The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1923

"If it were an enemy," Joshua said flatly, "Wilbur wouldn't still be breathing."

Although his logic was sound, Stella still decided to have someone look into it. Her life had been far from peaceful lately; she couldn't afford to let her guard down.

...

Once the contract was signed, Stella headed straight to the hospital.

Wilbur hadn't suffered any severe injuries, just a mild concussion. Gideon was keeping him company in the room.

After Stella checked on him and was about to give him a few days off to recover, Wilbur suddenly spoke up. "Stella, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Stella glanced at Joshua.

"I'll wait for you outside," Joshua said smoothly.

Gideon tactfully slipped out of the room as well.

Once it was just the two of them, Wilbur hesitated before finally saying, "Stella, I... I think I have to resign."

Stella was taken aback. "Why? If you just need time to rest and heal, I can give you as much paid leave as you need."

Wilbur looked incredibly guilty. "It's not that. My mom had a sudden heart attack... I got the news while I was driving over, and I got so distracted that I crashed the car. My dad passed away when I was young, and my mom is getting older. I'm her only child. All these years, I've been working away from home and hardly ever went back to see her. She's the only family I have left in this world. Now that she's sick, I need to step up and be a good son. I have to go back and take care of her."

Hearing that, Stella swallowed whatever words she had prepared to convince him to stay. She was incredibly satisfied with his work ethic and his character. If possible, she would have loved to keep him on the payroll.

Stella had been stressing over Joshua's illness lately, which already had her feeling down. Losing her right-hand man just made her mood plummet further.

After hanging up with Abby, Stella slumped onto the couch, too drained to move.

Just then, a pair of hands gently rested on her shoulders and began to massage the tight muscles.

Knowing it was Joshua, she instantly relaxed. His technique was as soothing as ever, melting the tension away.

She felt herself drifting off.

Sometime later, she felt weightless as strong arms lifted her up. A moment later, she was gently laid down onto the soft mattress.