"Joshua never learned how to love himself, so his feelings for you arepletely unfiltered and absolute. But given your past, you could never match that burning intensity. It''s nearly impossible for him to get the equal return he desperately seeks from you. So, triggered by his illness, he might gradually spiral into extremes.


    "Ms. Cameron, the reason I''m telling you this is that in your world, love might only take up a third of what matters. But for Joshua, it is one hundred percent. His feelings for you aren''t normal, and they certainly aren''t healthy. Since they''re unhealthy, they need to be adjusted and treated. If you truly want what''s best for him, you have to learn to let go.


    "I know how hard this is for you. I know the feeling all too well. But you won''t die without him. If you just let his illness run its course, he''s going to lose his mind, and then he''ll die. Do you really want Joshua to be just another ghost story in the Gardner family?"


    Ste''s eyshes fluttered. "Ghost story?"


    Laurel looked her dead in the eye and enunciated every word. "Every single head of the Gardner family dies before they hit thirty."


    Ste''s heart gave a violent lurch.


    Laurel pressed on. "I know you''re desperately searching everywhere for doctors, but honestly, I don''t hold much hope. Even with this Dr. Winter, I doubt she can do anything. Otherwise, with all their money, the previous generations wouldn''t have been gued by this curse for so long.


    "I''m telling you all this today so you can start preparing for the worst. People have to learn to let go. If he can''t learn it, you have to teach him. And of course, I''m not saying this out of selfish motives. I can state definitively that Joshua and I are over. Even if you two break up, we will never be together. I have zero intention of getting back with him."


    Ste sat in silence for a long time before asking apletely unrted question.


    "I once saw something like a daily log on Joshua''s desk. It had brief records of his past whereabouts."


    Laurel frowned. "Are you saying he''s recording his past movements, rather than his future schedule?"


    Ste nodded. "Yeah, I skimmed through it. It only started after he returned from Novaris."


    Laurel''s expression turned grim. "Joshua has an exceptional memory calling it photographic wouldn''t be an exaggeration. The only reason he would document things is if he''s afraid of f?rgetting. If that''s the case..."  s?novels


    Laurel looked at Ste. "His memory is starting to fail. That''s one of the ssic symptoms of the Gardner family curse. He might be experiencing some early signs, so he''s taking preventative measures."


    II


    Ste''s heart sank like a stone.


    She asked, "If Joshua wanted to hide something, where would he usually put it? Would he leave it out in the open?"


    Laurel gave her a long look before replying. "If it''s truly important, he''d never leave it out. Especially a


    like the one you mentioned, whic


    he''d need to check and verify every single day. But the most dangerous ce is often the safest. Wherever you couldn'' fit, thats exactly where it might be. Or maybe he


    didn''t hide it at all. It could be right in in sight, yet in a ce no one


    would think to look."


    Ste shifted the topic. "Aren''t you afraid he''lle after you for telling me all this?"