The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1244

"It's the love you have for a friend," Stella clarified.

Hearing this, Joshua's expression softened slightly. No matter how special Neville was, Stella's feelings for him were purely platonic. The ‘friend card' was as good as a death sentence. Still, this situation could be a good opportunity to make Neville give up for good. A dark glint flickered in Joshua's eyes.

***

The next day, Stella went to the office for a meeting, leaving Harold to look after Joshua at the hospital. Harold dutifully reported his findings from the investigation Joshua had assigned him.

"Old Mrs. Connolly really doesn't have much time left. Six months at the absolute most. That's why she was arranging so many blind dates for Neville recently."

In terms of character, Neville was worthy of Stella's trust. At least he wasn't the type to deceive her to get what he wanted. As for why he chose Stella when he could have asked any other woman… the reason was obvious. It was understandable that he would want to use this opportunity to grow closer to her and cultivate their relationship.

"Good thing Neville isn't as devious as Foreman," Harold added. "If it were Foreman, he'd probably try to pressure Stella into a real marriage."

"If Neville were that kind of person, Star wouldn't trust him so completely," Joshua said coolly. "Which means Foreman is no real threat."

"Do you think Ms. Cameron suspects Foreman now that the operation was leaked?" Harold asked.

Joshua nodded. "The only ones who could have known were Aicken and Foreman. But Star isn't the type to make accusations without proof. She's likely suspicious of them, even if she hasn't said anything."

***

Stella quickly disposed of Leonard's stolen shipment. She sold it not just to anyone, but to a distant cousin of the Lerman family, and at a price well below market value. This particular relative had been trying for years to curry favor with the main Lerman family but was notoriously incompetent and tactless, and was generally despised by them.

Suddenly receiving such a lucrative deal from the family, he was ecstatic. He immediately began boasting about it, making sure everyone knew of his close ties to the Lermans. He even started throwing the Lerman name around to get his way, burning bridges and breaking promises left and right. In a short time, the Lerman family's reputation was in tatters.

On the phone, Antoney Watson couldn't hide the amusement in his voice. "I heard Leonard coughed up blood when he found out. For all his ruthlessness, Leonard always valued his business reputation. After all, no one wants to work with someone who doesn't honor their word. That cousin of his managed to destroy decades of the Lerman family's credibility in just one month."