Now that it was over, Ste assumed Foreman already knew the details of the incident, likely from Joshua himself.


    "The Lerman estate is a maze," she continued, "and it seems Leonard was tipped off and had time to prepare. Joshua is lucky he made it out of there alive."


    She gently picked the rose up from the floor.


    "Foreman, he''s still recovering. Please, let him go so he can rest."


    Her voice was as calm and gentle as ever, but Foreman could detect an undercurrent of coldness, a new distance between them.<fna1de> Follow current nov?ls on Find?Novel</fna1de>


    He took a deep breath and released his grip on Joshua''s cor.


    "I''m sorry," he said, admitting his mistake without hesitation. "I was a bit impulsive."


    Foreman knew that any excuse right now would be useless and only make things worse. The reason Joshua had given for his anger-that he considered Joshua useless—was hard to refute. And the facts were undeniable: he had grabbed Joshua by the cor and smashed the vase.


    What could he say? That Joshua had intentionally goaded him? That he''d said terrible things to provoke him? Would Ste believe that?


    Of course not.


    Admitting his fault was the better option. It would make him seem forthright in her eyes.


    As he expected, Ste''s expression softened. Her gaze drifted to the floor, where a few rose petalsy scattered. A flicker of regret crossed her face. She bent down and carefully gathered the fallen petals.


    She really had been nning to have the rose preserved. It was a stunning flower, truly the king of its kind. Even Ste, who was never particrly fond of roses, had taken a special liking to this one.


    Watching her collect the petals, Foreman felt a surge of disbelief and jealousy. He knelt beside her, reaching for the petals in her hand.


    "Star, let me."


    Ste gently pulled her hand away. "Thank you, but I''ve got it."


    Foreman''s hand froze in mid-air. As his eyes darted up, he saw Joshua leaning


    back against the headboard, watching him with a mocking smile.


    Foreman clenched his fists.


    *He did it on purpose!*


    He had used such a cheap, simple trick to make him lose hisposure: And while Ste hadn''t scolded him, her actions made clear that his outburst had damaged the image he had so carefully built in her mind.  s


    In that moment, he understood something with chilling rity. Joshua seemed to know everything, yet he had never said a word to Ste He knew that petty usations wouldn''t be enough to shake Foreman''s position in ae heart; they would only make her pull away from Joshua himself.  s


    Foreman''s breath caught in his throat.


    This man, Joshua, was even more patient and calcting than he was... He was terrifying.


    Until he was absolutely certain of victory, he couldn''t afford to make another move. If Joshua caught him slipping again, he would be out of the game for good.


    Meanwhile, the Lerman family was in chaos. Half of the estate was in ruins, and a crucial shipment had been stolen To make matters worse, with Leonard missing an arm and an ear and lying unconscious, there was no one left to take charge.  s


    In a remote building on the Lerman estate, a young woman pushed a man in a wheelchair down a long corridor.