Israel''s face twisted with rage. "Coleman, why are you even talking to him? He''s just Ste''spdog-what could he possibly know?"
Before Israel could finish, Coleman cut him off. "Israel, let him finish."
Coleman fixed his gaze on Joshua. "You said something just now-what did you mean?"
Joshua, still holding the file folder, stepped forward and faced the group. "I meant this: just because you never saw her, doesn''t mean she never saw you. Maybe she watched you all from the shadows, more often than you realize. Maybe those birthday presents you got every year-some of them were from her. But you never noticed. You never cared.
You all say she wasn''t around growing up, that she owes you for it. But in the end, she left everything she had to Star. Do you know what that means?"
Israel blurted out, "What does it mean?"
Joshua''s voice was icy calm. "It means she was utterly disappointed in you. Mrs. Nora wanted Star to return to the Williams family so her brothers could protect her after she was gone. And what did you do? You turned your back on your real sister, treated her like an outsider-worse, like an enemy.
You''re supposed to be her family, but when she needed you, you weren''t there. If she can''t even rely on her own sons, who else could she trust to look out for her daughter?"
Joshua''s lips curled into a smile, cold and sharp as a de. His eyes were dark, cial-like water beneath winter ice.
"Should she count on a pack of brothers who only know how to bully their own sister, who scheme against her at every turn? Is that what you think she should expect?"
In that moment, the mask of Joshua''s usual calm demeanor slipped away, and something fierce and dangerous radiated from him.
Aurora''s eyes widened in shock.
But Israel, stung by Joshua''s words, lost all control. "Pathetic? You''re calling me pathetic? You''re the one living off a woman''s charity-you''re the real parasite here!"
With a furious motion, Israel whipped out a handgun and pressed it to Joshua''s forehead. "Let''s see who''s pathetic now. I''ll show you!"
Coleman and Aurora both shouted at once. "Israel, stop!"
"Don''t do it, Israel!"<fna79d> For original chapters go to Find~Novel</fna79d>
Joshua didn''t even flinch. His voice waszy, almost bored. "Pointing a gun at my head? J That''s all you got? If you''ve got the guts, pull the trigger." s
Coleman stared at him in disbelief. Was this man insane? Anyone else in Joshua''s shoes would be begging for their life, but he was actually provoking Israel, of all
impulsive Israel, who would pull the trigger on anyone if pushed hard enough. s
people-hothe fall.ne
But Aurora understood. The man in front of her didn''t y by anyone''s rules but
his own. He was dangerous in a way that made no sense.
She pleaded, "Israel, please! Don''t do something you''ll regret!"
Aurora''s voice managed to break through Israel''s fury for a split second.
In that instant, Joshua seized the distracted moment-his hand shot up and locked around the barrel of Israel''s gun.
Israel snapped back to reality and met Joshua''s gaze-those eyes, cold and empty, devoid of any warmth or humanity.
A jolt of fear shot through Israel, dousing his anger like a bucket of ice water.
He remembered the story-how Joshua had once disarmed an oil tycoon''s bodyguard. Skyler said his reflexes were sharper than any top-tier professional.
Israel had trained himself, sure, butpared to someone like Joshua, he was still a step behind.
He tried to fight back, but before he could even process what was happening, pain shot through his wrist. There was a sharp, sickening crack.
His hand went limp-dislocated. The gun ttered to the floor, metal ringing against the hardwood.
Joshua didn''t bother to pick it up. He just gave a cool, mocking smile. "You really don''t learn, do you, Israel? Maybe you should start taking notes.”
Aurora breathed a small sigh of relief when she realized Joshua kad only dislocated Israel''s wrist. For a moment, shed been afraid Joshua Would simply shoot him without a second thought. s
Thankfully, he wasn''t quite that far gone. Not yet.