The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1264

"And you agreed?" Joshua asked, his gaze steady.

"No, I used Neville as an excuse for now," Stella explained. "But I don't think Mr. Vance was convinced. He wants me to bring Neville to his birthday party. Thankfully, Neville and I already have an understanding, so he should be able to help me handle it."

Joshua's eyes darkened slightly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Star, I might need to take tomorrow off."

He had barely taken a day of rest since they arrived in Solmaris. Stella was surprised but knew he must have an important reason. "Do you need any help?"

"Actually, I've asked Aurora to go racing with me," he said directly.

Stella paused. "You and Aurora are going racing?"

It was strange. Her relationship with her three half-brothers was openly hostile, but she and Aurora had never truly clashed. They weren't close, but they had never had a direct confrontation. Yet, so much of her misfortune had stemmed from Aurora. Sellers despised her because of Aurora. Leonard had destroyed her hand because of Aurora. While she didn't hate Aurora, she certainly couldn't bring herself to like her.

After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Joshua, whatever your motives are… please don't play with a woman's feelings."

Stella could stomach almost any kind of scheming, but emotional manipulation was a line she couldn't cross. After all, Sherman had once used that tactic on her for Aurora's sake, only to stab her in the back.

"No," Aurora replied, "but he said some rather pointed things." She recounted Joshua's warning to them.

"He was just trying to make you jealous," Israel concluded. "It's a classic move. Some guys think that by acting tough and saying mean things, they'll get a girl's attention. I bet he took down Leonard not for Stella, but to eliminate a rival for your affection."

"His behavior is contradictory," Coleman mused, more cautious. "We can't be sure. We should keep an eye on him. What if this is a trick to get close to you and spy for Stella?"

Israel scoffed. "Stella wasn't smart enough to beat Rachel. You think she can play us? If Joshua really has feelings for her, all we have to do is tell Stella that he was the one who helped Rachel ruin her marriage. You think she'd still trust him then?"