?Chapter 704:


    At the mention of Steven, Josie’s face shifted—expression guarded. “Stel, let’s not bring up irrelevant people right now.”


    Ste grinned. “If he’s so irrelevant, why do you get so worked up every time you see him?”


    Josie, who always kept her cool, never raised her voice and rarely lost her temper—even when annoyed, she only ever gave a cold stare.


    People called her the untouchable, an ice beauty.


    But the second Steven was involved? That calm flew right out the window. Her temper spiked almost as fast as Sharon’s.


    Josie froze for a second. She hadn’t realized just how much her emotions red up every time she saw Steven.


    “I just get annoyed when he keeps bugging me,” she said.


    To her, that irritation felt perfectly normal—anyone would feel the same, right? Ste, watching Josie pretend she wasn’t feeling anything at all, chose not to call her out.


    Everyone had their own illusions to hold onto. Sometimes, it was the only way to keep life moving.


    Josie drained thest of her champagne and turned to Ste. “Come on. I’ll take you to meet Amanda.”


    Amanda, the star of the evening, sat at the center of the banquet hall. People stopped by her table one after another, offering gifts and a few words of ttery.


    Just ahead of Ste, Rutherford stepped up and handed Amanda andscape painting.


    Amanda’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted the artist’s signature—Sterion. “Mr. Schoenberg, thank you so much! How’d you know I’ve been obsessed with Steriontely?” Amanda beamed, holding the painting with both hands. “Her style is so unique. Nothing else out there evenes close.”


    Standing next to Ste, Josie leaned in and whispered, “She really does love your work. Not just your jewelry—your paintings too.”


    Ste smiled softly. She was starting to feel a subtle connection with Amanda. Maybe one day, if the timing felt right, she’d share who she really was. But not tonight.<fn4a28> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f?ndnovel</fn4a28>


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    “Where’d you even find this piece?” Amanda asked. “I’ve been hunting through galleries. No one’s selling Sterion’s stuff anymore.”


    Ste hadn’t painted muchtely, and her own gallery had only a few pieces left.


    Other galleries? Even less.


    “A friend tipped me off about this hidden gem of a gallery,” Rutherford replied. “Totally off the radar. I’m lucky she mentioned it in time.”


    That ce had stood out to him immediately—the decor, the location, the vibe.


    It all reminded him of Ste.


    Amanda’s eyes sparkled. “Is your friend here tonight?”


    Rutherford smiled, then turned to look toward Ste. “Ms. Gilbert, Amanda would love to have a word with you.”


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