Abby was perceptive and quickly excused herself, leaving the two of them alone.


    It had been a long time since Ste had worked alongside Joshua. The more she learned about business, the more she realized just how formidable he was. She still had a long way to go before she could truly lead the family. Ste knew that even if she held the title of family head now, her position was anything but secure. There was simply too much she needed to learn.


    She listened intently,pletely unaware of the man drawing closer to her. Ste''s knowledge of certain foreign families was not as thorough as it should be.


    Looking at the file on one particr family, she asked, "This Dn family... they''ve always kept a low profile, haven''t they? There doesn''t seem to be much information about them out there. Joshua, do you know anything about them?"


    Ste turned to look at Joshua, expecting an answer. She hadn''t realized he was standing so close. As she turned, her lips unintentionally brushed against his cheek.


    Though Ste was far from being some innocent young girl, her heart began to pound in her chest. She instinctively stood up to create some distance between them, but in her haste, she bumped into the chair behind her.


    Ste stumbled slightly but quickly regained her bnce. Just then, a long, strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into an embrace. At the same time, Joshua''s concerned voice sounded from above her.


    "Star, are you alright?"


    Hershes fluttered. Ste struggled topose herself. "I''m fine." She had only bumped into the chair; she wouldn''t have fallen even if Joshua hadn''t caught her.


    Ste turned her head away. "Joshua, you can let me go now."


    Joshua''s dark eyes reflected her panicked expression. His deep, calm gaze filled with a darkness that was unsettling. "Star, are you sure you''re okay?"


    He slowly lowered his head, his handsome face moving closer and closer, radiating an intense, intimidating presence. The scent of him filled her senses, and his voice was as clear and pleasant as ever but the arm around her waist tightened bit by bit.


    Ste had a feeling she knew what he was about to do. She raised her hands to press against his chest, intending to push him away. For some reason, however her body felt: weak, and she could only stare frozen, as his face drew nearer.


    After being discharged, Leonard moved into a building directly across from the hospital. At that moment he was holding a pair of binocrs, watching the two people in the room opposite him who were on the verge of kissing.


    His hand tightened unconsciously on the binocrs, which groaned under the pressure as if about to crack. He watched with a nk expression, his gaze growing darker and colder.


    The next second, he saw the door to the room get kicked open. Ste seemed to snap back to her senses, hastily pushing the man away.


    Leonard''s fingers rxed, and the tension in his expression seemed to ease slightly. But he knew this was just Joshua testing the waters. Ste hadn''t rejected him this time, which meant next time...


    At the thought, Leonard felt a fire of jealousy burn in his chest. He knew he shouldn''t keep watching. What he should be doing was figuring out a way to eliminate Joshua.


    And yet, despite the intense jealousy he felt, he couldn''t bring himself to even think about killing him.