"But that''s impossible. Without using hypnosis, a year is the absolute minimum. And even then, it only dys his condition and postpones the next rpse. It can''t cure him."


    L sighed sympathetically. "Well, I guess that''s how life evens things out. No one is perfect."


    Laurel''s brow furrowed with worry. "This is Joshua''s only weakness, and it''s a fatal one."


    L heard the concern in her voice. "Is it really that serious? Even if he has an episode, with his skills, it wouldn''t be easy for anyone to hurt him, right?"


    "L, there''s more than one way to hurt someone," Laurel said. "You don''t need a weapon to destroy a person. Before, he didn''t have any obvious weaknesses. But things are different now. Right now, Ste is the one thing that protects him, and the one thing that could ruin him.."


    ***


    On the way back, Abby noticed that Ste was staring silently out the window, her mood low. Even after securing such a major project, there was no trace of joy on her face.


    "Don''t worry about the Williams family," Abby said. "We''ll take it one step at a time. Aurora''s two knights in shining armor are out of the picture for now. Leonard Lerman has been keeping such a low profile he''s practically be a hermit, and Sellers is too busy with his own problems to help her. We have Aurorapletely suppressed right now; there''s no way she can take control of The Williams Group. This breathing room is enough for us to grow stronger. By the time they recover, they won''t be able to touch us."


    Joshua hadn''t been by Ste''s side for a particrly long time, but it wasn''t short either. A year wasn''t enough to bring down the Burton and Lerman families. His goal hadn''t been to destroy them, but to keep them too preupied to bother Ste, giving her a safe environment to grow.


    "Today is Joshua''s birthday," Ste said suddenly.


    Abby was taken aback. Over the past six months, Ste never avoided the topic when Abby brought up Joshua, but she rarely mentioned him herself.


    Abby wanted to say something, but in the end, she just let out a silent sigh.


    Back in her room, Ste looked at the Nocturne Ste hanging in the most prominent spot on her wall and suddenly felt an urge to take it down.


    Joshua had personally repaired it for her.


    She gently plucked a string, remembering this day a year ago. She lowered her gaze, and after a long moment, she took out her phone and sent a message. [Happy birthday.]


    ***


    One monthter, at The Williams Group.


    Ste walked briskly toward the conference room, quickly scanning through a file. "What''s going on? Wasn''t Aurora supposed to be


    leading today''s meeting? Why was I suddenly called back to take over?"


    Ste didn''t think Aurora would make any mistakes or oversights while running a meeting. Lately,


    Jonathan Williams seemed to b


    intentionally promoting Aurora, giving her ma of thepany''s


    major clients. And to her credit,


    Aurora had sessfully secured all


    of them.


    Now, she had apparentlynded another major client, and Jonathan had assigned it


    to her as well.


    Ste didn''t mind. She negotiated her own partnerships independently of the Williams family, which gave her more control. Just a short while ago, she had been in the middle of a business meeting when she received an urgent call from Skyler Williams, summoning herback to the office.


    Her assistant''s eyes darted around, her expression a mixture ofplicated emotions. She mumbled, "You''ll see when you get there."


    Ste was still engrossed in the file and didn''t notice the assistant''s strange behavior.


    As she neared the conference room, Ste knocked once before walking in.