Gibson''s eerieughter stopped abruptly. The line went silent, save for the sound of his own ragged breathing growing faster. He instinctively nced around, a flicker of fear in his eyes. He knew Joshua was likely bluffing, but the seed of doubt had been nted. How did he know so much?


    Composing himself, Gibson sneered, "If you didn''t want to save the boy, you wouldn''t have called me. You would''ve just run."


    Joshua''s voice waszy, almost bored. "I could have. But I''ve grown rather fond of my high-paying,fortable life. If I can keep it, that would be ideal. If not... I''ll just go back to my life of blood and steel. I called you because I am willing to save the boy. This is between us adults; it has nothing to do with him. I''ll give you a chance for payback. If you have the skill, my life is yours for the taking. Of course, I don''t n on dying, so I''m willing to bet on myself. As for your n to take others down with you... let''s just say you shouldn''t get too greedy, Mr. Gibson, or you might end up with nothing. No one cares about a bodyguard''s life. But the life of a family heiress and their future heir? That''s not so easy to take. Don''t assume everyone is a fool. If you can think of it, so can they. If you agree, I wille alone. If not, I''m afraid I''ll have to silence what little conscience I have and


    abandon the boy."


    Gibson was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Fine. We''ll do it your way. Come alone. But if you try any tricks..."


    "Don''t worry," Joshua said. "If I wanted to y tricks, I wouldn''t have called you."


    After hanging up, he dialed Harold. "Get Jake ready," he said, his tone all business. "Gibson has the area rigged with explosives. I''m going in to buy you time. I need you to sweep the location with detectors and disarm them."<fn2726> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fι?dnοvel</fn2726>


    Gibson had prepared well this time, hiding his location so thoroughly that neither Ste, Haynes, nor the Williams family had been able to find him.


    Harold was shocked. "Mr. Gardner, you''re going yourself? No, it''s too dangerous!"


    Joshua gazed out at the moon. "I have to. If anything happens to Keen, Star will me me."


    "But... Gibson only became this reckless because Foreman was hunting him down," Harold protested. "And Keen''s kidnapping seems too convenient. I suspect Foreman had a hand in it."


    "This whole mess started with me," Joshua said. "Foreman was just the spark. It''s my responsibility to fix it. I don''t hide and let others take the fall forme. And if die It''s just life for a a life. Nothing to regret.


    Harold''s eyes reddened. Because of his past, Joshua had always been deeply nihilistic. He wasn''t afraid of death, which was why he was so willing to gamble with his own life even when he first met Ste, he had deliberately let her hit him with her car. Had he ever considered that she might have identally killed him?


    Harold wanted to say more, but Joshua continued, "I''ve already prepared my will. If anything happens to me, all of my assets


    ???


    along with all shares and properties under The Gardner Group, will go to Star."