Leonard was in a wheelchair, apparently being discharged. Several of his assistants were with him, carrying his luggage as they pushed him toward the exit.


    Coming face to face with them, Ste stopped to let the man in the wheelchair pass first.


    Leonard''s dark, intense gaze fell upon her. In an instant, a chill ran down her spine as a primal sense of danger washed over her. It was even stronger than what she had felt when he''d kidnapped her.


    Ste had been through a lot, and it had been a long time since she''d felt anything like this. Even during the recent events at the Wright pce, she hadn''t experienced such a bone-chilling sensation.


    Abby sensed it too. She instinctively stepped in front of Ste, blocking Leonard''s line of sight.


    Leonard nced at Abby, then shifted his gaze away, his face expressionless.


    An assistant continued to push his wheelchair, moving him past them.


    Only after Leonard was a safe distance away did Abby speak. "Star, did you feel that? The way Leonard was looking at you was terrifying. It was like..."


    Abby racked her brain for the right words.


    "Like he wanted to eat you alive... Yeah, that''s it. Star, did you do something to provoke him again recently?"


    Ste replied, "He probably thinks I''m bullying Aurora or getting in her way again."


    "When I saw him a while back, he seemed so much calmer," Abby said. "Even the hostility in his eyes had faded."


    Ste had asionally run into Leonard at banquets or restaurants. Wilbur and Gideon would always be on high alert, but aside from a few sarcastic remarks, Leonard had never done anything dangerous.


    Wilbur had mentioned more than once that he no longer sensed any threat from Leonard. Leonard appeared in front of Ste just often enough that it seemed intentional, though it could have been a coincidence.


    "It''s better to be careful," Ste said. "We''ve caused the Williams family to suffer such a huge loss recently. They won''t let it go."


    "You''re right, Star."


    When they returned to the room, Laurel Quinn was gone. Neither Ste nor Abby asked what she and Joshua had talked about, as it was a private matter.


    However, Joshua brought it up himself. "Laurel has a few partners who are looking for new coborations. Star, are you interested?"


    Ste''s eyes lit up.


    She desperately needed to develop external partnerships to counter the pressure she would soon face from Skyler Williams and Jonathan.


    Seeing the light in her eyes, Joshua''s lips curved into a smile.


    He picked up a folder Laurel had left behind and said softly, "I can help you review these families. Star, want to take a look first?"


    with Joshua for so


    Having worked v


    long, Ste knew just how insightful he was. Although she had made great progress over the past year, she knew she still had much to earn. A mentor like Joshua was a rare find.


    "Yes," Ste agreed without hesitation.


    Joshua opened the folder and handed her a document.


    She sat down beside him and began to read it carefully. The hospital room fell quiet,


    the only sound being the soft rustle of pages turning.


    By now, Ste had a deep understanding of most industries


    But since she was rtively new to


    the business world, her knowledge


    of some niche sectors was still


    Holding one of the files, Ste asked, "Joshua, do you know anything about


    artisanal crafts?"


    Joshua nodded slightly. "I know a little."


    Abby, who had just taken out her


    notebook intending to learn


    something, looked up. She saw


    Joshua leaning over Ste to exin


    things


    his posture almost encircling


    her in an embrace


    Abby was speechless.


    "Wow, he''s smooth."


    She realized it wasn''t that she shouldn''t be listening to the lesson; it was that she


    shouldn''t have stayed in the room at all.