The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 496

Deanna didn’t even finish her sentence before Haynes cut her off, his voice cold and sharp.

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

Deanna huffed impatiently. “Am I wrong? Since the divorce, has that woman ever once come to see Keen?”

Haynes’ handsome features hardened. “No matter what happens, Stella will always be Keen’s mother. That’s never going to change.”

Deanna opened her mouth to argue, but Callie stepped in just in time.

“Mom, let’s not get into this now. Mr. Burton’s birthday dinner is more important.”

With a disgruntled snort, Deanna fell silent.

. . .

A discreet black sedan sped along the road.

Inside, the Williams family sat together—Jonathan, Skyler, and Aurora.

Jonathan broke the silence. “There’s an emergency at the company. Coleman and Israel can’t make it right now—they’ll wait at the Williams house for Raven to return.”

Skyler had already heard about the trouble at their companies. He nodded, then turned to Aurora, genuine concern softening his gaze.

“Aurora, are you alright?”

She looked exhausted, the fatigue evident in her delicate features. She shook her head gently. “I’m fine.”

He paused, his tone turning earnest. “Aurora, you’re different from Raven. Your father was much stricter with you from a young age. I hope you understand he meant well.”

All these years, Skyler had demanded so much from Aurora—sometimes, even her intelligence barely carried her through.

When her father first refused to let her study business, Aurora couldn’t understand. She thought perhaps he favored sons over daughters, or worse, that he resented her because of her origins.

It wasn’t until a conversation with Jonathan that she finally understood: her father never looked down on her for being a woman, nor did he distrust her for being born out of wedlock.

In fact, Skyler’s strictness came from the high hopes he placed on her.

But with Stella, he had no expectations—he let her live however she pleased. In truth, he believed Stella could never truly catch up, that she simply wasn’t capable enough. That’s why, when it came time to hand over shares, he’d rather leave them to Keen than to Stella. It was a quiet resignation—a giving up on Stella’s abilities.