Andrew, Fiona, and Anna all looked utterly mortified. Sure enough, Eleanor knew them all too well. She skewered their intentions with surgical precision.

Eleanor wrestled down her fury. ‘Stay alive,” she thought, “Ste still needs my protection.

“Listen up, all of you.” Eleanor dered. “Ste is off–limits. Cross this line, and you lose your family name.” After saying that, bshe /bleft with Mary.

As Ste was heading back, Kevin called. He wanted to meet up, and Ste agreed.

Kevin gazed at Ste, his beyes /bbrimming with sadness. “Ste, tell me it’s not true. You and Jordan?

“Yes, legally married. I bmoved /bin with himst night,” Ste said calmly.

“And the wedding?” Kevin asked, his voiceced with disbelief, “When is your wedding?”

“I told him we can hold off for now. Given my current condition, I’d prefer to wait a couple more years before we talk about it again.”

“Don’t tell me he’s refusing to give you a proper wedding, Ste, Kevin said, his voice trembling. “Why were you in such a rush to marry Jordan? Couldn’t you wait for me? I’ve been fighting for us–begging my dad to ept you.”

Ste met Kevin’s gaze head–on, seeing the distress and sorrow etched across his face.

Ste was well aware of Kevin’s feelings for her. But Ste didn’t feel the same for him. She truly cherished their close friendship and didn’t want to ruin it. But most importantly… Ste noted the bruise peeking above his cor. “Your dad beat you.”

Kevin’s body stiffened instantly. He denied, “No, of course not. How could that be?”

“Don’t lie to me.” She tugged his cor lower. Belt marks snaked toward his shoulder. “Did you think you could hide this from me? The bruises? Did he whip you with a belt? Is your whole back covered in wounds?”

“It’s nothing. I can take it. I’m a man and I’m going to fight for what I want.”

“But Kevin, I can’t take it. After losing Emily, you’re the only friend I have. I can’t just let you get hurt by your dad. You’re an illegitimate son.

The only reason you’re inheriting the Carver family fortune is because your dad recognized your talent. But if you disobey him and choose to be with me, you-”

“I don’t care,” Kevin cut in bsharply/b,

“I care. Have you ever thought about what Troy would do to you–and to me–if one day you lost the Carver family’s protection?”

Ste looked at Kevin and said, “If one day Troy finds me alone in your penthouse, wouldn’t be like amb to the ughter?”

Kevin froze. Horror dawned on Kevin’s face.

bSte /breally didn’t want to say bany /bof this, but seeing Kevin’s unwavering persistence, she knew she had to crush his hopes bonce /band for all.”Kevin, we’re close friends–always have been, always will be. I hope you’ll keep that in mind.”

A heavy silence stretched between them. Neither spoke.

After what felt like an eternity, Kevin slowly lifted his head and asked hesitantly, “Was it because of my confession? Was that why you suddenly married Jordan?”

“Not exactly. I turned you down right away after you said that. Then I happened to meet Jordan. Honestly, getting married to him wasn’t even on my mind at the time.

“just asked him to help me find a stand–in groom, but he offered to marry me himself Ste concluded, “Then it hit me–Jordan was someone the Hayes family couldn’t afford to mess with. So I went ahead with it.”

Kevin’s hands balled into white–knuckled fists.

Steforted him, “Kevin, don’t me yourself. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s all my fault,” he bsaid/b, “For three years, I was so focused on looking for byou /bthat I never tried to better myself. When you needed me most, I couldn’t be there for byou/b.

“And now, I have to stand by and watch you marry someone else. It just tears me apart.”

Ste looked at Kevin and said softly, “It’s not like that, Kevin. I truly hope we can stay close friends for life.”

Kevin focused his eyes on Ste. “Just give me some time. I’ll go back and make something of myself,” he said earnestly, “If he ever wrongs you and you decide to divorce him, I’ll be right here, waiting for you.”

“He’s actually been really good to me,” she said hesitantly. “He found me a new doctor, let me take out my anger on Max–he’s still in the hospital now, and he even personally designed and had clothes made himself for me.”

Kevin bwas /btaken baback/b. “He… he loves you?”

Ste shook her head. “No. I developed an app named Apple, and he just handled the promotion. That mysterious mastermind behind him? It’s me. He’s doing all this to maintain our business partnership.”

Kevin sat p

paralyzed long after she left. ‘bApple /bwas actually developed by Ste?‘ Kevin was stunned.

People said that ban /bapple made Newton, an apple made Jobs, andter, an apple made Jordan. But Jordan had repeatedly stated that he wasn’t the one who developed the app. He had simply acquired it and spearheaded its promotion.

Over the past three years, the app’s adoption rate has soared, making it a must have on every device and cementing its unshakable global dominance.

Everyone said the most formidable figure was the mastermind behind Jordan. Who would have thought that it was actually Ste? Kevin waspletely floored by this revtion.

He should’ve realized it long ago. Back in school days, Ste demonstrated extraordinary talents across diverse fields. She balways /brepresented her school in variouspetitions–from essay writing and math olympiads to physics and debate tournaments.

But who would have thought Ste was also ba /bprogramming prodigy?

I have to work harder. Kevin thought, his fists clenched. “One day, I’ll make myself worthy of Ste.”

That evening, when Jordan returned home, he bwas /bgreeted by an unusually enticing aroma of home–cooked food. After taking off

his coat, he followed the scent straight into the kitchen.

He was a bit taken aback to find Ste cooking. “Don’t we have chefs handling cooking? What brings you to the kitchen, Ste?”

Ste bnced /bover her shoulder and gave him a gentle smile, then quickly turned back to stir fry the food in the wok

“You’ve done so much for me. I just wanted to thank you. It’s been ages since Ist cooked, so I can’t promise it’ll taste any good”

Jordan’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “As long as your cooking doesn’t send me to the ER, I’m game

Ste chuckled. “No promises.”

Jordan froze for a moment–he hadn’t expected to see Steugh like that, so genuine and carefree.

Thatugh unlocked a memory. They used to joke andugh together online, but the first time Jordan saw Ste in person, he waspletely taken aback

Her body in his arms felt like hollow bird bones–five–foot–six frame barely seventy pounds. At that moment, Jordan couldn’t help but wonder, “What kind of hardships had this girl been through?”

bAD /b