Just then, a slender, graceful figure suddenly appeared before him, blocking his view.


    Joshua frowned slightly, but when he saw who it was, he was momentarily taken aback.


    ***


    Joshua had introduced Ste to several good potential partners, but it was up to her to earn their trust and build a rapport.


    Ste''s interests were wide-ranging, and she soon found herself in pleasant conversation with several of them, exchanging contact information.


    After bidding farewell to her new contacts, Ste scanned the room but found that Joshua was gone.


    Just as she was about to look for him, a deep, raspy voice sounded from behind her. "Are you looking for Joshua?"


    Ste turned around, and her expression immediately cooled when she saw who it


    was.


    Leonard didn''t seem to mind her coldness. Holding a wine ss, he said nonchntly, "I saw him heading toward the back garden with a woman."


    A woman?


    In all the time she had known Joshua, apart from Simone and Aurora, whom he had toyed with, she had never seen him with any other woman. But back then, he was hiding his identity, so it was normal for him to have no social life.


    Worried about interrupting Joshua''s business, Ste hesitated, unsure if she should go find him.


    Leonard swirled the red wine in his ss. The dark red liquid shimmered brilliantly under the lights.


    Suddenly, Leonard said, "I hear you sessfully signed a contract with the Quinn family a while ago."


    Ste retorted, "What, are you nning to sabotage it?"


    Leonard''s lips curved. "Few would dare to sabotage your partnership with the Quinn family. Offending you is one thing, but offending the Quinn family would be a losing game


    Sinceing to the city, you''ve only dealt with domestic families Your understanding of foreignones must be quite limited."


    Ste looked at him. "What are you trying to say?"


    Leonard smiled faintly. "Many of the major foreign families are rather exclusive... of course, so are we.


    That''s why we don''t have many


    coborations with them. In recent years with the global economy downturn, many families have abandoned their old ways and started seeking opportunities abroad. The Quinn family''s public bidding this time was a signal to everyone."


    At this, Leonard''s tone shifted, his expression bing inscrutable.


    "Ste, you secured such a huge partnership with the Quinn family. Have you ever


    met their family head?"


    Ste countered, "Have you?"


    She had looked into the head of the


    vel


    Quinn family, but there were no photos of them online. It wasn''t surprising. The photos of many family heads were deleted or suppressed to keep them out of the public eye. After all, being in such a position already made them a target. Exposing their faces would only invite more assassination attempts.


    Leonard said, "Of course I have. Unlike the Gardner family, the Quinns don''t iste themselves from the outside world. The head of the Quinn family does make appearances at important events."


    Ste asked, "Does the head of the Quinn family know Joshua? Does that mean my partnership with them was also because of him?"


    Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You figured that out?"


    Ste replied, "Mr. Lerman isn''t one for small talk. You mentioned Joshua leaving


    with a woman, and then brought up the head of the Quinn family..."


    At this, Ste looked up at Leonard.