The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

To keep the animals safe, the staff dressed them in lightweight, padded vests- just enough protection to avoid accidental injuries or fatal shots. Each animal also wore a small sticker somewhere on its body, marking the "prize zone."

Only a shot landing precisely on that marked area would win a prize.

Of course, the animals were constantly in motion, especially since they were stationed at the very back of the range. Hitting a moving target like that? Not easy by any stretch.

The hardest of all was a cat perched farthest away. Its prize zone was stuck to the tip of its tail-hitting that would be next to impossible.

But the reward matched the challenge: a pair of earrings designed by the renowned artist, Madame Rose, valued at around three hundred thousand dollars. To date, no one had managed to claim this prize.

Keen knew just how difficult it was to hit any of the live animals and didn't want to put Joshua on the spot. He said quietly, "Mr. Joshua, I'd love anything you win for me."

Joshua glanced toward the distant prize, considered the challenge for a moment, then drew back his bow.noveldrama

With a sharp "thwip!" the arrow shot out like lightning.

The animal sensed danger and tried to dodge, but it was a split-second too late. The arrow landed dead center on the prize zone.

A wave of astonished gasps rippled through the crowd. Cheers and applause erupted for Joshua, and more than a few children stared up at Keen with wide- eyed envy.

Several little boys even trotted over to Keen, greeting him with admiration.

"Your dad is amazing! He even hit the animal!"

"Yeah, I wish my dad was that cool!"

Keen blinked in surprise and blurted, "He's not my—"

But before he could finish, another round of applause broke out.

"Oh my god, he hit the grand prize!"

"No way-who is this guy? Even the best pros couldn't do that!"

"Seriously, even a professional would have a hard time hitting that in one shot."

Upstairs, Simone Lerman stood by the window, coffee mug in hand, watching the scene below with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Incredible," Simone murmured. "Aurora, he's even better than you."

Aurora, who'd seen the whole thing, nodded gently. "He's much better than I am."

While they spoke, a staff member confirmed the results and handed the Rose earrings to Joshua.

Without hesitation, Joshua presented the earrings to Stella.

Simone nudged Aurora. "Your nephew's down there. Let's go say hello."

Aurora glanced over and noticed Simone's expression hadn't changed at all when Joshua gave the earrings to Stella. Her eyes flickered with a knowing light.

After so many years of friendship, Aurora understood. Simone's indifference wasn't because she didn't like Joshua-it was because Stella simply didn't matter to her.

After all, how could a woman like Simone-wealthy, beautiful, accomplished-ever feel threatened by someone who had already been married and had a child? As a true heiress, Simone had her own pride. Unlike Rachel, she never needed to stír up drama to prove her worth.

Self-confidence, after all, is something you grant yourself—not something you

take from others.

In this, Aurora and Simone were much the same.

Aurora nodded. "All right."

By the time Haynes arrived, he saw Keen surrounded by children, all chattering excitedly about Mr. Joshua. The way Keen looked Joshua-with awe and

adoration-was a look Hanet

had

only ever seen when Keen was with him.

Haynes hesitated at the edge of the crowd, then noticed Joshua handing a small gift box to Stella. The box was half open, and in the sunlight, the earrings inside sparkled brilliantly.

The sight stung Haynes' eyes so sharply he had to look away.