Ste looked at Joshua.


    He pulled out an invitation. "I have a party to attend this weekend. Would you be my date?"


    Ste agreed almost without thinking. "Okay."


    Joshua smiled. "I''ll have my assistant bring the contract overter. If you have any other requests, you can add them."


    Ste had already looked over the Gardner family''s contract. There was almost nothing to change; it was so perfect it seemed tailor-made for her. It was very likely that Joshua had drafted it himself.


    "I don''t have any requests," Ste said.


    Joshua made a call, and soon after, Harold arrived with the contract.


    Seeing Ste, Harold greeted her with a bright smile. "Ms. Cameron, we meet again."


    Ste smiled back. "Harold, long time no see."


    No wonder Harold had been almost overly polite to her. He wasn''t Joshua''s friend; he was his assistant.


    Harold handed the contract to Ste. After reviewing it carefully, she nodded slightly. "No problems."


    "If there are no issues, then let''smunicate with The Williams Group''s shareholders and sign it today," Joshua said.


    "Okay, I''ll have Abby arrange it," Ste replied.


    Since it was a sweetheart deal, The Williams Group was the beneficiary. If Joshua wasn''t dying, they certainly had no reason to object.


    About half an hourter, Abby knocked on the door. "Star, everything is ready. We can proceed with the signing."


    Ste and Joshua got up and headed for the elevator. As the doors opened, Ste saw Israel inside.


    Israel shot her a cold nce before his eyesnded on Joshua.


    He had just received news of Joshua''s return. Israel hadn''t been to The Williams Group in a long time, but he had rushed over as soon as he heard.


    He hated Joshua and Ste with a passion. If Joshua hadn''t framed him, he wouldn''t have lost his shares. Now, he held no real power in The Williams Group and had no prospects for advancement. He was just waiting for his time to run out. Neither Ste nor Joshua paid him any mind as they stepped into the elevator. As the doors slowly closed, Israel''s gaze on Joshua was practically venomous.


    He sneered, "Well, look at this. Hell must have frozen over. I never thought I''d see two mortal enemies standing together so peacefully, 1 guess it''s true what they say-there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. As long the price is right, you''d probably even grovel before your father''s killer, right?"


    When neither Ste nor Joshua responded, Israel continued in a mock-puzzled tone, "You know, isn''t it strange? There are always some people in this world with unique tastes, a special thing for divorced women who have had children, I Wonder, do those kinds of women have some special tricks up their sleeves?"


    Israel met Joshua''s eyes, his smileced with amusement and provocation.


    Ste knew that Israel''s seemingly crude words were a deliberate attempt to provoke Joshua into hitting him. What bodyguard-Joshua could do, family head- Joshua could not. His status was different now.


    Since Israel hadn''t named anyone,


    he could easily argue his way out of it. But if word got out that Joshua had attacked Israel without reason at The Williams Group, his reputation as a family head would be ruined. The rumors circting about the Gardner family were already unkind, and another negative story would be extremely damaging for Joshua.


    Ste would not let Israel give the Williams family a reason to smear Joshua.