Ste dried her face and replied tly, "It''s not a physical problem, Joshua. It''s a matter of the heart."


    Joshua fell silent.


    As she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Haynes and Keen waiting by the door, looking at her with deep concern.


    "Are you okay, Star?" Haynes asked.


    Keen''s face was tight with worry. "Mom, if you''re not feeling well today, just rest at home. We don''t have to go out."


    Ste offered a reassuring smile and shook her head. "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me."


    She barely ate anything for breakfast.


    After the meal, the group piled into the car and headed to the amusement park.


    Haynes sat in the driver''s seat, feeling stifled as he navigated the roads, asionally stealing nces at the rearview mirror to check on the passengers in the back.


    Ste, Keen, and Joshua sat together in the back seat.


    Keen chatted happily with Joshua and whispered excitedly to Ste, making them look like a perfect family of three while Haynes felt like nothing more than their chauffeur.


    He suddenly understood why Ste had asked for his help.


    Joshua really wasn''t someone she could easily shake off.


    Once they arrived at the amusement park, Keen bounced around like a happy little rabbit, constantly running up to the adults to share his excitement.


    Haynes listened patiently, asionally offering a word of caution to keep him safe.


    Suddenly, as if remembering something, Haynes turned to Ste. "Do you remember what day we got our marriage license?"


    Both Ste and Joshua looked at him simultaneously.


    Acting oblivious to Joshua''s piercing stare, Haynes offered a faint smile. "It was exactly seven years ago today."


    Ever since the divorce, Ste had nearly forgotten his birthday, let alone their anniversary.


    Hearing him bring it up out of the blue, she immediately understood why he had agreed to let Joshua tag along.


    To a current boyfriend, the ex-husband is always the sharpest thorn in the side.


    Especially when that ex was equally handsome, capable, and sessful.


    Hearing this, Joshua smiled faintly. "For five whole years, you never once remembered your wedding anniversary.


    To think you''d remember it so clearly after getting divorced.


    From what I recall, when you got together with Rachel Pearce, Deanna O''Brien stood in your way and you broke up with Rachel without putting up much of a fight. It didn''t seem like you liked he that much.


    But when she came back, you abandoned your wife and spent all your time making


    it up to Rachel.


    Tell me, Mr. O''Brien, do you just believe that whatever you can''t have is the best? Or... do you just have a special fetish for your exes?"


    Haynes was rendered speechless.


    That dark chapter of his past was undeniably his fault, and there was no way to spin


    it.


    He was never a man of many words, and his conversational skills couldn''t hold a candle to Joshua''s.


    In the very first round, he had been thoroughly shut down.


    However, despite all that, Ste and Haynes had lived together for five years.


    Before Rachel returned, Haynes had treated Ste reasonably well, and they shared plenty of memories.


    He purposefully brought up a few of Ste''s habits things Joshua might have noticed, but outsiders would


    never know. Contentos de liber


    Predictably, the temperature around them plummeted.


    At the same time, Haynes felt a bone-chilling, oppressive gaze lock onto him.


    He turned his head to meet a pair of dark, fathomless eyes.


    The color of Joshua''s pupils was so dense it seemed to swallow the light.


    He stared at Haynes expressionlessly, his eyes brimming with undisguised killing intent.


    In that split second, all of his


    y crafted maskspletely


    vanis leaving nothing but bis


    rawest, most dangerous self


    M''