Ste paused, caught off guard. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Joshua said, "It''s the first time I''ve realized I actually have so many good qualities."


    Ste grinned. "There''s another important quality I forgot to mention."


    Joshua looked at her, a touch of anticipation in his eyes. "What''s that?" She replied, "You''re in great shape. And, well, you''re really handsome." Joshua couldn''t help butugh, and Ste joined in, theirughter mingling and filling the room.


    That was the scene Abby walked in on as she pushed open the door-a moment of unexpected harmony that made her pause. Strangely enough, back when Joshua had spent so much time around Ste, she''d never noticed this sense of ease between them before.


    Hearing the door, Ste turned. "Abby, you''re here?"


    Abby nodded. "Theb''s sent over the results."


    Ste''s expression turned serious. "What did they find?"


    "It was definitely tampered with someone did it on purpose," Abby said. "And the employee who brought the car back yesterday? He''s gone missing."


    Ste didn''t look surprised. "That was fast."


    Abby continued, "There''s something else. This morning, I saw the new stories and rumors about Joshua online."


    She hesitated, then added, "I had Neville look into the people making those posts. Turns out, all of them have business ties to The O''Brien Group."


    She risked a nce at Ste. “But... that still doesn''t prove Haynes is behind it."


    "Is there anyone else, besides Haynes, who''d want to do this?" Ste asked.


    Abby was silent for a moment. Aside from Haynes, she couldn''t think of anyone with a motive.


    Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Star, if you want to know whether Haynes is behind this, why not just ask Foreman Richards directly?"


    Ste''s eyes lit up. Of course she could just call Foreman.


    She was reaching for her phone when it started ringing on its own. Foreman''s name shed on the screen.


    "I''ll take this outside," Ste said, getting up and stepping out into the hallway to answer the call.


    Left alone, Abby did what she always did-offered Joshua a bit offort. "Joshua, don''t worry about those things people are saying online. We all know you''re not that kind of person."


    Her words were soothing, but for some reason, it was Ste''s earlier reassurance


    that truly warmed Joshua''s heart and put him at ease.


    He nodded. "Don''t worry, Abby. Star and I will handle it."


    Abby blinked in surprise. Star? Except for Neville and Marvin, everyone else—even Candida-called Ste "Star." It was just how things were; their working rtionship had always been rxed, more like friends than colleagues. But Joshua had always addressed her as "Ms. Cameron." To suddenly hear him call her "Star" caught Abby off guard.


    Still, if even Haynes-of all people-used that nickname, there was nothing odd about Joshua doing the same. Maybe it was Ste''s willingness to help him this time that had moved him.


    Joshua''s voice pulled her back to the present. "You really trust Foreman that much?"


    Abby nodded. "Of course. Foreman isn''t like Jasper or Haynes. When Star was framed by Rachel and everyone else stayed silent,


    Foreman was the only one whol


    stood by her. Even during Star''s divorce from Haynes, Foreman


    helped her more than anyone else. If it weren''t for him, with the way Jasper and Rachel y their games, it would''ve been all too easy for them to win-let alone for Star to fight back."


    She smiled. "Thanks to Foreman, Star managed to turn things around on them


    more than once."