The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1224

Now that it was over, Stella assumed Foreman already knew the details of the incident, likely from Joshua himself.

"The Lerman estate is a maze," she continued, "and it seems Leonard was tipped off and had time to prepare. Joshua is lucky he made it out of there alive."

She gently picked the rose up from the floor.

"Foreman, he's still recovering. Please, let him go so he can rest."

Her voice was as calm and gentle as ever, but Foreman could detect an undercurrent of coldness, a new distance between them.

He took a deep breath and released his grip on Joshua's collar.

"I'm sorry," he said, admitting his mistake without hesitation. "I was a bit impulsive."

Foreman knew that any excuse right now would be useless and only make things worse. The reason Joshua had given for his anger—that he considered Joshua useless—was hard to refute. And the facts were undeniable: he had grabbed Joshua by the collar and smashed the vase.

What could he say? That Joshua had intentionally goaded him? That he'd said terrible things to provoke him? Would Stella believe that?

Of course not.

Admitting his fault was the better option. It would make him seem forthright in her eyes.

As he expected, Stella's expression softened. Her gaze drifted to the floor, where a few rose petals lay scattered. A flicker of regret crossed her face. She bent down and carefully gathered the fallen petals.

She really had been planning to have the rose preserved. It was a stunning flower, truly the king of its kind. Even Stella, who was never particularly fond of roses, had taken a special liking to this one.

Foreman's breath caught in his throat.

This man, Joshua, was even more patient and calculating than he was… He was terrifying.

Until he was absolutely certain of victory, he couldn't afford to make another move. If Joshua caught him slipping again, he would be out of the game for good.

…

Meanwhile, the Lerman family was in chaos. Half of the estate was in ruins, and a crucial shipment had been stolen. To make matters worse, with Leonard missing an arm and an ear and lying unconscious, there was no one left to take charge.

In a remote building on the Lerman estate, a young woman pushed a man in a wheelchair down a long corridor.