The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Haynes assigning this task to Foreman was only natural.

Stella asked, "How's Haynes doing now?"

Foreman replied, "He's out of danger, but still unconscious. Honestly, the fact that

Haynes managed to take on five attackers and still get Callie out safely is nothing

short of remarkable."

Stella remembered what Benson had said about a mole, and hesitated, but

ultimately decided not to mention it to Foreman.

...

Sandford was Foreman's territory, so with Haynes incapacitated, Foreman took it

upon himself to protect Stella. To make sure nothing happened to her, he

personally drove Stella to and from competitions almost every day, accompanied

her at meals, and even followed her on shopping trips. He was more present thannoveldrama

Joshua ever had been in the past.

After a while, Stella started to feel a little awkward about it.

She finally said, "Foreman, Neville's team still has people watching over me. If

you're worried about something happening, just assign a few more skilled female

bodyguards. There's really no need for you to escort me everywhere yourself."

Bodyguards can keep out threats you see coming, but there's no guarantee

against the unexpected. History is full of well-protected leaders-kings,

presidents, prime ministers-surrounded by the best security, yet still falling victim

to an assassin's blade. Even with round-the-clock protection, there's always a

chance something could slip through.

She didn't want Foreman's work to suffer because of her.

But Foreman just smiled. "Don't worry about me, Star. I've already cleared my

schedule and taken care of everything important. Haynes asked me to do this. If

something happened because I was careless, what would I say to him when he

wakes up?"

With Haynes' name brought up, Stella had nothing left to say. Haynes was still

unconscious; she couldn't reason with him, and could only let it go.

Whether it was Foreman's tight

protection or simple luck, nothing

happened to Stella. The scandal

about Aurora being an illegitimate

child finally began to lose steam. But

the secrets the Williams family had

desperately tried to keep were now

out in the open, turning them into

everyone's laughingstock.

Time slipped by, and soon the new competition break arrived.

During the break, to avoid any surprises, Stella didn't return to Neo-Vespera.

At the international competition, she

was unstoppable, leaving her rivals

far behind. Anyone able to play "The

Gaze" was already at a teacher's

level and at this event, she was

basically unbeatable.

With the finals just around the corner, Stella spent most of her time practicing

alone in her room.

One day, while she was rehearsing in the music room, Abby walked in carrying

lunch, with Foreman right behind her.

During the breaks, Stella usually stayed in and insisted Foreman take the time off

to rest as well, so seeing him there was unexpected.

"Foreman, what brings you here today?" she asked in surprise.

Foreman smiled. "Abby told me you've been holed up practicing, barely taking a

break. With the finals coming up, I thought I'd take you and Abby out for a walk,

help you relax a little."

Stella hesitated, then shook her head. "Maybe after the competition. I'd rather not

risk anything right now."

She was determined not to give Leonard any opportunity to make trouble, so

she'd mostly kept to her room. It was stifling, but these weren't normal times.

Foreman reassured her, "Star, I

checked Leonard flew back to

Solmaris with Aurora last night. Even

if he rushed, there's no way he could

make it back today. While he's gone,

let me take you out for some fresh

air."