NovelEnglishChapter 517
Rachel's chest tightened, each breath growing more difficult.
She'd always thought Mr. Burton was just an eccentric old mystic-certainly not someone with real skill. But after
what she'd just witnessed, it was clear his medical expertise was anything but a sham.
Which could only mean one thing: Mr. Burton must already know she was faking her illness.
Even Rachel, slow to catch on as she sometimes was, realized now that Mr. Burton's earlier behavior had been
nothing but a game-he'd been toying with her. And Stella, that snake, likely knew the truth too.
Stella hadn't exposed her, instead choosing to play along. It was all part of her plan to get that billion-dollar
payout from Haynes.
If Mr. Burton were just a powerless old man, Haynes might not have believed a word he said. But Mr. Burton was
the founder of the Burton Group. His words carried weight-Haynes was bound to believe him.
She was about to be exposed. Panic flooded Rachel's veins.
From the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Haynes. He looked just as blindsided as she felt.
Rachel's heart pounded so hard it was all she could hear. Desperation clawed at her. In that moment, she
remembered Joshua Gardner.
Yes-Joshua. He'd promised to cto Neo-Vespera tonight. Maybe he could help her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTaking advantage of Haynes's attention being fixed on the stage, Rachel hurriedly typed out a message to
Joshua.
Out in the hallway, Joshua's sharp, dignified features softened as he read her text. His long, pale fingers danced
across his phone as he replied:
"Don't worry I'll take care of this."
Relief washed over Rachel, but anxiety still lingered. She quickly texted back, "How are you going to do that?"
Joshua's reply cmoments later: "Cto the hallway."
Rachel's eyes widened. She darted her gaze around the ballroom. Was Joshua already here? How had she not
spotted him?
In a low voice, she whispered, "Haynie, | need to use the restroom."
Haynes barely glanced at her, his gaze still glued to the performers onstage, and nodded absentmindedly. "Mm-
hmm.”
Rachel slipped out into the corridor.
Leaning casually against a windowsill stood a tall, elegant man-Joshua. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy, yet
he radiated a certain noble grace.
As she approached, his dark, clear eyes-like polished obsidian-lifted to meet hers, a faint smile playing at their
corners.
"Rachel, long tno see.” His voice was smooth and gentle, as soothing as a summer breeze.
Anyone who didn't know him would think he was just a golden boy-warm, cheerful, easygoing.
"Joshua..." Rachel started, her words coming in a rush, but Joshua brought a finger to his lips, signaling for
silence, and nodded toward the ballroom.
"Let's go somewhere more private."
Rachel tensed, suddenly conscious of the possibility of eavesdroppers, and snapped her mouth shut.
The back garden was deserted-everyone was inside, watching the performance.
Rachel, teetering on the verge of being exposed, could barely keep her nerves in check.
She had no tto worry about Joshua's dangerous reputation or the risk of him discovering her lies.
"Joshua, have you figured out how to deal with Stella?" she blurted out, her voice urgent. "Maybe it's tto
make her disappear for good. With
Mr. Burton protecting her now, it'll only get harder to take her down later."
Rachel made no effort to keep up her usual fagade of innocence and sweetness
around Joshua.
He wasn't like Haynes. Joshua
always sided with people, not
principles, he didn't care about right or wrong. If he cared about
Held
someone-even a devil-he'd them without hesitation. If he didn't, even an angel wouldn't be spared his wrath.
He despised fake smiles and empty words. With Joshua, honesty was the only thing he respected. Pretending was
pointless-being truthful only made him appreciate you more.
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