"Leonard..."


    Aurora started to say something else, but Leonard cut her off coolly.


    "I''ll help you look for this woman. But whether or not I find her is another story."


    A smile returned to Aurora''s face. "Then thank you, Leonard."


    The moment Aurora returned to the Lerman estate, Israel rushed to meet her.


    "Aurora, what happened? Did Leonard agree?"


    Aurora nodded slightly. "He said he''ll help look for her."


    Despite her words, her expression was far from happy. Israel noticed her unease. "What''s wrong, Aurora? Did Leonard give you a hard time?"


    "He just asked me to make him some soup," she said. "It wasn''t that bad."


    Before going to see Leonard, Aurora had known it wouldn''t be easy to get his help. A request to cook was nothingpared to what she had braced herself for. What unsettled her was his attitude. It wasn''t the same as before. In the past, if she had brought up something concerning Israel, he would have immediately told her not to worry, that he would handle everything.


    Israel ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "With Leonard''s methods, he should be able to take care of that woman, right?" A vicious look shed in his eyes. "If she won''t shut up, he can just make her disappear."


    Aurora had many suitors; she could have asked Sellers Burton for help just as easily. But Sellers, a product of the Burton family''s upright education, was incapable of the kind, of ruthless actions Leonard would resort to. This was a job only Leonard could do. Even with his position weakened, dealing with one woman should be no problem for him.


    Coleman came down the stairs, having overheard their conversation. He raised an eyebrow. "Leonard made Aurora cook? Doesn''t that seem... out of character for him?"


    Israel scoffed, "What''s there to be in


    character about? The guy''s not normal to begin with. He''s probably ecstatic that Aurora cooked for him! She''s@Williams, with a line of suitors a mile long. He should feel honored she Nift a finger for him. Does he think shes some housewife like Ste who''s always in the kitchen?"


    Aurora had been raised to be the perfect socialite, a walking textbook of etiquette and grace. She never had to do anything but be excellent, and suitors would flock to her, Men pursued her, she never had to. pursue A for exert any e goddess on a pedestal simply didn''t do things that would lower her status. Besides, Aurora''s pride would never allow her to grovel before a man. Usually, a simple smile or a few words from her was enough to make men ecstatic, ready to offer her their hearts.


    Going to see Leonard and personally cooking for him was the absolute limit of what she was willing to do. With no shortage of admirers and a lifetime of being revered, being asked to humble herself was more painful than death.


    "Regardless," Coleman said, "until he handles Joshua, it''s wiser to stay on


    Leonard''s good side. Best case, they take each other out. That would cut the danger from both sides in half."


    "I understand, Coleman," Aurora replied.


    ***


    After making sure all the arrangements were in ce, Ste finally went with Haynes to see Keen.