chapter1704

Of course, Joshua couldn't do things like sabotage operations, cancel orders, or unilaterally form partnerships with other families over the network.

Those things required verbal confirmation from the head of the family.

"Beckett and I trained under the same master," Joshua continued. "We know each other well enough, which is why I can pull this off without him noticing for now."

Joshua's method relied on his deep understanding of his rival.

Without that familiarity, he would have been exposed immediately.

Stella's eyes flickered as she recalled what Joshua had said during dinner.

"I'll have to take some shortcuts."

So, the unlucky person... was likely Beckett?

Yes, Joshua definitely still had it out for Beckett.

Stella wasn't very interested in Beckett, but she was genuinely surprised that Aurora

had ended up in a place like the Triangle Delta.

"King Wright is that ruthless? He actually had her taken to a place like that?"

"He probably didn't want to get his own hands dirty," Joshua said.

"After all, Aurora is a Williams heiress with a lot of admirers. Making a move on her openly would only bring him a world of trouble."

Stella couldn't agree more.

With Aurora kidnapped and missing, anyone who got involved would likely get dragged through the mud. If something truly happened to her, someone would have to be the scapegoat and face the public's wrath.

"Jonathan Williams still hasn't given up on trying to frame me," Stella said. "I bet the Williams family has a lot of people watching me in secret, just waiting for me to make a mistake so they can pounce. We should stay as far away from this Aurora business as possible."

As she spoke, a thought occurred to her, and she looked at Joshua.

He was looking back at her with a knowing, enigmatic smile.

Stella paused, and it suddenly clicked.

Why would Joshua go through the trouble of using Beckett's resources to find Aurora instead of his own?

...He was setting a trap for Beckett.

Seeing that she'd figured it out, Joshua didn't hide it.

"Even if we steer clear of Aurora's situation, there's no guarantee they won't try to

pin it on us. It's better to make some preparations, just in case."

Stella was speechless.

He was just looking for an excuse to get back at Beckett, wasn't he?

Now that he was in Joshua's crosshairs, Beckett was in for a miserable time.

After they'd made their relationship

official, Joshua had told Stella everything about his history with Beckett and Laurel Quin. The st was largely the same as the one Beckett had told.

Stella looked at Joshua. "Are you sure you want to drag Beckett into this? The Williams family is a messy situation, and Aurora is a quagmire. Once youre in, it's hard to get out

"Beckett is always idle and meddling in other people's business," Joshua said. "I'm

just giving him something to do, a new purpose in life. Besides..."

A smirk with an unreadable meaning crossed Joshua's face. "I'm also curious to see

if Aurora has what it takes to lure him into her web."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't Beckett like Laurel Quinn?"

"Exactly," Joshua replied. "A love triangle is more interesting, don't you think?"

Stella didn't know what to say.

As much as Joshua had a wicked sense of humor... why was she suddenly looking forward to this, too? Had she been corrupted from spending too much time with him?

After discussing Aurora's situation

for a while, they decided they absolutely could not get involved. She wasn't kidnapped by them, and if they made any moves, they could be caught and end up taking the blame for someone else. This was especially true now, with the

Williams family just waiting for Stella

to slip up.

Moreover, even if Stella didn't want to admit it, in the eyes of the public, she and

Aurora were family.