The feeling was so contradictory.


    On one hand, he refused to believe that Ste could be Summer. On the other, he couldn''t stop himself from seeking proof.


    He simply couldn''t ept that the artist he admired, the person he had been chatting with for so long, was his sworn enemy, Ste. He would have found it easier to ept if Summer had turned out to be a man or an old woman.


    The next day, Ste and Joshua sat across from each other in a restaurant.


    After they ordered, Ste said, "Joshua, thank you so much for your help with this. I know you were put in a difficult position."


    Joshua smiled. "Without your trust and cooperation, the n would have been far from easy to pull off."


    He looked at Ste and said softly, "Star, I was gambling too. If we had lost, we could have lost everything."


    Ste shook her head. "I had no foundation, no leverage. To win big, I had to gamble. You can''t just focus on the rewards without being willing to face the risks. It''s the same as investing. The higher the potential return, the greater the risk. Without that gamble, turning things around wouldn''t have been so easy."


    Joshua asked, "You don''t me me for taking matters into my own hands?"


    Ste smiled. "You won for me, didn''t you? I''m not the type to get what I want and thenin about it."


    An unreadable emotion flickered in Joshua''s eyes.


    After a moment, he said, "Star, you''re developing the aura of a true leader. You make people willing to risk their lives for you, and you make them feel that being trusted by you is a blessing."


    Ste''s trust was reserved for Joshua alone. In fact, there was no one else she would trust sopletely and without reservation. Not even Abby Murphy.


    It wasn''t that she thought Abby would betray her, but Abby''s naive nature made her


    an easy target. She was the type who could be sold and still be counting the money for the person who sold her.


    Ste asked, "Is there any reward you want?"


    In the past Ste would have just given Joshua a bonus. But ever since she found out that her fifty billion investment hade from


    him, she felt that throwing more money at him would be an insult.


    Joshua lowered his gaze, thinking for a few seconds, then looked up at Ste. "Anything?"


    Ste replied, "As long as it''s within my power."


    Joshua said, "You haven''t really taken a break since you came to Solmaris, Things are stable now, and the shareholders at The


    Williams Group will probably be bickeries, amongst themselves fora,


    bick why not take a vacation to


    While


    rx and get some peace and quiet?"


    Ste thought about the morning meeting, where Skyler''s supporters were still haggling over the shares and felt a headacheing on. It was understandable, of course No one would be happy about being. tricked out of their shares so easily. Yes, tricked-without a single penny being spent.


    Ste looked at the man''s handsome face. "Joshua, is there somewhere you''d like to go?"


    Joshua said, "Yes, there are a few ces I''ve been wanting to visit."


    Since Joshua had a destination in mind, Ste didn''t refuse.


    "Alright," she said. "You make the arrangements."


    Just as Joshua was about to say something else, his phone rang. He nced at the


    caller ID, and his expression tensed slightly.


    He stood up and said to Ste, "Star, I need to take this call."


    Ste nodded slightly.


    A moment after Joshua left, a tall figure stood before her, casting a shadow over the table.


    Ste looked up, her expression changing slightly.


    It was Leonard.