A few dayster, when Neville met with Ste, he noticed she kept ncing at her phone, frequently tapping out messages.


    "Star, have you been very busytely?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    Ste finished her reply before looking up. "It''s been manageable."


    Seeing his gaze fixed on her phone, she exined, "Josh''s still not fully recovered, and he keeps forgetting to eat, so I''m just sending him a reminder." Neville watched her. "Star, you seem... very concerned about Joshua."


    Ste nodded candidly. "He''s supposed to be working for me, but so many of the things he''s done go far beyond his job description. I''vee to see him as a true friend."


    Neville studied her expression. "Star, have you ever considered starting a new rtionship?"


    She shook her head. "Honestly, myst rtionship drained all the passion I had. I''m not ready to even think about romance right now. Besides, with everything going on, I don''t have the time. Building my career is more important than jumping into another rtionship. Maybe once the dust settles, I''ll consider it."


    While her failed marriage hadn''t made her swear off love entirely, she was still wary. Once bitten, twice shy. She didn''t want to get hurt again. And besides, she didn''t have the energy for it. She was surrounded by wolves, and one misstep could mean utter ruin. Only a fool would prioritize romance at a time like this.


    Neville understood. He didn''t press the issue and changed the subject. Anyone who confessed their feelings to Ste now would be rejected. It seemed his only option was to use this time to cultivate their friendship.


    Then, another thought urred to him. "Star, you may not be looking for a rtionship, but others won''t see it that way. Especially now, With your rising status and capabilities, blind dates and matchmaking attempts are inevitable." He knew this from his own recent experience ou''re a williams now and the future head of The Williams Group. Families will want to form alliances through marriage, and shareholders will want to see you settled. You won''t be able to refuse every invitation. Since we''re already pretending to be engaged, if you ever find yourself in a situation like that, you can always call on me."


    Ste considered his words and nodded gently. "Okay."


    ***


    Joshua was finally discharged from the hospital Ste had been


    swamped with work, running between the hospital and the office, and she was exhausted. Thanks to his strong constitution and the top-tier medical team she had hired, Joshua recovered quickly. He couldn''t afford to waste any more time recuperating. The matter with Leonard needed to be resolved.


    recover.


    It was time to strike while the iron was hot. They couldn''t give him any chance to


    "Star," Joshua said, "the fire we started in the Lerman family is burning brightly enough. It''s time for the next phase of the n."


    The news of Leonard''s<fnc29a> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnc29a>


    hospitalization had beenpletely suppressed; and he hadn''t been seen in public for a long time. The


    shipment Ste had sold to his


    dfotic cousin under his name had been unexpectedly effective.


    Leonard had vehemently denied any involvement, but no one believed him—not even the cousin who had bought the goods.