Ste looked at Joshua. "You?"


    "I have extensive real-worldbat experience," he said. "I can show you what works, and fast. The most effective moves, tailored to be learned quickly."


    When she had first looked for an instructor, the thought of asking Joshua had crossed her mind. But it felt like a waste of his talents. Besides, she had just returned to the Williams family then and didn''t know him that well. He was a man, andbat training involved physical contact, which would have been awkward.


    Even now, though she trusted himpletely and knew he would never cross any lines, Ste still hesitated.


    Joshua, seemingly oblivious to her internal conflict, stepped closer. "I''ve seen what your previous instructor was teaching you. It''s practical to an extent, but it requires a strong foundation—at least a year of physical conditioning. It''s not suited for you. Star, try attacking me with what you''ve learned."


    Her hesitation vanished in the face of his serious tone, and her own focus sharpened. She didn''t hold back; she wasn''t arrogant enough to think her amateur skills could actually hurt him.


    Joshua evaded her attacks with ease, offering a running assessment. "Your speed is decent, but you need more power... There''s a huge opening in that move; you could be taken down in an instant... Hmm, that surprise attack wasn''t bad."


    In a monitoring room elsewhere, Leonard watched the scene on the screen with a sense of absurd disbelief. At first, he''d assumed Joshua was using the training as an excuse to get close to Ste, to grope her and take advantage. He''d sneered at the thought. "And here I thought Joshua was some kind of gentleman. Turns out he''s just as sleazy as the rest."


    But the inappropriate contact he''d expected never happened. Joshua was genuinely and seriously teaching her.


    Leonard knew better than anyone how terrifyingly skilled Joshua was. The idea of a man who lived on a razor''s edge patiently teaching someone the basics was utterly ridiculous.


    Ste seemed to sense Joshua''s earnestness and becamepletely absorbed in her lesson. Most of the time, after Joshua


    corrected a move two or three


    times, she could execute it perfectly.


    The training room was a rental at the athletic club, and each room had surveince cameras, making it easy for Leonard to observe every detail of the Dinteraction. The techniques Joshua taught were ruthlessty practical-no fancy flourishes, just fast, precise, and lethal. They looked simple, but the skill required was immense.


    As Ste was practicing, there was a knock on the door.


    Joshua went to open it.


    "Joshua, it really is you!" a bright, cheerful female voice eximed from the hallway. "I thought I saw your and Star in here earlier, but wasnt sure. Migured I''d try my luck, and here you are!"


    Before Joshua could respond, the woman hurried inside. "Star, I''m so happy to see you here!"


    Ste frowned slightly as she watched Lynne Cameron run toward her. Lynne grabbed Ste''s arm with an easy familiarity. "Star, what are you two up to?"


    "Combat training," Ste replied, her tone distant.


    "Oh,bat training," Lynne repeated, a knowing smile ying on her lips, as if she suspected they were doing something much more intimate.