Just as Joshua disappeared from sight, someone knocked her out from behind.


    Foreman''s gaze was intense as he stared at her. "Star, luring Joshua away from you is incredibly difficult. I''m just d I finally seeded. It was worth sacrificing Deanna''s life."


    Ste''s eyes widened in shock. "What did you say?"


    Foreman smiled. "Star, Deanna was always causing you trouble. I''ve disliked her for a long time, but I tolerated her for Haynes''s sake. But she bullied you, and I couldn''t let that slide. It was time for her to go."


    His words offered nofort; they only sent a chill down her spine. Foreman looked at her and said gently, "Don''t worry, Star. As long as I''m here, I will never let anyone hurt you."


    "Where''s Keen?" Ste demanded.


    "Keen was rescued by Joshua. He''s fine," Foreman replied with a smile.


    "This fire... did you set it just to kidnap me?"


    "Star, I had everything arranged," Foreman said, ignoring her question. "Even if Joshua hadn''t saved him, I would have gotten him out."


    But Ste saw right through him. "If Joshua hadn''t been there," she sneered, "you probably would have grabbed Keen too, just to use him as leverage against me, wouldn''t you?"


    Foreman''s face darkened instantly. He was right. That had been the original n. He wanted to abduct both Ste and Keen, but Callie had beenpletely useless and couldn''t even keep an eye on the boy. To be honest, Foreman had no idea how Joshua had found Keen so quickly. He knew where Keen was but had still been a step toote.


    Foreman hadn''t kidnapped Keen beforehand, instead leaving him in the fire, precisely because he worried Joshua would sense something was amiss.


    "Star, you have to understand," Foreman''s eyes flickered. "If I didn''t make it look real, Joshua would have seen through it. I had no other choice."


    And it was true. Joshua was too smart, almost unnervingly so. Foreman couldn''t afford to leave any room for error. Deanna had to actually die, so that even if the ident was investigated, suspicion would fall on Haynes''s enemies. Keen had to be in real danger, a lure waiting to be rescued. Any hint of a setup, and Joshua would have


    sniffed it out.


    ording to Aurora Williams, Joshua''s mental state was fragile. This n had to be executed quickly. Once Joshua re outsmarting him would be nearly impossible. Keen was Ste''s son; she would sacrifice herself for him. And Joshua would never let anything happen to Ste. Keen had to be saved.


    Realization dawned on Ste. She raised her hand and pped Foreman hard across the face.


    "You even used a child," she said with disgust. "You make me sick!"


    Foreman didn''t seem to mind. He looked at her earnestly. "Star, everything I did was for your own


    good. If hadn''t brought you here


    first, if Aurora and Sellers Burton had gotten to you, you might have actually died. It wouldn''t have been as simple as faking your death."


    "So, luring me back to Novaris was part of your n from the beginning?" Ste asked coldly.


    "Only by bringing you back to Novaris could I protect you," he said.


    "And what if I hadn''t brought Keen back myself?" Ste challenged.


    Foreman gave her a smile that made her blood run cold. "Star, you were always going toe back."


    A cold dread washed over Ste, and she clenched her fists.


    "Foreman, you''re insane!"


    She knew what he meant. If she hadn''t returned with Keen this time, something would have happened to him next.