The thought steadied Rachel, and she drew a slow breath to calm herself.


    "Joshua, I will prove to you that I''m the one you''ve been searching for," she whispered to herself.


    After a quick nce at her watch, Rachel stood up. "I need to get going, Joshua. I''lle by again in a couple of days," she said, her tone casual.


    She knew Simone would arrive any minute now-she had to leave before their paths crossed.


    Rachel slipped out of the café just as Simone pulled up outside.


    Sitting by the window, Joshua was visible from the street. Simone noticed a woman speaking with him, but with Rachel''s careful disguise, Simone couldn''t make out her face. She dismissed her as just another girl trying to flirt with Joshua -something she''d seen happen plenty of times before.


    Without much thought, Simone asked, "Who was that you were talking to, Joshua?"


    Joshua waved down the waiter and ordered two coffees. His voice was rxed, almostzy. "Rachel."


    Simone froze for a split second, unable to believe what she''d just heard.


    "...Who did you say?"


    "Rachel," Joshua repeated.


    Simone''s eyes darted to the door, but Rachel was already gone, nowhere in sight. A cold glint flickered in her gaze, but her expression remained perfectlyposed.


    Feigning ignorance, she asked, "And what did Rachel want with you?"


    Joshua took a sip of his coffee, then replied evenly, "She ims she''s the one I''m looking for, that you''re the imposter. She also said you found her lost earring and created a fake duplicate. And..."


    Simone''s grip on her coffee cup tightened so suddenly her knuckles turned white. Her voice was sharp, tinged with menace. "And what else?"


    Joshua looked at her, a hint of a smirk ying at his lips. "She said she only confessed to being an imposter to get out of prison early. She couldn''t fight someone as powerful as you, so she had no choice but toply."


    Simone''s fist clenched under the table.


    Rachel actually had the nerve to stab her in the back?


    If Rachel had just kept her head down and stayed out of sight, Simone would have ignored her a nobody, a rat scurrying in the gutter. But instead, Rachel had the audacity to show up right in front of her.


    Well, if that was the way she wanted to y, Simone would show her no mercy.


    Simone had never been the sentimental type. As far as she was concerned, Rachel was already as good as dead.


    As much as she wanted to tear Rachel apart, Simone''s face remained calm and unbothered, herposure wless.


    "So, do you believe her?" she asked Joshua, her voice steady.


    Joshua gave a nomittal answer. "I know you''d never do something like that, but... some of what she said does make a certain kind of sense."


    Simone offered a poised, graceful smile. "Of course. Well, I suppose time will tell who''s telling the truth."


    She showed


    rush to defend


    herself, unwilling to stoop to desperation she was, after all, daughter of a wealthy family. Standing up slowly, she added, "Until I''ve proven I''m the one you''re looking for, maybe it''s best if we don''t see each other."


    The words sounded proud on the surface, but in truth, Simone simply wanted space to deal with Rachel herself. It was better to crush this pest before she could crawl out and make trouble again.


    Joshua said nothing, simply lowered his gaze and sipped his coffee.


    Simone gave him onest look, then turned and walked away.


    ...


    A few dayster, Ste had just set foot inside the studio when she heard Abby squealing with excitement, like someone who''d just won the lottery.


    Ste pushed open the door to find Abby in the middle of a conversation with Joshua.


    "...Wasn''t that Rachel sent to prison? Someone must have pulled some strings and got her out. But guess what happened next?"


    Joshua yed along, raising an eyebrow. "What?"


    Abby grinned, almost gleeful. "All five of her fingers-someone chopped them right off!"