The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

At first, Stella had been wary of Joshua-so much so that she never dared show him her prized violin, Nocturne Stella, afraid he might be getting close just to sabotage her.

But after spending so much time together, she realized she'd misjudged him. Her suspicion seemed petty in hindsight; Joshua had only ever helped her.

He'd saved her more than once, always there when she needed him most.

As Abby put it, an all-rounder like Joshua was worth every penny, even at a six- figure salary.

Whenever trouble came knocking, Joshua proved indispensable.

When Karl had come looking for trouble with Candida, it was Joshua's timely arrival that saved her from what could have been a nasty scene.

And that car accident-not only had Joshua made the right call, he'd kept his head, and they'd all gotten out safely because of him.

To be honest, having Joshua around made Stella feel safe in a way she hadn't in a long time.

But now that Joshua had regained his memory, it was clear he'd be leaving soon.

A sense of loss and reluctance grew in the back of her mind.

He was just too good-handsome, dependable, and amazing with kids.

Both Keen and Marvin idolized him.

Stella didn't know exactly who Joshua was, but his manners and the way he carried himself made it obvious he was no ordinary guy.

It was only a matter of time before he moved on.

She couldn't even remember when she'd stopped wishing he'd recover his memory and leave as soon as possible.

Before he left, she'd have to give him a generous bonus to thank him for everything he'd done.

Joshua didn't say another word.

Neither did Stella.

The car drove in silence until they reached her building.

She stepped out and had just closed the door when Joshua called her name.

"Star."

She paused and turned back to look at him. "Yes?"noveldrama

He said, quietly, "My name is Joshua."

And before she could respond, he drove away.

Stella stood there, watching the taillights disappear down the street, unable to move for a long time.

The next day, Joshua didn't show up.

Abby noticed right away and looked surprised. "Huh? Where's Joshua? He didn't come with you today? Did you ask him what happenedo yesterday?" Śwnovel

Stella replied, "He got his memory back."

A look of understanding crossed Abby's face. "That explains it. He seemed

distracted all day yesterday. So... what did he decide?"

"Decide what?" Stella asked, genuinely confused.

Abby could only spell it out. "Did you even try to get him to stay? He's the perfect assistant-can handle anything, acts as a bodyguard, and he's good-looking to boot. It's nearly impossible to find someone like that these days.

If his old job isn't better than what he has here, we should just offer him more and keep him."

Money wasn't much of an issue for Stella these days.

She could easily offer Joshua a six-figure salary.

He was skilled, trustworthy, never overstepped his bounds, and having him

around put both Stella and Antoney at ease.

Besides, everything about him—from his speech to the way he handled himself— spoke of a first-class education.

He'd saved Stella's life more than once, but never bragged about it.

Even Antoney, who was notoriously hard to please, had quietly told

Money's not a problem; I'llvey

"If it's possible, keep Joshua.

salary myself.

With him by Star's side, I can leave without worrying."

Stella's voice broke Abby's train of thought.

"...I gave him some time off."

Abby snapped back to reality, staring at Stella in disbelief.

his