Seeing this, a wave of irritation welled up inside Simone.


    She couldn''t help but feel that Joshua was deliberately distancing himself from her in front of Ste. It was always the same-whenever Ste was around, Simone found herself slipping down the list of priorities, alwaysing after her. Ste looked away and broke the silence. "Did they catch the attacker?"


    Jonathan''s expression darkened noticeably. "No. Simone was too busy rushing Aurora to the hospital to go after the guy."


    At that moment, Sellers spoke up. "By the time I sent someone to look for the attacker, he''d already vanished."


    He met Ste''s gaze directly, his words carrying a subtle implication. "Even the security cameras didn''t catch a thing. Clearly, someone went out of their way to erase the evidence."


    Ste frowned. "What are you implying?"


    A cold, almost mocking smile tugged at the corner of Sellers'' mouth. "Ste, isn''t it a bit too convenient that Aurora was attacked at your concert?"


    Ste stared back at him, her tone icy. "Are you trying to pin Aurora''s injury on me, Mr. Burton?"


    "Ms. Cameron, you misunderstand me." Sellers'' lips curved in a polite smile, but his eyes remained cold. "I just find it... quite a coincidence. It''s one thing for other cameras to be wiped, but even the ones at the concert entrance were destroyed."


    He paused, looking around the room. "In Neo-Vespera, aside from Haynes and Neville, who else could pull off something like that? Even Mr. Williams and I would have a hard time managing it."


    The Williams, Burton, and Lerman families didn''t have much influence in Novaris. While their families might have more power than the O''Briens or the Connollys, Haynes and Neville were hardly to be underestimated.


    For years, Haynes had held a stranglehold over Novaris; the city''s business world was like a fortress, nearly impossible for outsiders to breach. Even the most elite families found themselves needing to show Haynes a measure of respect when on his turf.


    And Neville... He hardly ever drew


    ???


    attention to himself, but the Connolly Group was involved in countless high-level international deals Somehow, he''d even


    vep


    managed to carve out a foothold for the Connollys in Novaris, breaking through the O''Brien Group''s


    defenses a feat no one had thought possible. No one knew how he''d


    managed to slip in so quietly.


    Clearly, Neville was not a man to be underestimated.


    Sellers never said outright that Ste was behind it, but every word he spoke pointed in her direction.


    One was a suitor, the other her ex-husband. If Ste so much as hinted at it, Haynes or Neville could easily arrange for something to be done.


    Jonathan''s suspicious gaze drifted toward Ste. "Aurora never had any bad blood with Haynes, and she barely knows Neville. She''s only been in Neo-Vespera for a short time she hasn''t made any enemies. There''s no logical reason for anyone to target her."


    Ste let out a cold, mirthlessugh. "So, since no one has a reason to go after


    her, that means I must be the one, is that it?"


    Jonathan wanted to say, You always made things hard for Aurora back at the Williams estate, always jealous of her talent. Now, with the


    internationalpetition


    up,


    isn''t it perfectly logical you''d try to sabotage her, just to prove you''re better than she is?


    But before Jonathan could get the words out, Skyler cut him off. "Let''s not argue about this now. We should wait until Aurora wakes up."


    Joshua remained silent the entire time, his long eyshes casting shadows over his face. He sat cloaked in darkness, expression unreadable.


    Half an hourter, Aurora was wheeled out of surgery.


    Her arm was wrapped in fresh bandages. Lying in the hospital bed, her delicate features were pale, drained of color, yet she looked anything but defeated; in fact, there was a fragile beauty about her that stirred a wave of sympathy in everyone who saw her.