The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1817

Simone was taken aback for a moment, then a strange smile spread across her face.

"It seems Joshua is finally getting what he wished for."

She murmured as if to herself, "That's good, I suppose. At least Joshua will be happy. It's just a shame that Leonard had to die like that…"

"Do you need to think about it, or can you give me an answer now?" Stella asked.

Stella's words finally brought Simone back to the present.

She looked at Stella and asked, "Did Leonard's death really not leave even the slightest trace, not a single ripple, in your heart?"

Before Stella could answer, Simone let out a soft laugh and continued on her own.

"Leonard wasn't a good person, but he was truly good to the people he liked. Perhaps this was karma for all the bad things he'd done, that he would never get what he wanted in this life."

At this, Simone turned to look at Stella.

"Before Leonard tried to seize power, all he cared about was painting. He never hurt anyone and had no ambition for the Lerman family. Because we were both illegitimate children, Leonard and I were bullied constantly growing up. Life was terrible. The Lermans intentionally spread the news about our parentage, which led to Leonard being isolated and bullied at school."

Stella's brow twitched. "A shield?"

"My mother was of low status, just a maid in the Lerman household at the time," Simone explained. "The matriarch of the family, my father's wife, came from a background that matched his—a powerful family with underworld connections. She might not have loved my father much, but she was always scheming for her own children. She wouldn't allow anyone to have a chance at taking what belonged to her son… Harland. That's why she was exceptionally ruthless toward our father's illegitimate children. Leonard and I were just two of the victims."

"You said your mother was a shield. What did you mean by that?" Stella asked.

Simone's tone was mocking. "My father was in love with another woman. He knew how capable his wife was and worried his true love would be harmed, so he deliberately created the illusion that he doted on my mother, even having two children with her. You grew up in Novaris, so you might find it unbelievable, but the Lerman family has always been rife with illegitimate children. For those men, their bodies and hearts are separate. They see nothing wrong with it. As a result, Harland's mother targeted Leonard and me almost our entire lives. Though we grew up together, Leonard and I weren't actually that close. He was withdrawn and always gloomy. To be honest, I was afraid of him. Once, I saw him hold one of the boys who bullied him underwater. He almost drowned him. The look in Leonard's eyes at that moment was terrifying. I had a feeling that if no one had stopped him in time, that person really would have died at his hands."