Ste''s heart sank.


    ording to Leonard, this was an isted ind. That meant she had no way to resist whatever he nned to do to her. She couldn''t provoke him. Antagonizing Leonard would do her no good.


    Ste recalled how Leonard used to look down on her for being a housewife who had been married before. An idea formed in her mind.


    "I don''t know why you''ve shifted your attention to me," she began. "You''ve investigated me, so you should know that I''ve not only been married but also had a child. You''re the head of your family and have never been married. You could easily find a girl from a family of equal standing. We''re not a good match."


    "What I said about you before was because of my arrogance and prejudice," Leonard replied. "You''re actually wonderful, more outstanding than most women I''ve met."


    Leonard had been watching Ste closely and could naturally see what she was thinking.


    He said, "Star, don''t worry. I won''t force you if you''re unwilling."


    Hearing him use such an intimate nickname, Ste felt her skin crawl.


    This guy wasn''t even pretending anymore.


    Ste forced herself to remain calm. "Leonard, what do you hope to achieve by bringing me here? You know that neither of us can stay here forever. If you disappear for too long, your position as the head of the family will be usurped."


    Leonard sat down in a chair opposite her.


    "Originally, I just wanted to be able to chat with you online and watch you from afar. But you blocked me and went into hiding, refusing to see me. I had no choice but to bring you here."


    Ste hadn''t expected that her


    decision to move out of the Williams family estate would be the trigger that pushed Leonard to take such drastostep. This man was terrifying. Just being in the same room with him felt suffocating.


    "Don''t tell me you''ve already made a deal with Aurora," Ste said mockingly. "That you deliberately kidnapped me while she was at her weakest to help her reim everything?"


    Leonard looked at her. "You don''t need to worry about that. Aurora can''t take what''s yours. I''ve already made all the arrangements. However, you will incur some losses during your disappearance, So Fean give you thirty percent of mypany''s shares as


    As he spoke, he picked up a file from the side and handed it to her.


    "You can sign it now."


    Ste''s eye twitched. She took the document from him and read it carefully, discovering that the share transfer agreement was actually real. Leonard had already stamped and signed it.


    Thirty percent of the Lerman Group''s shares. If the members of the Williams family knew about this, they would probably go mad with envy.


    Ste shoved the document back at him as if it were a poisoned chalice. Her expression was grave. "Leonard, what exactly are you trying to do?"


    "Stay with me for three months," he said. "If you still don''t like me after three months, I''ll let you go. You''ll be free. This share transfer agreement is mypensation to you."


    Ste found the whole thing absurd. "Leonard, if you transfer these shares to me, you couldpletely lose your position as head of the family."


    He looked at her. "Isn''t that what you wanted?"


    Ste''s longshes trembled.


    Leonard continued, "Instead of propping up Hand Lerman and cooperating with him, it''s better to hold the power in your own hands f I fail, these shares will eventually fall into Hand''s hands anyway. Better to give them to you than to him. Star, this isn''t a bad deal for you."