The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

After ending the call, Neville asked, "The investigation will take some time. What do you plan to do in the meantime?"

Stella glanced at the man and replied, "First, I'll hire a caregiver for him—"

Before she could finish, the man interrupted.

"I don't agree."

Stella paused. "Do you have another suggestion?"

He looked at her seriously. "I won't let you hand me over to a stranger. I've lost my memory—I don't know anyone. What if you run off and leave me? Who's going to take responsibility for me? You have to."noveldrama

Stella frowned. "But you're the one who ran the red light. The police report confirms it."

"But I lost my memory because you hit me."

She stared at him. "So what do you want?"

"Until I get my memory back or my family finds me, I want you to look after me," he said.

Stella was silent for a few seconds. "I could lend you some money-enough to get by for a while..."

He cut her off again. "And what if I spend it all and still don't remember anything? What if no one ever comes for me? I have no ID, no documents. Who's going to hire me? You already confirmed with the police—I'm not from around here. I don't know anyone, and if you disappear, I'll end up homeless on the street. So you have to take responsibility. If you're worried about the cost, then when I get my memory back, or when my family finds me, I'll pay you back. Deal?"

Stella sighed. His concerns weren't entirely unreasonable. If he were just suffering from amnesia, it would be one thing. But without any identification, if no one ever came for him, he wouldn't even have money for a motel or an apartment.

Abby stayed quiet, but the conversation struck her as odd, even if everything they were saying made sense on the surface. She instinctively glanced at Neville, who wore a faint frown.

The tension in the room was thick.

Finally, Neville broke the silence.

"Come back with me for now. While you're dealing with your memory loss, I'll make sure you're taken care of."

The man shot him a glance and refused instantly.

"No way."

Neville's dark eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

"You do manke the trustworthy get tired of me and decimet

type,”

man replied bluntly.

if you ne

get rid of me? I can't trust you."

Neville fell silent, wondering if he really did look that shady. That's when Abby suddenly had an idea.

"Stella, how about this? He doesn't have any documents, so finding a job is going to be tough. But we're getting ready for the concert, and we could use an extra pair of hands. He can help out until he gets his memory back, and we'll pay him a wage. As for where he'll stay..."

She thought for a moment before continuing, "We can rent him a small apartment

in your building for now."

The studio could technically house someone, but it was too risky letting a complete stranger sleep there. If something went wrong, it wouldn't be worth it.

Stella considered the plan and realized it was probably the best solution for now.

She nodded and turned to the man.

"Would that work for you?"

If he refused, she decided, she'd let him fend for himself.

He finally seemed satisfied. "That's fine."

Stella asked one last question. "Would you rather spend the night in the hospital or leave now?"

If he wanted to stay, she'd have to ask Abby to help her keep an eye on him— after all, it wouldn't be proper for her to be alone with a strange man.

"I don't like hospitals," he said. "I'm uncomfortable here. I'd rather leave."

It was already late, and renting a place at this hour wasn't really possible. Stella hesitated, wondering what to do next, when Neville spoke up.