Beckett was speechless.


    Laurel Quinn softened her tone. "Beckett, I spent countless hours and all my energy saving Joshua. You can''t destroy my hard work.


    "Besides, don''t you admire powerful geniuses the most?


    "If you actually managed to kill him, you''d lose the one person in the world worth chasing."


    Beckett was silent for a few seconds before saying, "You''re overthinking it. I don''t have what it takes to kill him. I''d be lucky if he doesn''t destroy me first."


    People like Beckett were incredibly harsh to those they looked down upon.


    But they could be surprisingly tolerant of those they admired.


    Otherwise, he would have exploded back when Joshua stole the sister he had cherished and protected for years.


    Laurel Quinn wasn''t worried about their fights.


    They had simr training, so killing each other wouldn''t be easy.


    Laurel Quinn finally managed a slight smile. "But I suspect Aurora won''t give up on recruiting you so easily."


    Given Beckett''s status and his conflict with Joshua, he was a target Aurora would never let go of easily.


    Laurel Quinn guessed that Aurora would approach Beckett again.


    Beckett, however, didn''t give Aurora a second thought. He despised women who used their looks to get ahead.


    At the Williams estate.


    Before Coleman could go looking for Jonathan, Jonathan came to him.


    In the study, Jonathan asked, "Coleman, what are your thoughts on what happened today?"


    Coleman knew Jonathan was sounding him out.


    After all, his behavior earlier had been highly unusual.


    Coleman didn''t hide anything. Instead, he asked, "Jonathan, why exactly did Mom leave the family all those years ago?"


    Jonathan replied, "You already know the story. It was because she didn''t approve of Aurora joining the family. She left in a fit of anger."


    Coleman let out a coldugh. "Is that all?"


    Jonathan frowned. "Coleman, what''s


    gotten


    You to you? It all happened so


    long ago, and Mom''s gone. Why


    still so hung up on the


    are


    Coleman looked at Jonathan. "Jonathan, she was our mother. Don''t you want to know the whole truth?"


    At Coleman''s words, a strange look shed in Jonathan''s eyes, and Coleman caught it instantly.


    As understanding dawned, his face grew grim.


    He stared into Jonathan''s eyes and said, enunciating every word, "Jonathan, I''m asking you, did you know all along?"


    He didn''t even call him ''brother'' anymore.


    Jonathan avoided Coleman''s gaze, saying nothing.


    In that moment, Coleman understood everything.


    "Why?" he asked in disbelief.


    ?? 2


    Jonathan was silent for a few seconds. "What''s the point of knowing the truth? Should we on each other and throw the family into chaos?


    "Turn on each other?" Coleman''s smile was deste. "Isn''t that what''s happening right now?"


    Jonathan said, "Star is our sister. That fact will never change. After I get the original shares, I''ll make it up to her."


    But at that point, Coleman couldn''t hear a word Jonathan was saying.


    Jonathan had known all along. And Israel had known before him.


    It turned out he was the most foolish of the brothers.


    Late that night, Ste was in her room, opening her birthday gifts.


    After unwrapping the presents from everyone else, she was about to open Joshua''s


    when she noticed a gift box with no name on it.


    Could it be another gift from Foreman Richards?


    Ste had no intention of epting a gift from Foreman, but to avoid


    identally throwing away a


    present from someone else, she opened the box.


    A pair of small, delicate star-shaped earrings met her eyes.