The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 486

Rachel sent Haynes and Jasper away, and Stella could pretty much guess what was coming next—Rachel was up to her old tricks again.

So, quietly, she tapped her phone and started recording.

Honestly, when Rachel had called her earlier and asked her to come over, Stella had already suspected Rachel wasn’t just looking for a friendly chat. After all, Rachel had lost too many rounds to her lately. Even though Rachel managed to snatch away her studio and force her to compose music for her, it had cost Rachel a hefty ten million dollars.

Rachel strutted around, acting as if she’d won some grand victory, but in reality, she hadn’t gained much at all.

Stella, on the other hand, was now sitting pretty with Haynes’s ten million—a tidy little nest egg and the perfect startup fund for her next move.

If this had happened in the past, and someone with deep pockets had shown up wanting to buy their studio for that kind of money, they might’ve said yes without a second thought. Who turns down a fortune like that?

But this time, the buyers were Rachel and Haynes. There was no way Stella would let them get what they wanted so easily.

After these last few skirmishes, Stella was certain Rachel would come at her again.

She was more than ready.

Rachel’s schemes were never exactly subtle, but Stella had to give her credit—Rachel was clever. She rarely got her own hands dirty. Instead, she preferred pulling strings from behind the scenes, letting others do her bidding.

Pushing Stella into the lake herself? Now, that had been a surprise. Even if the security cameras had been disabled, what if there’d been a witness lurking somewhere she hadn’t noticed? If Rachel got caught, her whole “sweet and innocent” act would shatter in an instant.

But Rachel had still taken the risk. That, more than anything, showed just how desperate she’d become after losing so many times.

And the more desperate Rachel got, the more likely she was to slip up.

Still...

Stella glanced at her phone, droplets of water trickling down its screen. A glimmer of frustration flashed in her eyes.

One thing had caught her off guard: her phone had gotten wet.

She tried turning it on, but the screen stayed black.

She definitely had a recording of her conversation with Rachel, but exposing Rachel right now? Not possible.

Thinking back to what she’d just said to Stella, Rachel felt cold sweat trickle down her back.

If Stella played that recording, Haynes would be furious with her.

And just now, she had already sensed the shift in Haynes’s attitude—he hadn’t rushed to defend her like he used to. He didn’t immediately take her side or scold Stella. He’d only told Stella to apologize and let things go.

He was blatantly taking Stella’s side.

Rachel clenched her fists without thinking.

She lowered her head, masking her anxiety with a soft, obedient smile.

“Jasper, let it go,” she said, her voice gentle. “Haynes is right. The concert’s just around the corner—we can’t afford any more drama.”

She paused, then added, “Since Haynes has spoken, I’ll do as he says.”