Harold called Joshua with an update: Sellers was no longer in critical condition.
"However," Harold added, "half of his face ispletely ruined. Even if he eventually returns to The Burton Group, he''ll have to stay entirely behind the scenes."
Harold paused before testing the waters. "Mr. Gardner, should we release him now?"
Keeping the head of a major family locked up long-term wasn''t a sustainable n.
Joshua''s voice was ice-cold. "The Burton familyes from a long line of medical experts. Even with half his face destroyed, their doctors might find a way to fix it. Keep him a little longer. Wait until the damage ispletely irreversible, then we''ll talk."
Harold was silent for a few seconds before replying, "Understood, sir."
After hanging up, Joshua headed out to the back garden to find Ste.
Suddenly, a frail, slender figure stepped into his path.
Joshua nced at her, his tone t. "Shouldn''t Ms. Williams be resting for the baby? What are you doing out here?"
Aurora red at him, a deep, uncontroble hatred spilling from her eyes.
And yet, a soft, eerie smile curled onto her red lips.
"If you hate me so much, why don''t you just kill me?"
Joshua looked at her as if she were insane. "Hate you? Ms. Williams, where did you get that idea?"
"If you don''t hate me, why go to such incredible lengths to destroy everyone around me?" Aurora sneered.
Joshua let out a low chuckle.
"Well, taking down Leonard was revenge for Star. Taking down Jonathan clears the path for Star to be the head of the family. Taking down Sellers lets Star swallow up more of the Burton family''s market share. But taking down you..."
Joshua looked her up and down, feigning confusion.
"What exactly would Star gain from that? To be perfectly honest, I prefer opponents who actually pose a challenge. Ms. Williams, you simply don''t qualify."
Aurora''s fists clenched involuntarily. In a single moment, every ounce of her pride was crushed to dust.
Joshua''s gaze driftedzily down to her stomach.
A sh of defensive panic crossed Aurora''s eyes, and she unconsciously took a few steps back.
The only reason she had dared to confront him was that Joshua seemed to have a rule against getting his hands dirty with women-whether it was Rachel Pearce, Simone Lerman, or herself.
But ever since Jonathan ended up in aa and Sellers vanished, Joshua''s methods had clearly taken a darker, more ruthless turn.
Catching the look in his eye, Aurora felt a cold shiver run through her.
Joshua let out a softugh. "Instead
of worrying about ouldn''t Ms.
Williams be trying to figure out how to rig those paternity test results?"
Aurora''s eyes widened in sheer terror.
Joshua withdrew his gaze and walked right past her.
...
The next day, Ste, Joshua, and Lauretta headed to the airport to pick up Antoney.
Even though Ste had three biological brothers, none of thempared to the
bond she shared with Antoney.
The real reason Antoney insisted on
visiting wasn''t just to dodge his
family''s matchmaking.
had told him everything that
Murphy
happened to Ste in Navaris,
sw?ovels
He couldn''t sit still; he had to fly out and see for himself that she was okay.
Seeing the healthy color in Ste''s cheeks, Antoney finally let out a sigh of relief.
He pulled her into a gentle hug. "Star, I''m so d you''re alright..."
He was about to say more when he suddenly felt a dark, heavy gaze locking onto
him.
Antoney turned his head and saw
Joshua standing a short distance away. The man''s eyes werepletely unreadable, making Antoney wonder if the sudden ch he felt was just his imagination.
Brushing it off, Antoney offered a friendly greeting. "Joshua."
Joshua gave a curt nod. "Antoney."
Since it was already lunchtime, Ste had booked a private room at a nearby restaurant. The group headed straight there.
Halfway through the meal, Ste had to step out into the hallway to take a work call.
Just as she hung up and turned back toward the room, someone blocked her path. "Ms. Cameron."
Ste looked up, slightly taken aback.
It was Laurel Quinn.