The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

He handed Stella a folder. “This contract is a personal gift from me to you. The moment you sign it, it takes effect."

Almost on instinct, Stella reached out and took it from him.

She opened the folder and looked over the contract's terms.

Even though she wasn't well-versed in business documents, it was obvious-this was nothing short of a golden ticket.

The Burton Group was growing at an astonishing pace, branching out into all sorts of industries and ventures. Still, its core business remained in healthcare.

Hospitals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, biotech research-these were just some of the areas under its vast umbrella.

As the saying goes, no treasure or luxury can compare to the value of a human life.

With The Burton Group controlling nearly sixty percent of the world's medical resources, its sheer scale was staggering.

The Burton family was large, with no shortage of talented descendants. Thanks to Mr. Burton's influence, most had followed his footsteps into the world of medical research.

That, more than anything, was the reason for the family's enduring power.

After the passing of the late Mrs. Burton, Mr. Burton stepped down from his

position at The Burton Group, relinquishing control. But even so, he still held sway over some of the most crucial resources within the company.

Resources even someone like Sellers would envy.

And now, Mr. Burton was placing those resources directly into Stella's hands.

This was worth more than any sum of money.

Stella finished reading and quickly tried to slide the contract back to him.

"Mr. Burton, you've already done so much for me. This is far too valuable-I can't accept it."

Mr. Burton didn't reach for the

contract. Instead, he said, "You're my student. Why shouldn't you accept it? If you don't, all of this will eventually end up with Sellers

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anyway, and he'll probably pass it on to that Williams girl. Either way, it's a gift. If I have a choice, I'd rather give it to you."

He waved off her protest. “Enough of that. I know the company's old guard far too well-they only care about profit."

He looked her in the eye. "Stella, if

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you want to make your mark at The Williams Group, you'll need to prove yourself first. You're an outsider there how else will you earn their respect? Do you really think you can slowly change everyone's mind just by working harder than the rest?"

Mr. Burton had built The Burton Group from the ground up. He knew every twist

and turn in the business world, every subtle dance of power and politics.

He went on, "Let's not even talk

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about how long it would take you to truly establish yourself. The Williams Group is a complicated place. Peopleare going to try to trip you up, set traps, squeeze you out-that's just business. There's no such thing as true fairness, not in this world. And it's not just you; if those three Williams siblings had joined the company late, they'd face the same thing. The only reason they're

thriving is because Skyler's got their back."

Mr. Burton regarded Stella with a warm, paternal smile.

"Stella, you've made your decision to join the company. That means you'll need a powerful supporter, too. As your mentor, I might not be able to give you as much as Skyler can, but I can at least offer you this."

Stella felt her eyes sting. She no longer tried to refuse. Instead, she accepted the contract from Mr. Burton with both hands, her expression solemn.

"Thank you, Mr. Burton."

He smiled, clearly pleased.noveldrama

Just then, the hospital room door crashed open.

Karl stormed in, his expression dark and stormy.

"Grandfather! Sellers has been missing for a month, and I know it's because of

her! She's the one who kidnapped Sellers!"