Lauretta looked at Ste apologetically. "Star, once I investigate this, I''ll give you a proper exnation."


    Ste knew how painful it was to be betrayed by someone close. She nodded gently.


    As she was leaving, she was relieved to see that Leonard was gone. Knowing Joshua''s temper, if he found out Leonard was still harassing her, he''d make sure Leonard wouldn''t be a problem anymore.


    After her meeting with Lauretta, Ste returned to work at The Williams Group.


    Abby was surprised to see her back so soon.


    "Star, weren''t you supposed to be meeting with Lauretta''s brother about a partnership today? Why are you back so early?"


    Ste recounted the events of the afternoon.


    Abby thought for a few seconds. "You know, I actually think Leonard might be telling the truth. I don''t think he was lying."


    "What makes you say that?" Ste asked.


    "First, he got your paintings from Lauretta, so we know they''ve been in contact," Abby reasoned. "Second, the Williams family was angry that he made a big show of looking for his cat instead of helping to find Aurora. If he were still fawning all over Aurora, she wouldn''t have been stranded in the Delta for so long. And finally, with your rtionship with Lauretta, his lie would be too easy to expose. No matter how lovesick he gets, he''s still the head of his family. Besides..."


    Abby paused and didn''t continue.


    "Besides what?" Ste pressed.


    Abby reconsidered. "Nothing."


    She had been about to say that Leonard liked her, but she held her tongue. Ste was with Joshua now, there was no room for anyone else in her heart. And Joshua would never allow it. Besides, Leonard had hurt Ste so badly in the past. fact that he was now in love with her was just proof that karma was real, and that was all Abby had to say on the matter.


    ***


    That evening, when Abby and Ste returned to the Williams estate, they were surprised to find Leonard there.


    Abby felt heat rush to her face. She had thought Leonard was done with the Williams family for good. What was he doing here? Had her entire analysis from the afternoon been aplete waste of time?


    Ste saw him but showed no reaction, quickly averting her gaze.


    Seeing Leonard at the Williams estate was certainly unexpected. But on second thought it also made a twisted kind of serise Leonard had been obsessed with Aurora for years; a little encouragement from her was probably all it took for him to surrenderpletely.


    Remembering how the two of them had emerged from the same room, clothes disheveled, made it seem even more usible, Maybe Aurora gave him a little taste of what he wanted, and now he was wrapped around her little finger again.


    Ste and Abby walked up the stairs.


    Leonard didn''t move. He just sat on the living room sofa, his eyes fixed on Ste''s back.


    At first, both Ste and Abby assumed he had gone back to being Aurora''s devoted follower. However, for the next several days, Ste saw Leonard at the Williams estate every single day.


    Running into him every morning and every evening started to feel creepy.


    Even the easygoing Abby noticed something was wrong.


    One night, they workedte and didn''t get home until almost midnight. And there he was, sitting on the sofa in the living room.


    Though the lights in the grand hall were bright and there were staff and security guards on patrol, seeing Leonard sitting alone in the dark, staring at them like a ghost, was genuinely terrifying.