At the signing ceremony, Ste exchanged contracts with the head of the Quinn family under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The shes of cameras went off relentlessly, a constant clicking sound filling the room. The partner for the multi- billion dor project was officially decided.


    No one had expected Ste tond the deal. After all, plenty of other families had more advantages than her and the Williams family. Major yers like the Watson family, and many others, were far morepetitive than The Williams Group.


    Though backed by The Williams Group, Ste had only returned to the family a year ago. She had no prior business experience; her previous career was as a violinist, making her aplete novice in the corporate world. Some had even dug up the fact that Ste had been a housewife for five years,pletely out of the workforce and disconnected from society.


    Because of this massive project, nearly every detail of Ste''s life had been unearthed and scrutinized. Reporters staked out her every move, leaving her with no privacy. Even with Abby''s strong PR skills, the sheer level of attention was overwhelming.


    The circles Ste moved in now were a world away from her past. Before, the most vicious people she had to deal with were the likes of Rachel and Jasper Wilkinson. But now, she was navigating a sphere of the rich and powerful. These people had more influence, and their schemes were far more ruthless and terrifying.


    Abby had once thought that people like Leonard were a rare breed of malicious viin. But after six months by Ste''s side, she discovered that the wolves in sheep''s clothing circling them were all cut from the same cloth as Leonard.


    Abby was no stranger to corporate backstabbing, but she had never been in a life- or-death struggle like this. She had to admit that her current abilities were not enough to handle the pressure.


    It made Abby keenly aware that the role of Ste''s assistant was not one just anyone could fill. In a position where one wrong move could lead to ruin or even death, only someone like Joshua could have managed. Not only that, he could have dealt a severe blow to their enemies while helping Ste rise through the ranks.


    What Abby found even more


    frightening was how Ste had


    already secured a firm footing in The Williams Group and won the support of so many shareholders. It was hard to imagine how she had sundved when''s


    vived when she was just a neer Joshua must have been working in the shadows, deflecting countless hidden attacks and even assassination attempts. The few that slipped through, he had blocked himself.


    Now that Abby had taken over, she could only react with panicked,, clumsy attempts to keep up. She found herself missing Joshua more and more.


    After the signing ceremony came the celebration banquet. A project of this magnitude demanded nothing less.


    In the dressing room, Abby poured Ste a ss of water. "Star, have some water. You''ve got an hour to rest before the banquet."


    "Is my dress ready?" Ste asked.


    Abby picked up the gown from nearby. "Yes, it''s all set."


    Ste nced at the dark circles under Abby''s eyes. "You''ve worked really hardtely," she said softly.


    At the mention of this, Abby looked


    so guilty she was about to cry. "Star, I''m so sorry. I''m always so clumsy. I came back to help you but ended up getting you hurt."


    Though the contract with the Quinn family was only just signed, news of the


    partnership had been leaked long ago.