A jolt went through Ste.


    It was exactly what Laurel Quinn had said.


    To be honest, she hadn''tpletely believed Laurel''s words. Ste could tell that Laurel still had feelings for Joshua. She couldn''t help but wonder if Laurel had deliberately said all that to make her leave him.


    Ste asked, "So, what did you remember?"


    Joshua brushed it off. "Not much. Just some old business, violence and bloodshed... nothing you need to worry about."


    Ste was skeptical. "Joshua, are you sure?"


    "When have I ever lied to you?" Joshua took her hand, his gaze falling on the unfamiliar ring she was wearing.


    "This is..."


    Ste quickly exined, "Foreman took the ring with the tracking chip and gave me this one to trick you. When I escaped, Ipletely forgot about this ring, so I didn''t take it off."


    As she spoke, Ste immediately tried to remove the ring.


    However, it was fitted so tightly that it wouldn''t budge. She had tried to take it off when she left Foreman''s ce, but he had intentionally designed it a size smaller, precisely so she couldn''t remove it easily.


    After a few attempts, she had given up, not wanting to waste time on it.


    This time, Ste pulled until her finger was red, but the ring still didn''te off.


    Looking into Joshua''s imprably deep eyes, a subtle sense of dread and unease began to creep into Ste''s heart.


    Compared tost time, Joshua was far too calm now.


    Suddenly, Ste wasn''t sure what she wanted more—for him to be calm, or for him to be tense.


    Abruptly, Joshua took hold of her reddened finger.


    "Star, leave it." Joshua''s long, slender fingers idly stroked the ring. "It''ll be too


    difficult to get off by force. I''ll have someone melt it off tomorrow."


    Ste said, "Why don''t we... have someonee melt it off today?"


    brothe


    She had been wearing it for a while so another day wouldn''t matter to ber, but she worried it would bother Joshua to see it.


    Joshua seemed to guess her thoughts and said in a low voice, "There''s no need. Just get some rest tonight."


    As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.


    Ste didn''t refuse. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded.


    His kiss, however, was not as calm as his demeanor suggested. It was rough, almost brutal, and unsettling.


    The familiar scent of him


    overwhelmed her senses as his mouth devoured hers until her lips were nearly numb. He kissed her with a desperate intensity, as if venting some pent-up emotion.


    But strangely, a sense of peace settled over Ste.


    Sometimes, ack of emotion was the most frightening thing of all.


    The night was apparently a bit too intense. When it was over, Ste quickly fell into


    a deep sleep.


    Joshua sat on the edge of the bed,


    his fingers gently tracing the


    pof


    contours of Ste''s face. A cold smile eerie and inscrutable, curved his lipsalis vorde was like a wisp smoke, drifting through the air as Something sinister and dark shed in his eyes.


    "Star, I will never let anyone, or anything, be an obstacle between us again."


    There was a soft knock on Laurel Quinn''s door.


    Laurel opened it and froze when she saw Joshua.


    She quickly recovered and invited him in.


    "What are you doing here?" Laurel asked after closing the door. "Aren''t you with Ste?"


    Joshua''s voice was indifferent. "She''s asleep."


    Laurel said, "You came here specifically to see me. You must have something to say."


    Joshua leaned back elegantly in a chair. "I remembered a few things."


    Laurel''s heart clenched. "Is it... about me?"