At the mention of the word "girlfriend," Ste shot a subtle nce at Joshua.


    However, her small movement didn''t escape Leonard''s notice.


    Leonard scoffed. "Girlfriend? Did she agree to that? Joshua, don''t act like some avenging hero. What you''ve done is no more noble than anything I have.


    "Anyone in this world can condemn me, but you have no right."


    The sudden appearance of two tall, striking men in the restaurant drew nearly everyone''s attention.


    "Wow! Those two guys are gorgeous!"


    "With that kind of presence, you can tell they''re not ordinary people..."


    "What''s going on here? It looks like two men fighting over one woman. She''s living the dream!"


    However, the surrounding chatter had only just begun when it was abruptly silenced. A ck pistol was in Joshua''s hand.


    He aimed it at Leonard, a smile on his lips but a cold, murderous glint in his eyes.


    "Leonard, if you had just stayed home and kept out of Star''s sight from now on, I might have let you live.


    "But you just had toe looking for death..."


    Joshua''s gaze turned fierce and bloodthirsty. Ste was so close to him that she could see the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger.


    Her heart skipped a beat, a sense of impending dread washing over her.


    The moment he pulled the trigger, Ste instinctively shoved him.


    "Joshua!"


    "Bang!"


    The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed through the restaurant. After two seconds of stunned silence, piercing screams erupted.


    "Ah! He shot him!"


    "Run!"


    "Oh my god! Call the police! Someone call 911!"


    The people who had been watching the spectacle moments before now scrambled to flee the restaurant.


    The bullet that should have pierced Leonard''s heart had struck his shoulder instead.


    Ste hadn''t expected Joshua to actually open fire.


    If she hadn''t pushed him, Leonard would be dead on the spot.


    Ste grabbed Joshua''s arm. "Joshua, you can''t kill him."


    It was one thing when no one knew who Joshua was, but now his identity was public.


    If he killed the head of the Lerman family in public, not only would. barred from Solmaris for life, Would also face endless trouble.


    He had already killed the heir to the Germany family. If he also killed the head of the Lerman family, he would only make enemies everywhere and spark panic among the elite.


    A man who could ughter the heads of powerful families at will would inevitably be hunted down by the others.


    Who knew if they might be the next ones killed in a fit of Joshua''s rage.


    She didn''t need to spell it out for him; a man as smart as Joshua surely understood the consequences.


    But he had still pulled the trigger.


    Ste looked up and met his gaze.


    His eyes were dark and unreadable, his gloomy pupils radiating a chilling light.


    Ste stared at the man beside her


    It was


    that


    Such a familiar face, yet amet


    moment, he felt like aplete stranger.


    Abby had been waiting outside the restaurant.


    Her expression changed the moment she heard the gunshot.


    Seeing people fleeing in terror, she did the opposite and rushed into the restaurant.


    By then, the restaurant was nearly empty.


    When she saw Leonard on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound, she froze for a moment.


    Abby turned her head and saw the menacing-looking Joshua and a pale-faced Ste.


    "Star, are you okay?" Abby asked, concerned.


    "I''m fine," Ste replied.


    She nced at Leonard and said to Abby, "Call an ambnce."