Although Wilbur found it a bit strange, he didn''t ask.


    The two of them started walking toward the exit.


    Perhaps distracted, Ste missed a step on the stairs and nearly fell.


    Wilbur reacted quickly, about to steady her, but a hand reached out first, catching


    her arm.


    Ste looked up and saw a handsome, familiar face.


    "Joshua." Ste was slightly taken aback. "What are you doing here?"


    Joshua looked down at her, his dark eyes as deep as a quiet pool.


    "I was a little worried about you, so I came to check."


    "Everything''s fine here," Ste said. "You don''t need to worry."


    "Is that so?" Joshua asked.


    Ste changed the subject. "Where''s Keen?"


    "Harold and Jake are with him," Joshua replied.


    Ste nodded lightly. "Let''s go back."


    Joshua didn''t move. He continued to gaze at her, his expression unreadable. The hand holding her arm tightened unconsciously, as if he were restraining something.


    Ste''s eyshes fluttered. "Joshua."


    Sensing the tense atmosphere, Wilbur quickly made his exit. "Uh... since Joshua is here, I''ll be heading back now."


    The air was heavy with silence, but no one paid him any mind.


    Wilbur hurried off, relieved to escape.


    Joshua looked at her and said suddenly, "Star, I think I''m starting to want more."


    Ste''s lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out.


    Joshua didn''t seem to mind. He spoke in a low voice. "At first, I thought just being able to see you every day would be enough. Then I started thinking it would be nice if we could be together. But now..."


    Joshua''s dark eyes were cold and deep.


    "Now, I wish I was the only one in your heart."


    Joshua looked into Ste''s eyes. "But I know those people upy a special ce in your heart, a ce that can''t just be erased. Star getting greedier and greedier What should I do?"


    In that instant, Ste''s heartstrings trembled violently.


    She didn''t know how tofort him.


    Silence stretched between them.


    After a moment, Joshua looked away and took her hand.


    "Let''s go back first."


    A few dayster, Ste received a call from Haynes.


    On the other end of the line, Haynes''s voice was low and heavy.


    "Star, I''m afraid Keen needs toe back right away." Noticing the tone of his voice, Ste asked, "What happened?"


    "My mother was in a car ident," Haynes said. "It''s serious. The doctors have issued several critical condition hotices, and her situation is still uncertain. I''ve already asked Benson to book a flight He should arrive in Solmaris tomorrow."


    Cóntent


    Ste understood. "It''ll take too much time for him to fly back and forth. I''ll arrange a


    private jet to bring Keen back to you now."


    Haynes seemed surprised that Ste would offer to bring Keen back herself.


    He asked, "Won''t it interfere with your work?"


    "No," Ste said, pausing for a


    moment. "No matter what, he''s my child too. There''s no reason for you to take care of him alone. Besides, things are tense right now. I''ll only fet case of I bring him back to you myself."


    Haynes fell silent.


    if


    Even after Keen had broken her heart, Ste was still a responsible mother.


    Then and now, she had never wronged them in any way.


    And yet, he had lost her a woman so wonderful.


    In the middle of the night, Haynes was often haunted by countless regrets.


    But he knew that no matter how much he regretted it, Ste would never return to


    him.


    "Star."


    Haynes seemed to want to say something more, but atst, he just said—


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