The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1823

"Star, thank you," Haynes's voice was hoarse, "but… I don't think that will be necessary."

Stella immediately understood.

"Alright," she said. "I get it."

After hanging up, Stella and Joshua went to pick up Keen. The boy was a little down. No matter how much Stella and Deanna disliked each other, Deanna was Keen's grandmother and had genuinely doted on him. Now that her condition was critical, Keen was understandably sad.

Fortunately, Joshua had a knack for handling children and quickly managed to distract him, lifting his spirits.

One day, Stella was sitting at a table watching Keen and Joshua play a game of chess when her phone rang. It was Haynes again.

Stella glanced at the time—eight o'clock at night. Her heart skipped a beat; she had a bad feeling.

She walked out to the balcony to answer the call.

"Haynes, is something wrong?"

Haynes's trembling, hoarse voice came from the other end. "Yes. My mother wants to see Keen one last time."

Stella's heart sank. One last time… That meant Deanna wasn't going to make it.

After hanging up, Stella went to Keen's side. "Keen, get ready. We're going to the hospital now."

Joshua, who had likely guessed what happened, stood up. "I'll drive you."

Stella didn't refuse.

But a somber occasion like this was hardly the right time for a confession. Stella planned to talk to Joshua after Deanna's funeral, but she would never get the chance to say those words.

-

The next thing Stella knew, she was awake in a strange place.

She tried calling out Joshua's name. "Joshua? Joshua?"

The door opened and someone walked in. Stella expected to see Joshua, but her expression froze when she saw who it was.

Her eyes sharpened with suspicion. "Foreman Richards, what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, the events before she lost consciousness came rushing back. She and Joshua had been at Deanna's funeral when a fire broke out. The scene devolved into chaos, thick smoke filling the air. When they learned Keen was still upstairs, she and Haynes had split up to find him. Joshua, of course, wouldn't let her risk her life. He told her to wait in a safe place while he went to rescue Keen himself.