Leonard''s hand, holding the menu, paused almost imperceptibly.


    He knew what Aurora liked to eat, of course. But did Aurora know what he liked?


    He remembered how, whenever they ordered food together, he would often have to step away to take a call. Aurora would always wait for him to finish before she ced the order. Even if he told her to go ahead and order his usual, she insisted on waiting, no matter how long it took. At the time, he thought she was being respectful. But now, he wondered. Was it respect, or... did she simply not remember his preferences at all?


    As Leonard''s thoughts drifted, Ste had already given the waiter Joshua''s dietary restrictions. Twenty minutester, the food arrived, and the specially prepared dish was ced in front of Joshua. Neither Joshua nor Ste made a big deal out of it; it was clearly a normal part of their routine.


    After taking a bite, Joshua said to Ste, "This is pretty good, but not as good as yours."


    Leonard snorted. "A five-star chef can''t beat a housewife? Joshua, your ability to lie through your teeth is getting more impressive by the day."


    Joshua''s dark eyes fixed on Leonard. Star had mentioned that Leonard had been acting strangetely. On the surface, he seemed the same, but something definitely felt off. Since they hadn''t spent much time together, Joshua couldn''t pinpoint exactly what it was.


    With a faint smile, Joshua said, "What a shame. Mr. Lerman, the esteemed head of the Lerman family, not only gets stripped of his position but now has nothing better to do with his days. And the ''housewife'' you look down on? Her status at The Williams Group is rising higher and higher... How frustrating for you, I imagine."


    Leonard''s eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to retort, Aurora smoothly interjected to defuse the tension. "Let''s all eat before the food gets cold."


    She looked up at Ste with a smile. "Is your cooking really that good, Star? I wonder if I''ll ever have the chance to try it."


    Aurora was just making small talk to lighten the mood. Neither Ste nor the ever-confrontational Joshua took it seriously. Leonard, however, felt a stir of curiosity. Joshua Was always praising Ste''s cooking and her food. Could she really be that talented?


    The rest of the meal passed in silence. Just as they finished, Ste''s phone rang.


    It was Abby, and her voice wasced with panic.


    "Star, are you busy? We have an emergency. Can youe over?"


    "Abby, what''s wrong?" Ste asked.


    de


    "Candida was visiting Solmaris, and since I''m on vacation, I thought I''d show her around," Abby exined breathlessly. "But somehow, her heartless ex-boyfriend, Karl, found out the tried to grab her right off the street. To protect me, Candida had no choice but to go with him."


    It had been a long time since Ste had even heard Karl''s name. The


    man had once tried to ruin her hands. Aside from Mr. Burton, Ste had no fondness for any of the Burtons Worried f?r Candida, she said quickly, "I understand. Joshua and I are on our way."


    We have to go."


    Hanging up, she turned to Joshua. "Joshua, Candida''s been kidnapped by Karl.