"Still, I'll get Beckett to take him over to Dr. Hunt's clinic for a check-up just to be

sure.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself," Laurel added.

...

Stella left the Quinn family estate weighed down by her thoughts.

She found herself somewhat ridiculous.

Just bumping into Joshua had sent her into an absolute tailspin, rushing to Laurel's place as if desperate to confirm something.

She had almost forgotten that if there were a flaw in the hypnosis, he wouldn't have stood in front of her so calmly.

He would have looked at her with hatred and disgust.

Stella would never forget the look in his eyes right before the procedure.

Perhaps she was too lost in thought, but when the car ahead suddenly slammed on its brakes, Stella didn't react in time.

Bang!

The sound of the collision snapped her back to reality.

She immediately parked, opened the door, and stepped out to check the damage.

Though she hadn't been driving fast, the other car had braked hard, making the impact quite forceful. The rear of the car in front of her was noticeably dented.

Legally, Stella was entirely at fault.

With her current net worth, she could afford to smash and replace any car on the road without breaking a sweat.

But as the other driver stepped out, she immediately offered an apology.

"I'm so sorry for rear-ending your car. If it's convenient, we can exchange contact info, and I'll fully compensate you for the damages..."

Before she could finish, the words died in her throat as she saw the face of the driver.

Seeing her, Joshua raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You again... Did you really only stay at Laurel's for that short of a time?"

Stella hadn't stayed long at Laurel's at all.

After Joshua left, she was only there for about half an hour.

But even with the brief visit, she shouldn't have run into him here.

"Weren't you already gone?" Stella asked. "Why are you here?"

Joshua gestured to a bouquet of flowers on the passenger seat. "I passed by

Laurel's garden, saw some nice blooms, and picked a few."

Stella glanced over and spotted several dark black roses.

Since Lauret and Joshua used to be partners who had been through life and death situations together, casually plucking a few flowers was nothing out of the ordinary

She looked away. "Why did you suddenly slam on the brakes?"

After stepping out, Stella had checked the road ahead-there were no pedestrians and no other vehicles.

"A cat ran across the street," Joshua replied calmly.

Stella glanced at his car again. "How would you like to handle the compensation?"

"Since you're good friends with Laurel, you should know I'm not exactly hurting for cash," Joshua noted.

"So, you don't need me to pay for it?"

Joshua shot her a strange look. "I built this car from the inside out myself. I even custom-mixed the paint job.

You don't have to give me money, but you are responsible for getting it fixed. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Before Stella could agree, he added,

"Even though you're friends with

Laurel, we aren't exactly close. You

wouldn't try to use her name to get out of taking responsibility would you?"

Stella was speechless.

In the past, no matter what she did, Joshua thought it was perfect and right.

But now, he looked at her as if she were some freeloader trying to use her connections to shirk responsibility.

As if reading her mind, Joshua

stated, "Ms. Cameron, I know you have money, but what I'm trying to say is that this car isn't something money can buy."