chapter1143

Israel's brow twitched ever so slightly he really did think it was a good idea.

"I like this plan. Let's do it. I'll get in touch with Q right away."

As Israel turned to leave, Leonard called after him, a note of warning in his voice.

"Don't forget your promise, Israel. Once this is over, you'll back Aurora."

A small smile tugged at Israel's lips. "Relax. Aurora's my sister. If I don't look out for her, who will?"

With that, Israel strode out.

...

At the moment, Abby Murphy was away. To ensure Stella's safety, Joshua had moved into the estate and stayed by her side.

The Williams family wasn't large, and their estate was sprawling-so much space, so few people.

Each member had an entire floor to themselves, free to decorate however they liked, with their own study, gym, media lounge, solarium, kitchenette whatever suited their tastes.

Skyler Williams had gifted Stella an entire level, hers to arrange as she pleased.

Though Stella and Joshua lived on the same floor, their rooms weren't especially close. They were, after all, a man and a woman; a little distance was only proper.

After dinner, Stella worked for a while, then suddenly recalled she'd left a file with Joshua.

She walked over to his room and knocked on the door.

"Joshua, are you in?"

The door swung open almost immediately. Joshua, already changed into something comfortable, stepped aside to let her in without a word.

"Come in, let's talk inside."

Stella entered and got right to the point. "I think I left some papers with you earlier."

Joshua poured her a glass of water. "Give me a sec, I'll check my briefcase."

"Thanks."

While Joshua was gone, Stella settled onto the sofa, taking the chance to look around his room.

She truly saw Joshua as a friend, so she'd made sure his room was just as spacious as hers.

On the balcony, a few potted plants soaked up the last evening light. The coffee table and wardrobe were dotted with quirky little

Pelnet

ornaments Tamilar ones, she realized. Joshua had brought them from her old home in Novaris. C ntent belongs to s

When Stella left Novaris, she'd only taken the essentials-everything else she either gave away or tossed. Joshua had protested, saying it was and if

a waste to throw things out, as

she was giving things away anyway, why not let him have them? s

Most of the trinkets were insignificant to her, so she'd handed them over without a second thought, never imagining he'd actually bring them all the way here.

Her gaze wandered to a framed

portrait hanging on the wall-hermet

own handiwork, a sketch of Joshua she'd drawn for him. He'd displayed it in the most prominent spot. s

A gentle smile tugged at her lips. He really did treasure her art.

Just then, Stella's eyes drifted to the desk, where a familiar-looking laptop bag rested. It looked almost identical to the one Harold had used earlier that day. s ? ?s find[?]ovel.net

Joshua reappeared with a stack of documents, catching her mid-thought.

He studied her for a moment before handing her the files. "Are these the papers you were looking for?"

Stella pulled her attention back, quickly flipping through the pages. "Yes, that's the one."

She got to her feet. "You should get some rest. I'll leave you to it."

Joshua walked her to the door himself. "If you need anything, just call. No need to come all the way over."

Stella nodded and walked away, but paused at the threshold for one last glance inside.

Through the narrow gap in the door, she caught sight of a laptop on the desk- one that looked uncannily similar to the one Harold had been carrying earlier.