The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella listened quietly as Florrie shared all the latest gossip.

From Florrie, she learned that Aurora had no shortage of admirers. In fact, the men who liked her were all outstanding in their own right.

Sherman, compared to the rest of these young men, hardly even registered.

Florrie said, "Honestly, Sherman isn't really Aurora's fiancé. Their parents joked about it when they were kids, but neither of them ever took it seriously. They grew up together, more like childhood friends than anything else. This so-called 'engagement' it means nothing to either of them. Besides, Sherman isn't in Aurora's league, not by a long shot. Even Sherman's uncle is far more impressive than Sherman himself."

That caught Stella's attention. She soon learned that Sherman's uncle was likely to become the next head of the Burton family, and rumor had it he was interested in Aurora as well. Sherman, knowing he didn't stand a chance, just watched over Aurora quietly from the sidelines.

Apparently, there was also someone in the Gardner family who liked Aurora, but Florrie wasn't close to them-she'd only heard about it from a few friends in

passing.

With so many brilliant young men drawn to Aurora, it was no wonder Skyler held her in such high regard.

Stella asked, "Is Aurora engaged now?"

Florrie shook her head. "Nope, not even dating anyone. Honestly, she doesn't seem interested in men at all..."

Just as Florrie finished speaking, Aurora seemed to spot someone across the room. She walked over and greeted the person with a friendly smile.

Stella's brows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

Haynes.

So Aurora and Haynes actually knew each other?

Florrie was aware that Stella had once been married, had a five-year-old child, and that her ex-husband was Haynes. But she'd never seen a picture of him.

The moment Florrie saw Haynes, she looked just as surprised.

"That's him?"

Stella glanced at her. "You know him?"

"Yeah, I do," Florrie replied. "A few years ago, Aurora was performing in a concert, Some people in the orchestra were jealous and sabotaged her costume. Not only did it keep her from going on stage, but she almost had a wardrobe malfunction, too. That man-he stepped in and got her out of trouble. Aurora was really grateful to him. I was actually on my way to see her performance that night and ran into him by chance."

Florrie gazed toward the far end of the hall, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Of all the men I've seen around Aurora, he's one of the very few who couldn't take his eyes off her and clearly didn't want to leave. And yet, they never even exchanged contact information. Didn't even ask each other's names."

Stella fell silent.noveldrama

Haynes was not the sort of man to be swayed by a pretty face. She was more beautiful than Rachel, but he had still chosen Rachel without hesitation. In some ways, Haynes was a remarkably devoted man.

Stella wasn't eager to meet Aurora. Turning to Florrie, she said, "I've got some things to take care of. Let's catch up again soon."

Florrie understood. Stella was the guest of honor at tonight's party and couldn't linger too long, so she nodded.

"When there's a chance, I'll introduce you to Aurora."

Stella smiled, then turned and walked away.

After the party, Neville took Marvin home.

Abby and Candida left together, since they lived in the same direction.

Antoney had planned to drive Stella home, but as they were about to leave, Florrie pulled him aside.

Stella, happy to give the siblings a chance to bond, sent Antoney a quick message and headed out on her own.

Outside, a gentle rain had begun to fall, soaking the night in a silvery mist.

Yet Stella's mood remained untouched-seeing her biological father tonight hadn't stirred any waves in her heart.