaurant soon filled withughter and chatter as they ate together.


    Once the meat was over, Ste remembered she''d left something important back at the studio. She asked Abby to take Marvin back to her ce and keep himpany for a while. Ste would swing by the studio to pick up her things, then stop at the market to buy groceries for a big dinner that evening.


    Abby, ever the foodie, had beening over for Ste''s cooking ever since her divorce. The moment she heard Ste was cooking tonight, she high-fived Marvin


    in delight and immediately started requesting dishes.


    Ste jotted down their favorites, then got ready to head out.


    Neville wanted to tag along, but work called him back to the office. He needed to finish up the next couple days'' tasks so he could carve out time to spend with Marvin-well, if he was honest, he really wanted more time with Ste.


    Joshua drove Ste and Candida back to the studio. Candida nned to practice piano. Ste, who would have loved a few days off, didn''t have the luxury-unlike the boss, she couldn''t just disappear. She was different from Abby and Antoney; just because she was friends with Ste didn''t mean she could be casual about things. Besides, she genuinely wanted to improve her piano skills. She''d already wasted too much time over Karl. With someone as gifted as Ste working so hard, she couldn''t let herself fall behind.


    As they got out of the car, Ste said to Joshua, "Wait here, I''ll be down in just a minute."


    He nodded.


    Ste and Candida chatted as they walked toward the studio. Just as they reached the door, Ste suddenly stopped.


    Candida noticed the change in her expression. "Ste, what''s wrong?"


    She followed Ste''s gaze—and her own face fell at the sight of the familiar figure standing there.


    It was Karl.


    She hadn''t seen him in a long time. Ever since their breakup, she''dpletely stopped keeping tabs on him.