They found a table far from Leonard and sat down.


    Ste felt a wave of irritation at "coincidentally" running into Leonard every single day. She rubbed her throbbing temples. "How can we run into him everywhere? Has hee up with a new way to be disgusting?"


    Bumping into him at the art exhibition yesterday could have been chalked up to coincidence. But seeing him again today was clearly something more.


    Joshua, however, didn''t respond. He was staring nkly at his own hand, lost in thought.


    Noticing his strange expression, Ste said softly, "Joshua? Are you listening?"


    He snapped back to reality. "What?"


    Studying his face, Ste lowered her voice. "Joshua, don''t take anything Leonard says to heart. You can''t believe a single word thates out of a man like that." Joshua knew she was trying tofort him. He looked at her. "Aren''t you afraid?"


    "Afraid of what?" she asked.


    "The world talks about the Gardner family like they''re monsters. Aren''t you afraid?" Ste smiled. "When you first met me, you probably saw what the world was saying about me. I don''t want to judge anyone based on rumors. That would be disrespectful."


    He continued to stare at her. "What if the rumors are true?"


    Ste thought for a few seconds. "That still doesn''t mean you''re that kind of person. I trust my own judgment."


    Joshua offered a small smile and said nothing more.


    Night fell. Since Joshua had made ns for the evening, they would be staying at the hotel on the ind.


    As darkness settled outside, a waiter guided Ste onto a yacht. The sea breeze lifted her long hair, and the yacht glowed with a warm, soft light.


    The waiter led her into the


    restaurant, where she saw Joshua sitting by the window. The air was filled with the scent of roses, and the candlelight on the table added touch of romance. ''


    Joshua, who usually wore casual clothes for convenience, was now in an impably tailored suit, looking much more formal than usual. Ste''s heart inexplicably began to race.


    Sensing her arrival, Joshua''s gaze locked onto her. "Star, you''re here."


    Perhaps it was the beautiful candlelight or the perfect atmosphere, but she thought


    she saw a faint, tender warmth in his eyes.


    Ste sat down across from him. "Joshua, what is this...?"


    "A candlelight dinner," he said. "Do you like it?"


    nher


    Ste took in her surroundings. The restaurant''s decor was incredibly romantic with a crystal chandelier overhead casting a warm, briliant glow. A familiar, élegant violin melody drifted through the room. Ste recognized it-it was "Moonlight."


    Aside from them, the restaurant was empty. Joshua had clearly booked the entire ce.


    "I heard from Abby that you''ve never had a candlelight dinner," Joshua said. "The ambiance here is nice, so I wanted to bring you to experience it."


    It was true. She had never been in a rtionship before quickly marrying Haynes O''Brien, a man who had no romantic bone in his body and was always buried in work. The fact that he remembered her birthday and celebrated it with her was already a big deal. They had never even had a proper date.


    But what woman didn''t love romance?


    Ste asked softly, "Joshua, why the sudden thought to arrange a candlelight dinner


    for me?"