The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1454

Stella looked at Joshua. "You?"

"I have extensive real-world combat experience," he said. "I can show you what works, and fast. The most effective moves, tailored to be learned quickly."

When she had first looked for an instructor, the thought of asking Joshua had crossed her mind. But it felt like a waste of his talents. Besides, she had just returned to the Williams family then and didn't know him that well. He was a man, and combat training involved physical contact, which would have been awkward.

Even now, though she trusted him completely and knew he would never cross any lines, Stella still hesitated.

Joshua, seemingly oblivious to her internal conflict, stepped closer. "I've seen what your previous instructor was teaching you. It's practical to an extent, but it requires a strong foundation—at least a year of physical conditioning. It's not suited for you. Star, try attacking me with what you've learned."

Her hesitation vanished in the face of his serious tone, and her own focus sharpened. She didn't hold back; she wasn't arrogant enough to think her amateur skills could actually hurt him.

Joshua evaded her attacks with ease, offering a running assessment. "Your speed is decent, but you need more power… There's a huge opening in that move; you could be taken down in an instant… Hmm, that surprise attack wasn't bad."

In a monitoring room elsewhere, Leonard watched the scene on the screen with a sense of absurd disbelief. At first, he'd assumed Joshua was using the training as an excuse to get close to Stella, to grope her and take advantage. He'd sneered at the thought. "And here I thought Joshua was some kind of gentleman. Turns out he's just as sleazy as the rest."

But the inappropriate contact he'd expected never happened. Joshua was genuinely and seriously teaching her.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify