The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2171

The bitter, rich aroma of roasted coffee drifted through the quiet air.

For some inexplicable reason, Joshua's voice echoed in Stella's mind.

'Star, there are still so many ways I can be of use to you.'

'When the day comes that I can't offer you any more value, can you just... not throw me away?'

The sharp jingle of the door chime shattered the silence.

Juniper Croft had arrived for her daily cat visit.

After greeting every feline in the cafe and popping open a few cans of premium cat food, Juniper's bright eyes landed on Stella sitting by the window.

Her face lit up with a brilliant, picturesque smile.

"Ms. Cameron, we meet again!" she chimed, practically skipping over to the table. "I haven't seen you in a while. I was starting to think you stopped coming here."

Stella blinked, slightly taken aback. "Did you need something, Miss Croft?"

Juniper laughed, a warm, melodic sound. "Not particularly. I'm just a very visual person, and I appreciate beautiful things. It's rare to see someone as gorgeous as you, so I just wanted to come over and say hi."

Spotting Leonard, she added, "Boss, get me a latte, would you?"

With that, she casually slid into the empty chair next to Stella and pulled out her phone.

"Ms. Cameron, I don't often meet people I vibe with this easily. Do you mind if we exchange numbers?"

Juniper gasped in exaggerated shock. "How did you know?!"

Stella smiled. "I can smell it on you. It's a very faint, natural floral scent. It's not a commercial perfume or a synthetic fragrance; it's the kind of smell you only get from spending hours handling real blooms. It's a complex blend, very rich. Plus, your nail polish is the exact shade of crushed petals, and you have a tiny piece of baby's breath caught in your hair. Putting all the clues together wasn't too difficult."

Juniper instinctively reached back, pulling a tiny white blossom from her long hair.

She let out a dramatic sigh. "You guys are way too smart. You make me feel like a complete airhead."

Stella chuckled and pulled out her phone to add her.

Juniper had a point. Stella frequently needed to send arrangements to sick business partners or order centerpieces for corporate galas and charity events.

She had to buy flowers from somewhere anyway; she had no problem giving the business to a friendly acquaintance.