Ste offered a faint, nomittal smile.


    With Ste and Joshua gone, the polite facade fell away. The Camerons'' smiles dropped instantly, the air in the room seeming to grow still.


    Aherne Cameron''s son, Hugo, let out a contemptuous snort. "Of all the things a woman could learn, she just had to mimic men in their power struggles. Does she even have what it takes? Her mother, Nora, took control of The Williams Group, and how did that end for her? Kicked out, only to die in some foreignnd."


    Old Mr. Cameron turned to his wife. "What do you make of the girl?"


    Old Mrs. Cameron''s typically gentle and cloudy expression sharpened, bing shrewd and calcting. "She''s cunning," she said softly. "Not so easy to deal with. However..." Her gaze drifted in the direction Ste had gone, her eyes filled with a profound meaning. "No matter how clever she is, she''s still a woman. And women are ruled by their emotions. Nora was brilliant, but in the end, wasn''t it her feelings that brought her down? If Ste were only interested in profits, she''d be a difficult target. But just like her mother, she values emotional connections, and that makes things much simpler for us."


    She then turned to Lynne Cameron. "Lynne, dear, what did you think of that Joshua?"


    Lynne tilted her head, a flicker of keen interest in her eyes. "He doesn''t seem that hard to handle."


    Hugo scoffed. "This is the man even Aurora Williams couldn''t wrap around her finger. You think you''re more charming than she is?"


    At the mention of Aurora, Lynne''s expression filled with disdain. "That''s because Aurora holds herself up on a pedestal, waiting for men to worship her. Joshua is the head of his own family; why should he be captivated by her at first sight? To each their own. Does she really think every man on earth should fall at her feet? She''s nothing more than the illegitimate daughter of a mistress. No matter how expensively you package her, she''ll never be truly high-ss."


    The Camerons had been in contact with Sellers Burton, who had given them aplete rundown on Ste, including the fact that Joshua was the head of the Gardner family.


    After meeting Joshua, Lynne concluded he was merely handsome. Nothing special. Aurora''s failure was inly due to her own insufferable pride—no wonder he wasn''t interested.


    It''s easier for


    or a woman to pursue a man than the other way around. Not every man appreciates a woman who acts like a queen bee Besides, ?n terms of looks and talent, Ste was in no way inferior. A man like Joshua had seen all kinds of women; the one to catch his eye would have to be different.


    "To get to Ste, we have to get through Joshua first," Lynne dered. With him standing in her way like a mountain, it''s no wonder Leonard Lerman lost so badly. He was too stupid, focusing solely on Ste. It''s a shame, really. After everything he did for Aurora, he ended up a cripple. I suppose that''s karma for all his wicked deeds, isn''t it?"


    As soon as Ste and Joshua returned to the Williams estate, they found Skyler Williams sitting in the living room, sipping tea. His work usually kept him incredibly busy, and he rarely made an appearance unless something important was afoot. Seeing him there now, it was clear he had been waiting specifically for Ste.


    Ste walked over. "Father, you''re still up?"


    Skyler smiled. "Star, do you have a moment? I''d like to talk with you."


    Ste nced at Joshua. "Joshua, why don''t you go get some rest? I''ll go chat with my father."


    "Alright," Joshua replied.