Sensing her distraction, Joshua paused mid-sentence and looked down at her.


    "What''s wrong?"


    His deep, clear eyes reflected her silhouette, calm and still as a ssyke- unfathomable, but never turbulent.


    Ste snapped back to herself at once.


    What on earth had she just been thinking?


    If Joshua had ever intended to take advantage of her, he certainly wouldn''t have waited until now.


    A flush of shame crept up her cheeks.


    She''d really been judging a gentleman by her own suspicious standards.


    She''d never seen Joshua as a typical man, and perhaps, to him, she wasn''t much of a woman either.


    "It''s nothing," Ste murmured, turning her gaze away. Casually, she asked, "Do you really understand all this business stuff?"


    She half-expected Joshua''s usual answer: "I know a little."


    But this time, he surprised her. "Yeah, I used to work in an office before. I actually know quite a bit about it."


    Ste blinked, a little taken aback-but then, it made sense. Joshua was sharp; he didn''t have to be a bodyguard for a living.


    While she was still mulling this over, Joshua spoke again.


    "So, if there''s anything you''re confused about, you can always ask me first. If I can''t help, then go to Mr. Connolly."


    Ste''s gaze flicked toward him.


    He met her eyes without hesitation and added, “Mr. Connolly''s always swamped at work. If you interrupt him, it could cost thepany a fortune. I''m your employee—it makes perfect sense for you toe to me. Mr. Connolly, no matter how close you are, is still an outsider. It''s not right to trouble him all the time."


    Ste thought it over and realized he had a point.


    She did owe Neville far too much already.


    She nodded. "You''re right."


    Finally, a faint smile appeared on Joshua''s lips.


    The next morning.


    Ste and Aurora arrived together at the top-floor conference room of The Williams Group.


    Today, the room was packed-shareholders, board members, and executives filled the space, along with members from the extended Williams family and Nora''s rtives on her mother''s side.


    At its peak, the Cameron family had rivaled the Williams family in power. But years of poor management had nearly driven them to bankruptcy and it was only The Williams Group''s financial intervention that saved them from copse.  s


    Now, the Camerons were far from the elite family they once were, relying almost


    entirely on The Williams Group''s support.


    Back then, for Nora''s sake, Skyler hadn''t taken over the Cameron Group outright, choosing instead to let the family continue running their own business. Though they''d lost the former glory the Camerons stilf received some deference from other top families, thanks to their ties to the Williamses.  s


    Nora was gone, but she''d left behind three sons. With Jonathan and his brothers


    around, the two families remained inextricably linked.


    Skyler made introductions, presenting Aurora and Ste to everyone.


    Ste had already met the shareholders, who''d supported Nora during the family recognition dinner. She greeted them now with a polite smile and they returned her warmth. Ste looked so much like Nora, and the poise she''d shown at the banquet had left a strong impression she hadn''t let Nora down, and the shareholders ced great hopes in her.


    to s


    After the introductions, Skyler turned to Ste. "Star, this is the current head of the Cameron Group-your uncle."


    Ste looked over and saw a middle-aged man about Skyler''s age, smiling kindly at her.


    "Star, right? I''m Nora''s older brother-your uncle Hugo," he said.


    He gestured to the young man seated beside him. "And this is Aherne Cameron, your cousin."


    Ste shifted her gaze from Uncle Hugo to Aherne, taking in the faces of her extended family for the first time.<fn9009> Official source is find~novel</fn9009>