Seeing Joshua like this, Ste found it impossible to refuse. After a moment''s thought, she agreed.


    "Alright."


    A smile finally touched Joshua''s lips.


    Ste prepared a makeshift bed on the floor for him. After turning off the lights, she fell asleep almost immediately. Perhaps it was the relief of finally being back, but she slept more soundly than she had in a long time.


    When she woke up, the sky outside was already bright. Remembering something, she nced toward the floor. Joshua was still asleep. It was rare for him to be sleeping thiste.


    Ste got out of bed quietly. Just as she finished washing up, there was a knock on her door.


    She opened it to find Abby standing outside with a peculiar expression.


    "Abby, what''s wrong? Why are you looking like that?" Ste couldn''t help but ask.


    Abby peeked into the room and whispered, "Where''s Joshua?"


    "He''s still sleeping," Ste replied.


    Sensing Abby had something to tell her, Ste stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind her. "What is it? Did something happen?"


    "Just now, the gate guard called me," Abby said. "He said there''s a man named Rhett outside who wants to see you."


    Ste searched her memory for the name. "Rhett? Do we know him?"


    "He said he''s Leonard''s assistant," Abby exined. "And that he''s here to see you about something important."


    At the mention of Leonard''s name, Ste''s expression hardened.


    Abby studied her face. "Star, should we see him?"


    "Let him in," Ste said.


    Abby was surprised. "Star, are you sure? If Joshua finds out..."


    "Plenty of people probably saw Joshua shoot at Leonard that day. The news has likely spread by now Ste said coolly. "Leonard is


    head of the Lerman family me


    random person you can just kill. If Leonard dies, the Lerman family will undoubtedly hunt Joshua down with everything they have. Even if many within the family would be d to see Leonard dead, they would still have to avenge him. It''s a matter of the family''s honor and prestige. Otherwise, if a family''s patriarch is killed and they do nothing, wouldn''t it make them look weak and ripe for the picking? In the future, every member of that family would be seen as someone who could be trifled with."


    This was the very reason she had stopped Joshua from killing Leonard. Killing him might have been easy for Joshua, but the aftermath would bring endless trouble.


    Abby''s eyes widened in


    understanding as she listened to Ste''s analysis. However, the look she gave Ste waspileated a mix of emotions she couldn''t quite name.


    "Abby, why are you looking at me like that?" Ste asked.


    "It''s just... I feel like you''ve changed a lot, Star."


    "You''ve said that before," Ste noted.


    "Last time, I was talking about your growth and changes at work. Now, I think your personality has changed, too."


    Ste paused, taken aback. "Really?"


    Abby nodded. "Yeah. It seems like you''re not as soft-hearted as you used to be."


    For some reason, a thought surfaced in Ste''s mind.


    "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not be a monster."


    Seeing Ste lost in thought, Abby linked her arm through hers and smiled. "But I don''t think it''s a bad thing. After all, our enemies are powerful. Sometimes you have to use certain tactics. If we hadn''t used them against Aurora this time, we might still be looking for you."