No matter how much Simone resented Leonard''s cruelty, she still depended on him.


    If he had remained dead set against her and Joshua, she would have had few options. But with him and Aurora now at odds, the pressure from her family would lessen considerably.


    A sliver of light pierced through the heavy gloom that had perpetually shrouded her heart.


    "I''m d you see it that way, brother," Simone said. "This all started because of Aurora. Now that you''re no longer helping her and you''ve paid the price, I''m sure Joshua won''t hold a grudge against you."


    As he watched Simone''s face light up with happiness, Leonard''s mouth curved into a cold, humorless smile.


    His conflict with Joshua was far from over; it was a battle to the death. Seeing Joshua now, so content, only strengthened his resolve to kill him. Why should Joshua have what he could never get? They were both creatures of the dark, crawling in the shadows. They belonged in hell together. Therefore, Joshua had to die.


    "Isn''t Rachel with you?" Leonard asked. "How is she?"


    "Don''t worry, brother," Simone said calmly. "I''ll make sure she lives a long, long life. I won''t let her die easily."


    "Rachel has known Joshua for a long time. Haven''t you managed to get any more information out of her?"


    Simone''s eyshes fluttered. The subtle movement told Leonard she knew more than she was letting on.


    His voice softened. "Simone, I''ve already investigated Joshua''s background. There''s no need to hide anything. If you have any other information, tell me. Maybe I can help you."


    In the past, she would have run to Aurora with such information, letting Aurora advise her. But since discovering that Aurora also had her sights on Joshua, her feelings had curdled into a deep seated hatred She would never share another word with her. Leonard, on the other hand, was her brother. He had finally seen Aurora''s true colors and would surely support her marriage to Joshua to forge a powerful alliance with the Gardner family.


    With that in mind, Simone decided to tell him. It wasn''t much of a secret anyway; Leonard could have found it out himself.


    "It''s about Joshua''s ex-wife."


    She recounted what she had learned from Rachel. Rachel''s knowledge was limited, but any new detail about Joshua was a treasure to Simone.


    After she finished, a knowing smile appeared on Leonard''s face. "Simone, if you want to be with Joshua, you have to get past Ste. From what I''ve seen, he might have genuine feelings for her."


    Simone was taken aback and immediately denied it. "Impossible! Why would Joshua be interested in secondhand goods like her?"


    Leonard didn''t argue. "True or not, as long as he''s with Ste, our families'' history will prevent you from getting any closer to him."


    ard''s


    What Leonard said was true. With Ste in the picture, Joshua would always have to keep his distance, even if he wanted to get closer to Simone. And if his goal was to take over the Williams family, Simone couldn''t risk jeopardizing his ns.


    She looked at her brother. "Do you have an idea?"


    "Joshua has an ex-wife, doesn''t he?" Leonard said with a faint smile. "Find a way to bring her here. Let her fight with Ste. That way, Ste''s attention will be focused on the ex-wife, and you can swoop in and reap the rewards." <fnfce4> Chapters first released on find[?]ovel</fnfce4>


    Simone''s eyes lit up. "That''s a brilliant idea, but... getting her here won''t be easy,


    will it?"