Standing beside him, Ste watched the drama unfold and put two and two together. "You arranged for Violet toe here, didn''t you?"


    Joshua smiled. "Mm-hm. The Williams family was nning to use stalling tactics, waiting for the scandal to die down before dealing with her. I just helped ruin their perfect n."


    It was a ruthless move. Not only had Joshua shattered their hopes of quietly sweeping the matter under the rug, but he had also forced the issue into the spotlight. Tonight was supposed to be about Old Mr. Chapman''s birthday and the announcement of Jonathan and Lauretta''s engagement. They were meant to be the main characters. Instead, Joshua had made Violet and Israel the center of attention, forcing Skyler''s hand.


    If Skyler were to break his promise now, no one would ever trust the Williams family in marriage negotiations again. It would undoubtedly jeopardize Coleman and Aurora''s future union as well.


    Ste''s eyes drifted toward Leonard in the crowd. "Leonard''swork is so vast. How could he not have tried to stop this?" After all, this was Solmaris. Even Joshua couldn''tpletely blind Leonard''s intelligencework here.


    Joshua chuckled softly. "Some people have been on their high horse for so long they think a single smile is enough to make everyone die for them, without ever offering anything more in return. They don''t realize that the aloofness they pride themselves on is starting to lose its effect."


    Ste guessed he was talking about Aurora. She nced at Leonard again. "Can Leonard really stand by and do nothing for Aurora?"


    "If Aurora were willing to swallow her pride right now, I''m sure Leonard would still help her," Joshua said. "But she''s too arrogant to do that. And I suspect Leonard is done helping her unconditionally."


    Ste knew Joshua had tried to drive a wedge between Leonard and Aurora, but she found it hard to believe their bond could be so easily shaken.


    As if reading her mind, Joshua continued, "Leonard fought his way up from being a powerless, bullied illegitimate son to where he is today. He''s known very little kindness in his life, so the small bit of warmth Aurora showed him back then became something he treasured. He may be the head of a family now, but in many ways, he''s still naive. When you''ve never tasted a gourmet meal, you treat scraps like a feast. Now that he''s seen what else is out there, the scraps on his te don''t seem so appetizing anymore."


    Ste understood the implication. "Has Leonard met another woman?" she asked, surprised.


    Joshua was


    about to answer when a


    thought seemed to strike him. His expression sharpened instantly. His dark eyes narrowed, a chilling,


    1.n


    murderous intent swirling Wed them. The air around them seemed


    to drop several degrees.


    Ste


    hist him, bewildered by his sudden, intense shift in moodhet


    She had no idea what she''d said


    wrong


    boshua what''s the matter?"


    He snapped back to the present, lowering his eyes and concealing the killing intent. "It''s nothing he said his voiceced with an icy edge. "Star, from now on, I don''t want you to be alone with Leonard."


    She didn''t understand his suddenmand, but she agreed.


    Leonard was dangerously unstable, and she had no desire to interact with him anyway, especially while they were plotting his downfall.


    "Okay," she nodded.


    Only then did the tension in Joshua''s expression soften.


    After returning to the manor, Joshua called Harold. "Are you ready on your end?"


    "Mr. Gardner," Harold replied respectfully, "everything is in ce. We''re just waiting for Sellers to take the bait."