The longsword in Sellers'' grip was rendered utterly useless against the sheer, crushing mass of the wild beast. A single swipe of its massive paw sent the weapon ttering across the floor.


    Sellers scrambled across the dirty ground, rolling out of the way before snatching up a long staff to defend himself.


    But the lion''s ws were devastatingly fast and packed with explosive power. With a casual, brutal swipe, it shredded the flesh right off the side of Sellers'' face.


    Blood instantly poured from the gaping wound, painting his face crimson.


    The heavy stench of copper whipped the lion into an even wilder frenzy. Jaws unhinged, it lunged straight for the fragile expanse of Sellers'' throat.


    Joshua''s icy, disappointed voice drifted through the iron bars.


    "Too weak. Just pitifully weak. An entire rack of weapons, and you couldn''t even buy yourself a minute."


    Harold stood silently behind Joshua, his dress shirt already stered to his back with cold sweat.


    He had been by Joshua''s side for years, but this was the very first time he had ever heard him speak of his time in Crestmont.


    It was a dark chapter that even Laurel Quinn and Beckett Torres knew absolutely nothing about.


    Those brutal memories were supposed to be permanently locked away under deep hypnosis.


    But for Joshua to bring them up now so casually...


    Did this mean his memories... hadpletely returned?


    Joshua''s t, emotionless order snapped Harold back to reality.


    "Don''t let Sellers die."


    Harold jolted and immediately signaled the guards to unload a volley of tranquilizer darts into the beast.


    The lion, moments away from ripping Sellers to shreds, went limp and copsed onto the floor, out cold.


    "How utterly boring," Joshua muttered, standing up with a distinctck of interest. "Get a doctor down here to patch him up."


    Only after Joshua''s footsteps faded down the hall did Harold finally dare to raise a trembling hand and wipe the sweat from his brow.


    Staring down at Sellers'' mangled, blood-soaked face, Harold couldn''t help but think that living like this was a fate far worse than death.


    ...


    Lately, Ste had noticed that Joshua was not only swamped with work but also acting like a ghost, constantly disappearing without a trace.


    That evening, just as Ste arrived home, she unexpectedly ran into Joshua, who had also just walked through the door.


    He was dressed entirely in ck, his expression calm and unreadable, seemingly no different from his usual self.


    Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he exuded an aura that was unnervingly sinister and morbidly chilling.


    Sensing her gaze, Joshua slowly turned to look at her.


    His eyes were as cold as dead stars, stripped of any flicker of warmtheit was a cold, hollow stare thatcked any shred of human emotion a stark, terrifying contrast to the man Ste knew and loved.


    Ste''s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs.


    But the split second his eyes registered her face, that abyss of freezing darkness receded like a pulling tide vanishing so quickly, she Wondered if she had hallucinated the whole thing.


    The corners of his lips tipped up into a soft smile, and the light rushed back into his eyes.


    "Star, you''re home."


    Ste blinked, momentarily dazed, before giving a subconscious nod.


    Joshua stepped forward and wrapped her in a gentle embrace. "Star, did you miss me today?"


    Pressed against his chest, Ste caught a sudden, faint whiff of something sharp and metallic-the unmistakable scent of cold steel and fresh blood.


    She pulled back slightly. "Joshua, where were you today?"


    "I went to see a circus act," he replied smoothly.


    Ste frowned in confusion. "A circus act? What kind?"


    Before she could press him for details, Joshua dipped his head and captured her


    lips in a deep, demanding kiss.


    Even though they were on their


    private estate and safely away from


    the public eye, they were still


    vel?


    outdoors, where staff or securit guards could easily walk by.


    Ste tried to turn her face away, breathless. "Joshua, let''s go inside first."


    But Joshuapletely ignored her protests. "Star, you still haven''t answered me. Did you miss me today?"


    Ste felt that something was dangerously off about him today, but his relentless kisses left herpletely unable to process her thoughts.


    She finally managed to mumble a breathless, "I did," before she suddenly felt the ground leave her feet as he scooped her effortlessly into his arms.