NovelEnglishSimone 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 cto 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.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
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, | 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. | 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 csee 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. | haven't seen Leonard in ages."
Although the competition had cto a temporary close, Stella was busier than
ever.
Concerts and endless social events filled her schedule, leaving her barely any
tto 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 beca 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 becso 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 becthe
center of attention. Musicians from
every corner cup to chat with
her.
By the tthe 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 sair."
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.
Sshe'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.
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