Ste forced herself to rally, ying with Keen.


    However, not long after lunch, she felt herself growing drowsy again. It felt like she could fall asleep just by closing her eyes.


    Noticing this, Keen asked with concern, "Mom, haven''t you been sleeping welltely?"


    Ste paused. "...That''s right."


    Keen said understandingly, "If you''re not well-rested, Mom, you should go home


    early. If you have important things to do, you should do them. You cane find me when you''re not busy anymore."


    Ste felt a pang of shame.


    It would be one thing if she actually had important business, but this was just because of what happened in the bedroom...


    Ste had a vague suspicion of what was going on.


    But she found it impossible to say a single word of me toward Joshua.


    Every time Keen had been in danger, Joshua had risked his life to save him.


    She, of all people, had no right to criticize him.


    And just as Laurel Quinn had said, she couldn''t give him the same wholehearted devotion he gave her.


    All she could do was give in without a word, just like now.


    Haynes looked at Ste deeply. "Star, if you''re tired, you should go home. We''ll see you off whenever you decide to leave Novaris."


    "I''m sorry," Ste said softly.


    "Go on," Haynes replied. "There are people watching over you in the shadows, so I won''t escort you."


    Ste was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized the people Haynes was referring to must be Joshua''s men.


    After thest two incidents, Joshua would never allow another ident to happen.


    Ste gave Keen a gentle hug. "Okay, then Mommy will be going."


    As she left the amusement park and was about to call a car, she saw a tall, handsome figure standing at the entrance.


    The entrance was crowded, but Joshua was so striking that several young women were taking pictures of him with their phones, their faces flushed with excitement.


    Joshua seemed oblivious, standing there with an indifferent expression.


    As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head and looked directly at her.


    In that instant, his eyes seemed to capture the starlight, shining brightly.


    He strode toward Ste and naturally took her hand.


    "Star."


    Ste could practically hear a collective sigh of disappointment from the girls watching them.


    "Joshua, what are you doing here?" she asked.


    "I finished my work, so I came to wait for you," Joshua replied.


    "How long have you been waiting? If you were done, why didn''t you call me?"


    Joshua''s longshes lowered


    slightly "It''s your family time. It


    wouldn''t be right for me to ket


    showing up."


    Hearing him say that, Ste felt an unexpected pang in her heart for him. She didn''t know how tofort him, so she just squeezed his hand gently.


    After getting in the car, just as Ste fastened her seatbelt, her phone rang.


    She nced at the caller ID and saw it was Mr. Burton, whom she hadn''t seen in a while.


    Ste immediately answered. "Mr. Burton?"


    Mr. Burton''s kind and gentle voice came from the other end.


    "Ste, how have you beentely?"


    "I''m doing well," Ste replied. "How has your health been?"


    Mr. Burton joked, "Well, living another decade or two shouldn''t be a problem."


    Steughed along.


    Given Mr. Burton''s age, she had


    never once mentioned her


    disappearance to him, not wan


    to cause him any worry


    After a bit suddenly


    said, "Ste, I''m actually to tell you some incredible


    Of small talk, Mr. Burton


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