The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1635

Stella coldly pulled her hand from Leonard's grasp and tried to leave.

"Why do you think he came back?" Leonard's voice was flat.

Stella's steps faltered almost imperceptibly.

Leonard's voice continued from behind her. "Don't think he's some selfless saint. He came back this time to collect his due. You've heard the rumors about the Gardner family, I'm sure. A man like him isn't so easy to shake off."

Stella hadn't wanted to engage with Leonard, but hearing him speak about Joshua like that sparked a flicker of disgust.

She turned back to face him.

"A man like him? No matter how bad Joshua might be, he's a thousand times better than you, Mr. Lerman. Before you go demeaning others, maybe you should think about what you've done. What you’ve done isn’t any better than what he’s done. At the very least, Joshua never targets innocent people."

Leonard's eyes narrowed.

Even though Joshua had hurt her deeply, even though she knew he was no saint, and even after he had just revealed his own intentions toward her, Stella still defended him without a second thought.

Was it just because he had helped her? Was she willing to forgive him so easily and stand by his side without hesitation?

An emotion akin to jealousy suddenly rose in Leonard's chest. It was a kind of favoritism he had never experienced.

A strange idea surfaced in his mind.

If he had helped her the way Joshua had, would she defend him like this too?

Leonard knew, deep down, that even if he did, Stella probably wouldn't treat him the way she treated Joshua. Yet, the desire for something he'd never had, something he desperately wanted, swirled in his mind, making him feel as if he were possessed.

Leonard's gaze on Stella grew deeper, darker.

Noticing the change in his expression, Stella instinctively took a few steps back. She wasn't nervous like she had been with Joshua; instead, her face was filled with wariness. She thought Leonard must be plotting another way to kill her.

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