Ste briefly exined how she and Noah had met.


    Joshua lowered his head, a cryptic smile on his lips.


    "He seems... quite taken with you, doesn''t he?"


    Meeting the man''s inscrutable gaze, Ste averted her eyes.


    "Noah does have a certain fondness for me, but... it''s more admiration than anything else."


    Joshua''s voice came from above her head. "But why do I get the feeling it''s more than just simple admiration?"


    Ste was at a loss for words.


    Being a Westerner, Noah was warm and open, and he had never tried to hide his infatuation with her. After learning he wanted to pursue her, Ste had clearly rejected him, but Noah had simply said, "Star, you have the right to refuse me, and I have the right to pursue you."


    Later, as Ste got busier with work and turned down his invitations a few times, they had started tomunicate less.


    Ste thought for a moment and said, "It''s been a year. Noah probably has a girlfriend or another girl he likes by now."


    "And if he were to ask you out on a date, would you say yes?" Joshua asked.


    Ste paused.


    This wasn''t a question she would have expected from Joshua.


    To be precise, it wasn''t a question the old Joshua would have asked. But he wasn''t the old Joshua anymore.


    Ste''s gaze flickered slightly. "I would try my best to decline."


    "What about me?" Joshua pressed.


    Ste didn''t quite follow. "What?"


    Joshua lowered his head slightly, his handsome face moving closer to hers. His warm breath brushed against her skin, and the air around them seemed to heat up.


    "If I asked you out, would you say yes?"


    Ste''s eyshes fluttered uncontrobly.


    She almost instinctively tried to pull her hand away from his.


    Sensing her attempt to flee, Joshua tightened his grip on her hand, and the arm around her waist grew firmer. His tall, lean body enveloped her. He had her locked against him. and there was nowhere for her to run.  s?novel


    It was clear he had no intention of letting her evade the question any longer.


    The man''s gaze was intensely possessive. Ste, who was usually calm and collected, felt a surge of panic.


    She suddenly remembered why she had sometimes felt so uneasy under Joshua''s gaze when he was by her side in the past. Now, she finally understood. This was how he had, always looked at her. It was just that before, he would back off whenever he noticed her difort. But this time, he didn''t.


    In his eyes, Ste also saw a look of absolute determination.


    Ste''s heart was thrown into chaos. As her mind raced, her feet followed


    As and she identally stepped


    on his foot.


    "Sorry," she apologized quickly.


    Looking at Ste''s darting eyes, Joshua opened his mouth as if to say something.


    "Star..."


    However, seizing the moment of his distraction, Ste broke free from his grasp and fled.


    She used an escape technique he himself had taught her.


    Joshua watched her retreating back, his eyes dimming slightly.


    In her haste to escape the ballroom, Ste bumped into someone, nearly falling.


    A stiff hand caught her just in time.


    Then, a man''s mocking voice followed.


    "You didn''t even look this flustered when I kidnapped you. What, one dance with Joshua is enough to scare you this badly?"


    Ste''s mind was a mess, and she had no energy to deal with Leonard.