The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Leonard had only destroyed her hand-her legs were still intact.

Now, the instinct to survive surged through Stella, unlocking every last ounce of strength in her body.

The driver hesitated, startled for a moment, then instinctively moved to give chase. But when he saw Leonard bleeding profusely, he froze. He couldn't just leave Leonard, wounded and helpless, alone in the middle of nowhere.

While he stood wavering, Stella had already vanished into the wild, disappearing among the trees. By the time he came to his senses, it was too late to even consider pursuing her.

He quickly turned back to Leonard, kneeling down to staunch the bleeding as best he could.

Stella's knife had cut deep-no one could tell exactly where it struck, but whatever nerve she'd hit in Leonard's thigh had left his leg completely numb and useless.

As Stella's silhouette disappeared into the wilderness, Leonard's eyes narrowed, cold and dark with fury.

Stella ran blindly through the undergrowth, with no idea where she was headed. She couldn't let Leonard catch her. If he did, death would be a mercy.

With every stride, the adrenaline that had kept her going began to ebb away. The pain in her hand flared, intensifying-especially where Leonard's blade had pierced her palm. The wound had reopened, blood seeping through her trembling fingers.

Her strength was fading fast. Her vision blurred at the edges.

She forced herself onward, desperately repeating in her mind that she could not, must not, lose consciousness.

But this place was just too remote, too still-an endless, silent expanse with no end in sight.

She had no idea how far she'd run before her body finally gave out. She collapsed to the ground and blacked out.

...

Neville had managed to track Sellers' phone.

By the time he arrived at the location, the place was deserted. The only sign of

what had happened were dark, dried stains on the floor-blood.

Neville's pupils narrowed, his heart clenching with dread.

He took a deep breath, fighting to keep his composure.

"Collect samples from the blood on the floor," he ordered his men. "Get them to the lab immediately."

He needed confirmation-was this Stella's blood? Or Abby's? Had either of them really been here?

Just then, another agent walked over with a charred, half-melted phone.

"Mr. Connolly, we found this in the backyard. The last signal ping came from right there."

Neville's eyes turned icy. "Track Sellers' assistant's phone. I want to know if he's still in Sandford."

A few minutes later, the report came in. "Mr. Connolly, the phone is still in Sandford and currently on the move."

"Follow them," Neville said sharply. "Do whatever it takes-force their car off the road if you have to."

He strode out of the house and climbed into his car.

As they sped off, something occurred to him. "Any news from Foreman's end?"

His assistant answered, "Foreman's taken a team towards the overpass. He thinks he's found someone suspicious."

Sandford was Foreman's territory, after all-his sources were far more reliable than Neville's.noveldrama

Neville's gaze grew thoughtful. “Send a team to check it out. Keep me updated with anything you find."

There was a chance Sellers was holding Stella hostage. Foreman's people could handle the lead at the bridge-Neville would focus on this end. He couldn't risk letting both slip through their fingers.

...

Meanwhile, Foreman was keeping close tabs on Neville's every move.

When he heard Neville had tracked down a certain house, Foreman immediately had his driver turn the car around.

"Follow him. If Neville's on to something, I want to know about it."

The driver hesitated. "But sir, we're still

Dzing the cars by the b

want to check

too?" ,

A sharp gleam flashed in Foreman's eyes. "If someone's making themselves that obvious, they're probably trying to distract us.

Anyone who actually wanted to

escape would lie low, not draw attention."