Just as Ste opened the door a crack, a hand shot past her and mmed it shut.


    Leonard grabbed her wrist. "Ste, just listen to me."


    "Don''t touch me!"


    His touch made her skin crawl. Ste instinctively raised her hand and pped him hard across the face.


    The room was so quiet that the p echoed loudly, making her own hand sting.


    The pain jolted Ste back to her senses.


    Getting into a direct confrontation and angering Leonard right now was extremely unwise.


    Given her current position at The Williams Group, Leonard couldn''t threaten her with weapons like he used to.


    Perhaps that was why he was trying a different tactic.


    With that thought, Ste gradually calmed herself down.


    However, just as she managed topose herself, Leonard''s next words nearly made her lose herposure all over again.


    "Feel better now? Want to hit me a few more times?"


    Ste was speechless.


    Whether it was performing on stage or working this past year, Ste thought she had seen a wide variety of people.


    But she had never encountered anyone like Leonard.


    She had previously categorized him as a psycho, but now, in her mind, he had been moved directly into the pervert category.


    She had never dealt with a pervert before and had no idea how to handle the situation.


    Should she try not to anger him and y along with his conversation, or should she focus on cating him?


    However, Ste had no desire to know why Leonard thought he "liked" her, much less discuss such a topic with him.


    It felt like a cold, venomous snake had coiled around her—nauseating and terrifying.


    Ste steadied her nerves and gave a very standard reply.


    "I already have a boyfriend."


    "We can start as friends," Leonard said.


    She didn''t know what to say. Did this guy have a thing for being someone''s second choice?


    "I''m sorry," Ste said, "my boyfriend gets jealous very easily, so we can''t be friends."


    Leonard tried another angle. “Just chatting online is fine, too.”


    Ste was at a loss for words.


    Perhaps it was because they had et


    nothing inmon, but she truly couldn''t continue this conversation with him.


    She could only shake her head in refusal.


    Leonard wasn''t a man who gave up easily. He looked at her with persistence.


    "Whatever Joshua can give you, I can give you too. Ste, I hope you can give me a chance. I might be a better fit for you than he is."


    Listening to him, Ste felt no flicker of excitement or emotion, only revulsion and disgust.


    "Leonard," she said, "even without Joshua, it would be impossible


    between us. Whether you''re b


    cere or not, I will never be with you."


    Leonard froze for a moment. "Why?"


    Ste held up her ruined hand. "Leonard, are you ying dumb? You destroyed my hand, making it impossible for me to ever y the violin again. I can never forgive you much less be with you."


    Leonard''s lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.


    He knew that nothing he said could change the fact that he had hurt her.


    An apology was far too cheap.


    After a long pause, he finally managed to say one thing.


    "I canpensate you."


    "If you kill someone and then offer topensate them, does it even matter?" Ste retorted.


    Leonard lowered his gaze to look at her. “If I find a way to heal your hand, will you give me a chance?"