The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

"Why don't you both spend the night at my place? There's plenty of room."noveldrama

Stella and Abby exchanged a glance.

They both knew that leaving him alone in a hotel wasn't going to work-he'd probably refuse to stay there. But Stella wasn't about to bring a complete stranger back to her own apartment, either.

Neville's offer solved the problem perfectly.

Stella nodded politely. "Thank you, Mr. Connolly. That's very generous of you."

Abby stayed by Stella's side as they followed Neville back to his old manor for the night.

Once the man was settled into a guest room, Stella made her way to the living room. She found Neville just as he was hanging up the phone.

"Mr. Connolly, any news?" she asked.

Neville's brows furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "My assistant says this man-Joshua-isn't on the guest list for the gala. No one knows who he is. I asked around, but nobody at the party recognized him."

Stella frowned. "Did you check with Mr. Burton?"

"I did," Neville replied. "He said he'd never seen the man before and certainly didn't invite him. At this point, we have no clue about Joshua's identity."

A shadow passed over Stella's face.

Neville continued, "I've already sent someone to investigate him abroad, but without any concrete leads, it could take a while."

Stella let out a quiet sigh. "I shouldn't have been so distracted at the party. Maybe then I'd have noticed him sooner."

Neville handed her a glass of water. "What did the doctor say? Is there a chance his memory will come back with treatment?"

Stella shook her head. "The doctor mentioned that taking him to familiar places might help trigger his memory. But we have no idea where he might feel at home."

Neville paused, then offered, "Why not ask Mr. Burton? With his expertise, he might know what to do."

Stella's eyes lit up with hope. "You're right. I'll take Joshua to see Mr. Burton tomorrow."

As she mentioned Mr. Burton, something came to mind. She hesitated, then asked, "Mr. Connolly, did you already know who Mr. Burton really is?"

When Neville learned the truth about Mr. Burton, he hadn't seemed surprised-or even asked her about it.

Neville looked at her, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Star, you don't blame me for not telling you, do you?"

Stella shook her head, smiling softly. "Of course not."

If their positions were reversed, she might have kept it to herself too. Sometimes, knowing too much in advance only makes things more complicated. By not telling her Neville had actually been looking out for her.

If she'd known Mr. Burton's true identity from the start, she would have felt self- conscious around him; things would never have been as easy between them.

Neville's smile deepened, his eyes reflecting a glint of admiration.

Dealing with clever women was always such a pleasure—and he'd always had a soft spot for women like her.

He went on, "You stole the spotlight at the gala, and with Mr. Burton

backing you up, the O'Brien

nevel

probably won't dare come after you-at least, not openly. But

knowing Deanna, she'll be scheming for her own benefit, as always. And then there's Rachel... Mr. Burton told Haynes she wasn't sick, but Haynes didn't believe him. Now, with Mr. Burton's status out in the open,

Haynes might start to doubt

Rachel's condition."

Stella said, "Honestly, I hope Haynes doesn't find out until after Rachel has already married into the O'Brien family."

Neville chuckled. "Funny, but I don't get the impression Haynes has any intention of marrying Rachel."

Stella picked up her glass and took a slow sip of water. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have handed our wedding over to her in the first place."

Neville's eyes narrowed, suddenly remembering something. "By the way, I saw Haynes talking to Aurora at the gala not long ago."