The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella was momentarily at a loss for words.

Candida's curiosity got the better of her. "Star, when you sell your paintings, do you sign them with your real name?"

Stella shook her head. "No, not my real name. To be honest... I don't even remember what alias I used back then. I just made something up on the spot."

Neville let out a quiet chuckle. "Star's signature was 'Summer.""

Joshua, who had been silent all this time, seemed to be lost in thought as he listened to their conversation.

Just then, Abby tugged gently at Stella's sleeve, her voice hushed with excitement. "Star, look over there... Is that Aurora?"

Stella followed Abby's gaze and spotted Aurora making her way toward the front

row.

Abby grinned. "Well, well, Sherman the hopeless puppy dog is here too. I wonder if he and Jasper will ever have a real showdown-could be interesting to see who comes out on top."

She squinted, noticing someone else. "Wait, who's that guy with Sherman? They look a bit alike—is he Sherman's brother?"

From across the room, Antoney caught sight of Sherman. His lips pressed into a thin, grim line, and his gaze turned instantly cold.

When he returned to the Watson family estate, he would make sure Sherman paid dearly for deceiving Star and trying to manipulate her feelings.

Neville glanced over and answered absently, "That's Sellers. He's Sherman's

uncle, and he'll be the next head of the Burton family."

"Sellers?" Abby muttered, brow furrowed. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Stella suddenly remembered. "...Oh, right. Mr. Burton wanted to introduce me to him—a potential match."

Mr. Burton had planned for her to meet Sellers, but apparently something urgent came up on Sellers' end and he couldn't make it to Neo-Vespera yet. Mr. Burton had told her not to worry, just to wait a bit longer.

Stella wasn't in any rush, but she didn't want to disregard Mr. Burton's good intentions, either.

Abby's eyes lit up in realization. "That's it! I knew I'd heard that name somewhere before."

Antoney, Neville, and Joshua all turned to stare at Stella.

"A blind date?" Antoney's brow furrowed almost instantly. His dislike for Sherman seemed to have soured him on the entire Burton family.noveldrama

He looked every bit the stern older brother. "Star, the men from the Burton family aren't to be trusted. you're thinking of moving on, wait until I'm back at the Watson

ve

estate-I can introduce you to someone far better."

Neville's gaze lingered on Stella, the easy smile at his lips fading a little. "Star, are

you... really going to meet someone?"

Stella hadn't expected a single

mention of a blind date to draw so much attention. She tried to explain, "Mr. Burton was just being

thoughtful-I couldn't refuse biel. ne

kindness, so I agreed to meet the guy once. I only just got divorced; right now, I'd rather focus on my work than think about relationships."

Neville pressed, "So when do you think you'll be ready to start considering it?"

Antoney shot Neville a look, a glimmer of something unreadable in his eyes.

Neville always seemed flippant, but beneath the surface he was reserved, slow to warm up to people. Or maybe he knew that Stella wasn't interested in romance right now, which was why he'd never made a move. Still, Antoney could tell there was a quiet admiration there.

After all, love and hate rarely come out of nowhere. Neville's feelings for Stella weren't overwhelming, but they were thoughtful and deliberate.

Antoney cared about Stella and wanted to look out for her, but their bond felt more like family than anything romantic. Whoever Stella chose in the future, he'd be sure to keep a close watch.

With that thought, Antoney regarded Neville with renewed scrutiny.

Stella hesitated, suddenly feeling a strange, inexplicable pressure from all sides.

Abby noticed Stella's discomfort and quickly jumped in to change the subject. "So, Mr. Connolly, do you know the woman with Aurora?"

Neville gave Stella a long, searching look, then turned away. He glanced over at the woman in question and replied, "That's Simone Lerman, eldest daughter of the Lerman family-and one of Aurora's closest friends."