The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Haynes's gaze flickered as he looked over at Rachel.

She refused to meet his eyes, forcing a brittle smile that barely concealed the turmoil beneath. Her shifting gaze betrayed her true feelings, and Haynes's expression darkened. That look-she was hiding something. Was there more to this than anyone had let on?

Jasper, still indignant, opened his mouth to say more, but Haynes cut him off. "Enough. They're both soaked to the bone. Let's get them home before they catch cold. We can talk about this later."

Jasper assumed Haynes was worried about Rachel's well-being. With a cold glare at Stella, he muttered, "You're finished," then swept Rachel into his arms and left.

The moment they were gone, Stella turned to leave as well. But Haynes stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "You should change out of those wet clothes before you go," he said quietly.

"It's fine," Stella replied flatly.

"You'll catch your death walking home like that.”

The familiar concern in his voice took her off guard, stirring memories she'd thought she'd buried. Before Rachel's return, things between her and Haynes had never been passionate, but there had been a certain quiet respect. He hadn't always been cold to her; sometimes, he'd even shown a trace of care.

She remembered one rainy afternoon when she'd picked up Keen from school. A downpour had come out of nowhere, and she'd shielded Keen with her own coat, ending up drenched. Haynes had just gotten home from a business trip. When he saw her soaked through, he'd simply said, "Run a hot bath and get changed-you don't want to catch a chill."

She'd been moved by his rare concern, her heart fluttering with hope for days.

Now, though, there was nothing left inside her but a hollow sense of irony.

"It's none of your business," Stella said coolly.

With that, she brushed past him, intent on leaving.

"Star-❞ Haynes reached out, unwilling to let her slip away so easily.

She lifted her head, her lips twisting into a wry smile. "Are you hoping I'll go home and play that recording, Mr. O'Brien?"

Haynes froze, caught off guard. For a moment he looked as if he might try to stop her, but the hesitation was all Stella needed. In a blink, she slipped past him and was gone.

He watched her retreating figure in silence, but in the end, he didn't go after her.

Today's rehearsal was clearly a wash.

Stella made her way toward the exit, fiddling with her phone. On it, she had the recording—the one that proved Rachel had tried to harm her. It might not be enough to put Rachel behind bars, but if she released it before Rachel's concert, the fallout would be devastating.

This trip had been worth it.

She and Rachel were both holding violin concerts at the same time-direct competitors. Stella had never shied away from a fair fight. In her world, healthy rivalry only pushed a musician to greater heights.

Kon

But Rachel? Rachel had never been content with honest competition. She'd always played dirty, always wanted to steal everything Stella had.

For that, Stella felt no obligation to be kind.

Fair and square, she'd compete. But if Rachel wanted to use underhanded tricks, Stella would play along.

If Rachel had just been a little smarter, kept away from these petty schemes, things might have been different. But since she'd handed Stella the perfect weapon, Stella saw no reason to show mercy.

Now she just had to decide when to release the recording. It couldn't be now-if she exposed it immediately, Jasper and Haynes would definitely try to bury it.

No, the best time would be when tickets for the concert went on sale. Dropping that bombshell then would destroy Rachel's reputation in an instant.

Still...

A flicker of worry crept into Stella's heart. If Rachel and Jasper didn't want to see her end up in prison, they might force her to keep quiet about the recording. Rachel,

knowing the evidence existed, would be on high alert.

But one thing was for certain-Rachel would never risk telling Haynes the truth.noveldrama