The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1256

It was a keychain she recognized

She had been Aurora's close friend for years and had spent enough time at the Williams estate to recognize it instantly as belonging to Aurora.

*Joshua is having lunch with Aurora? Why would he be having lunch with Aurora?!*

Since the video Rachel had leaked went viral, Simone hadn't dared to show her face to Joshua. She couldn't bear to face him. She couldn't even face herself, so how could she possibly stand before him? She had consulted countless therapists to manage her emotional state, but nothing had worked. The only release she found was in torturing Rachel whenever her emotions spiraled out of control.

By now, Rachel was a mangled wreck. Her once-beautiful face was scarred with crisscrossing cuts. Her body was a canvas of whip marks and burn scars, with the word "slut" crudely carved into her skin.

Simone rubbed her eyes and zoomed in again. The first photo was clean. But the second, perhaps taken from an awkward angle, accidentally captured the edge of the keychain. If it weren't for Simone's sharp eyes and her familiarity with Aurora, no one else would have noticed.

With a guttural scream, Simone hurled her phone at Rachel's face. "Bitch!"

Her eyes blazing red, she slapped Rachel across the face again and again. "How dare you try to steal my man! BITCH! BITCH!"

She unleashed all her fury for Aurora onto Rachel. Aurora knew she was in therapy, struggling with her mental health. Yet she chose this exact moment to move in on her territory! It was bad enough that her own brother had abandoned her for Aurora. But now, Aurora, knowing full well how she felt about Joshua, was trying to steal him too!

In that moment, Simone's hatred for Aurora reached its peak. She wanted to kill the manipulative snake.

The assistant couldn't meet his gaze. "Mr. Lerman," he said in a low voice, "we suspect someone on the inside… has been bought off."

An inside job meant that someone in the Lerman family was making a move against him. Leonard's face hardened. "Where's Simone? Get her here."

"Miss Lerman had to step out for something urgent. She said she would be back later this evening."

Leonard's brow furrowed. Just then, the phone on his bedside table vibrated. A message had come through from an unknown number. He opened it and saw a picture of a man and a woman sharing a meal.