Of course, Joshua couldn''t do things like sabotage operations, cancel orders, or unterally form partnerships with other families over thework.


    Those things required verbal confirmation from the head of the family.


    "Beckett and I trained under the same master," Joshua continued. "We know each other well enough, which is why I can pull this off without him noticing for now."


    Joshua''s method relied on his deep understanding of his rival.


    Without that familiarity, he would have been exposed immediately.


    Ste''s eyes flickered as she recalled what Joshua had said during dinner.


    "I''ll have to take some shortcuts."


    So, the unlucky person... was likely Beckett?


    Yes, Joshua definitely still had it out for Beckett.


    Ste wasn''t very interested in Beckett, but she was genuinely surprised that Aurora


    had ended up in a ce like the Triangle Delta.


    "King Wright is that ruthless? He actually had her taken to a ce like that?"


    "He probably didn''t want to get his own hands dirty," Joshua said.


    "After all, Aurora is a Williams heiress with a lot of admirers. Making a move on her openly would only bring him a world of trouble."


    Ste couldn''t agree more.


    With Aurora kidnapped and missing, anyone who got involved would likely get dragged through the mud. If something truly happened to her, someone would have to be the scapegoat and face the public''s wrath.


    "Jonathan Williams still hasn''t given up on trying to frame me," Ste said. "I bet the Williams family has a lot of people watching me in secret, just waiting for me to make a mistake so they can pounce. We should stay as far away from this Aurora business as possible."


    As she spoke, a thought urred to her, and she looked at Joshua.


    He was looking back at her with a knowing, enigmatic smile.


    Ste paused, and it suddenly clicked.


    Why would Joshua go through the trouble of using Beckett''s resources to find Aurora instead of his own?


    ...He was setting a trap for Beckett.


    Seeing that she''d figured it out, Joshua didn''t hide it.


    "Even if we steer clear of Aurora''s situation, there''s no guarantee they won''t try to


    pin it on us. It''s better to make some preparations, just in case."


    Ste was speechless.


    He was just looking for an excuse to get back at Beckett, wasn''t he?


    Now that he was in Joshua''s crosshairs, Beckett was in for a miserable time.


    After they''d made their rtionship


    official, Joshua had told Ste everything about his history with Beckett and Laurel Quin. The st wasrgely the same as the one Beckett had told.


    Ste looked at Joshua. "Are you sure you want to drag Beckett into this? The Williams family is a messy situation, and Aurora is a quagmire. Once youre in, it''s hard to get out


    "Beckett is always idle and meddling in other people''s business," Joshua said. "I''m


    just giving him something to do, a new purpose in life. Besides..."


    A smirk with an unreadable meaning crossed Joshua''s face. "I''m also curious to see


    if Aurora has what it takes to lure him into her web."


    Ste raised an eyebrow. "Doesn''t Beckett like Laurel Quinn?"


    "Exactly," Joshua replied. "A love triangle is more interesting, don''t you think?"


    Ste didn''t know what to say.


    As much as Joshua had a wicked sense of humor... why was she suddenly looking forward to this, too? Had she been corrupted from spending too much time with him?


    After discussing Aurora''s situation


    for a while, they decided they absolutely could not get involved. She wasn''t kidnapped by them, and if they made any moves, they could be caught and end up taking the me for someone else. This was especially true now, with the


    Williams family just waiting for Ste


    to slip up.


    Moreover, even if Ste didn''t want to admit it, in the eyes of the public, she and


    Aurora were family.