The shock wore off, reced by a surge of pure, unadulterated hatred. Leonard lowered his own window, his eyes locked on Joshua.


    "How are you driving Aurora''s car?" he ground out.


    "She lent it to me, of course," Joshua said with an easy smile. "You don''t think I could have just taken it without her permission, do you?"


    Leonard''s teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. "Why would she lend you Dawnlight?"


    Joshua pretended to consider the question. "I hear Ms. Williams has a taste for power. Perhaps she lent it to me because she realized I could defeat you, Mr. Lerman?"


    Leonard''s hand balled into a fist. Aurora had never even let *him* borrow Dawnlight. And now she had handed it over to the man who had nearly killed him, who had cost him an arm and an ear. A bitter, venomous feeling of betrayal coiled in his gut.


    He knew Aurora didn''t love him. He had never been angry about that. He had always believed that a woman as exceptional as her was entitled to have high standards. He understood her ambition; in fact, he admired her strength and ruthlessness, qualities that mirrored his own. He was willing to be her stepping stone, to let her climb on his back to reach greater heights.


    But he was not willing to let her use him to elevate his mortal enemy.


    "You know, Leonard," Joshua


    continued, his voiceced with mock sympathy, "I bet even if I crashed this car today and killed you in the process, Aurora wouldn''t say a word He sighed dramatically it truly a sad state of affairs. Here yo?” are, grievously wounded, while your goddess is out ying games with your nemesis. But you can''t me her, can you? You''re worthless to her now. I hear you were the one who personally oversaw the


    modifications on this car. I have to say... it handles beautifully."


    Joshua''s words were a series of calcted blows. *Aurora has moved on. You have no value. You are a failure.* It was true. After that first visit, she hadn''te back. Not even a single call or text.


    He had always known she was as cold-blooded as he was; she had<fn1872> Discover more novels at find~novel</fn1872>


    never tried to hide it had seen it. not as a w but as a sign that they were kindred spirits. In their world, emotion was a weakness.


    And yet, for some reason, an image shed in his mind: Ste, on her knees before him, her hand broken He had kidnapped Abby Murphy to hand to him, Abby was a


    force ne useless liability. He would have abandoned her without a second thought. But Ste had broken her


    own hand for her.


    If it were Ste in Aurora''s position today, she would never have abandoned him so easily.


    He didn''t know why he was thinking of this now. His face went white, and he coughed up another spray of blood. He looked into Joshua''s smiling eyes and, in that instant, everything clicked into ce.


    He stared at him, his voice a raw whisper. "I see it now. You''re not helping Ste for some other reason. You''re doing all of this... because you''re in love with her."


    Joshua gave him a strange look. "What did you think? That I was just doing it out of the kindness of my heart?"


    He had never tried to hide it from anyone but Ste.