The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1926

Stella felt a sudden wave of suffocation.

The old Joshua wasn't like this. It had to be his illness messing with his head, twisting his personality. His condition needed to be treated, and fast.

Reminding herself that he was sick gave her an extra reserve of patience. Since she wasn't planning on going into the office much lately and he needed to focus on getting better, if he wanted to tag along, she would let him. He would just be driving her around or keeping her company at contract signings anyway.

"Okay," Stella relented. "You can come back and work for me for now."

A genuine smile finally broke across Joshua's face. He dipped his head and kissed her deeply. "You're the best, Star."

Seizing the opportunity while he was in a good mood, she whispered, "Joshua, I really want to take the day off today."

His hot breath ghosted over her neck. His dark eyes were staggeringly intense, burning like wild, leaping flames.

"Alright," he murmured in a gravelly voice. "I'll take it easy today."

And with that, he leaned down and captured her lips once more.

...

After running a thorough background check on Dr. Winter and finding no red flags, Stella reached out and arranged a meeting.

Dr. Winter spoke fluent, unaccented English. "I love a challenging case. I'm very interested in this gentleman's condition. I can fly out to Solmaris tomorrow."

Stella completely agreed with that logic. She handed Joshua's medical file over to her. "You can review this first."

Dr. Winter went through the file meticulously, her expression completely serious.

It took her about half an hour to finish going through the basic data.

She looked up with a polite smile. "Psychiatric conditions are typically linked to a combination of genetics, environmental triggers, and abnormal brain function, manifesting in emotional, cognitive, or behavioral irregularities. Congenital genetic defects are the hardest to cure; the best we can usually do is manage the symptoms and prevent secondary triggers. Given Mr. Gardner's specific case, the absolute best course of treatment would be hypnosis.

"However, since both of you are opposed to that route, my team and I can research alternative treatment plans. But I must be upfront—I cannot guarantee success, and drawing up a new protocol will take time. In the meantime, Ms. Cameron, you are more than welcome to continue consulting other specialists so as not to delay his care."

Dr. Winter was remarkably genuine. She didn't make any grandiose promises, opting instead to lay out all the potential outcomes so Stella could manage her expectations.