The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella decided to take a page from Jasper's playbook. If Jasper wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work, then why shouldn't she turn the tables? Whether or not this really was Jasper's scheme didn't concern her. After all, he was hardly a saint-he'd caused her enough trouble in the past. Even if she was wrong about him this time, he probably deserved it.

What worried her more was Foreman. Would he hesitate because of brotherly loyalty?

A long silence stretched out before Foreman finally spoke.

"Jasper's gotten way out of control. He's always backing the wrong people. Maybe it's time he learned a lesson."

He made no effort to defend Jasper-in fact, he'd been looking for an excuse to pin this on him anyway. What Foreman hadn't expected was for Stella to just happen to run into Sellers, and for things to nearly go so wrong. If Haynes hadn't asked Stella to pick up Keen, if fate hadn't sent them down the same road, none of this would've happened.

The thought made Foreman's fingers tighten unconsciously around his phone, his knuckles turning white. He'd spent years holding onto their friendship, but Haynie kept hurting the people he cared about most.

Foreman's expression darkened, his eyes dropping as he forced himself to let go of old loyalties. If that's the way things stood... then sorry, Haynie.

After hanging up, Stella sat staring at her phone, lost in thought. Sometimes, she wondered if she was right to ask Foreman for help at all. Jasper was his childhood friend, after all-was it fair to ask him to turn against his own brother-in-arms?

She was still drifting in uncertainty when a crisp, clear voice broke the quiet of the

room.

"What's on your mind?"

Startled, Stella turned to find Joshua standing right behind her; she hadn't even noticed him come in. She didn't trust Joshua quite like Abby did, but she had a good impression of him all the same.noveldrama

"Joshua, thank you for coming with me today," she said.

He smiled warmly. "I'm your assistant, Ms. Cameron. I get paid for this. No need to thank me."

Remembering his amnesia, Stella asked, “Has your memory come back at all?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Not even a little?" she pressed gently.

He hesitated, then said, "It's more like I have this vague feeling... that I'm looking for someone important to me."

Stella's curiosity was piqued. "Someone important? Have you found them?"

His answer was enigmatic. "Sometimes it feels like I have, and other times it feels like I haven't."

People and events that matter most leave an imprint, Stella thought. Even lost memories can echo in the heart. Joshua's response didn't seem so strange after

all.

She offered softly, "You should try to remember, and find that person. They must be worried, not knowing where you are. If you need anything from

Wus, just say the word-we'll do

what we can to help."

But Joshua only shook his head again.

"Honestly, when you really think about it... are those people and memories truly so important?"

Stella turned to look at him—and

saw, just for a moment, a deep, inky darkness in those pure black eyes of his, as if something heavy and hidden lay beneath the surface.

He went on quietly, "Maybe we just want to hold onto some scrap of hope. We need something to keep us moving forward, some reason to keep going. Without that, it's hard to get through the long stretches of life." sŵnovel

Stella paused, unsettled by his outlook-it was strange, but when she thought

about it, there was a certain truth to his words.