chapter843

Simone didn't even blink.

"No problem," she replied.

For the Lerman family, releasing someone as insignificant as Rachel was a trivial

matter.

Rachel finally gave a satisfied smile. "What do you want to know?"

...

Half an hour later, Simone left the prison feeling thoroughly pleased.

Before she left, she told Rachel, "The day after tomorrow, my people will get you

out of here."

Rachel smiled graciously. "Thank you, Miss Lerman. If you ever have more

questions, you can always come to me."

As Simone walked away, Rachel watched her retreating figure, a cold, sly smile

creeping onto her lips.

Simone had said she didn't remember the details from back then, hadn't she?

That made things much easier.

Even if Simone really was the one Joshua was searching for, Rachel could find a

way to convince him otherwise.

All she had to do was plant enough doubt to make Joshua think Simone was an

imposter. That way, Rachel could still win his trust.

Of course, lying was an art. She couldn't afford to let Simone catch her in a slip

at least not easily.

Outside the prison, Aurora turned to Simone with a warning.

"Simone, you can't take everything Rachel says at face value."

Simone nodded. "Don't worry, I know where to draw the line. She'll lie, but only

about the small details."

Aurora was thoughtful. "By the way, why didn't you ask Rachel who Joshua really

is?"

Simone smiled. "That would spoil the fun. I want to uncover Joshua's identity

myself."

Aurora chuckled. "You're still such a child at heart."

That reminded Simone of something. "Oh, Aurora my brother's almost finished

sorting out the family affairs. He said he'll come see you soon. He's got his hands

on a wonderful painting and wants to show it to you."

Aurora's face lit up. "I'd love that. I haven't seen Leonard in ages."

...

Although the competition had come to a temporary close, Stella was busier than

ever.

Concerts and endless social events filled her schedule, leaving her barely any

time to breathe.

Even in her rare free moments, she didn't get to rest instead, she was cramming

business lessons.

Antoney had been right: even if she

never became a business mogul

she still needed to know the basics.

If not, what if the Williams father and

son tried to pull something over on

her one day?

Today, she'd been invited to a musical gathering.

It was a prestigious event, drawing prominent figures from all walks of life

definitely worth attending.

As the concert drew near, both Abby and Antoney became so busy that Stella

hardly ever saw them.

So, the job of escorting her to banquets and events naturally fell to Joshua.

At the reception, Stella spotted Aurora and Simone and only then realized that

Aurora was also a talented young violinist.

From the moment she stepped into

the ballroom, Stella became the

center of attention. Musicians from

every corner came up to chat with

her.

By the time the crowd around her finally dispersed, nearly forty minutes had

passed, and Stella was starting to feel drained.

Joshua leaned in and suggested, "Why don't we step out to the garden for a bit?

You could use some air."

As long as Stella stayed in the ballroom, people would keep approaching her, and

she found it hard to turn anyone away.

She nodded gratefully. "That sounds nice."

The garden was peaceful and lush.

Manicured greenery bordered each path, and the flowers were arranged more

beautifully than in most city parks.

A gentle breeze carried a sweet

fragrance through the air, as if they'd

wandered into a kingdom of

blossoms so enchanting it made

Stella forget her fatigue.

She glanced around and was surprised to spot several rare and unusual plants

tucked among the beds.

Some she'd only ever seen at Antoney's place.

Antoney was a homebody, and one of his favorite hobbies was collecting exotic

plants.

Joshua noticed her gaze lingering on the flowers. "Do you like these?" he asked.