"Maybe it''s just some overblown misunderstanding-someone thinking they saw the wrong person or something dramatic like that? But honestly, none of that matters. As long as they have an agenda, they''ll slip up sooner orter.


    Whoever loses their patience first is the loser. All we have to do is wait."


    When Rachel returned to the field, she saw Joshua already challenging Keen to a horseback riding contest.


    Joshua''s skill with horses-and archery, too—was in a league far beyond Simone''s.


    Keen was absolutely enthralled. His adoration for Joshua was written all over his face, impossible to miss.


    Watching this, Rachel felt a flicker of rm in her chest.


    She''d spent so much time and effort winning Keen over, slowly getting him to like her. Yet Joshua, after meeting Keen only a few times, hadpletely won the boy''s admiration in record time.


    And then there was the matter of Joshua deliberately sending her over to greet Aurora earlier. What had that been about? Was he suspicious of something, or was it just a casual gesture?


    With Joshua, Rachel knew better than to rely on luck. She wanted to ask him directly, but he kept busy with Keen all afternoon, never giving her a chance to approach.


    Rachel grew restless, so unsettled that she couldn''t even bring herself to bother with Haynes as usual.


    Haynes, she could always pester himter. But without Joshua''s support, she''d be cutting off her own arm-no, both arms.


    Joshua might be dangerous, but the help he gave her was real and tangible. Without him, there''s no way she could have kept her "illness" a secret for this long.


    Not far away, Ste noticed Rachel hadn''te to flirt with Haynes. Instead, Rachel seemedser-focused on getting closer to Keen.


    Ste arched an eyebrow. "Looks like your precious Rachel might have her eye on someone else, Haynes."


    She could see Rachel''s attention was glued to Joshua. As for her motives... who could say for sure?


    But knowing Rachel-always eager to charm, never quite epting or rejecting anyone—maybe she just wanted to keep her options open.


    Haynes caught sight of this and his gaze darkened slightly.


    He''d never figured out how to get Joshua away from Ste. But now, watching Rachel''s antics, he had an idea.


    Rachel had always clung to him, which led to Ste''s constant


    misunderstandings. Joshua, meanwhile, was clearly up to something around


    Ste.


    So why not... pair them up?


    But the moment the thought


    crossed his mind, Haynes rejected it.


    That would be too underhanded


    What if Rachel didn''t actually like


    Joshua? He couldn''t use hergust to


    solve his own problems.


    If Rachel needed someone to look after her, Jasper would be the obvious choice -not some mysterious neer like Joshua.


    Still, if Rachel found someone else, maybe she''d finally stop obsessing over him. Noticing Haynes lost in thought, Ste turned to study his face.


    He was staring in the direction of Rachel and Joshua, his expression unreadable -dark and deep as a midnightke.


    There was no warmth in his gaze. If anything, it felt cold, as if he was quietly scheming.


    ...


    The rest of the afternoon, Joshua


    never once tried to steal Ste''s attention. Instead, he devoted- himself to ying sports with Keen-horseback riding, ser,


    anything the boy suggested.


    By the end of the day, Joshua hadpletely won Keen over. They even made


    ns to hang out again soon.


    Ste couldn''t help but be impressed by Joshua''s athletic talent.


    Haynes, on the other hand, looked positively grim.


    All his careful precautions, and he still hadn''t managed to stop Joshua from showing off like a peacock.


    To Haynes, Joshua''s behavior was just shallow and attention-seeking. He looked at Joshua and saw no difference between him and those charming hosts at a nightclub, always performing to please the crowd.