The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 806

“If she really did that, it’d be going too far.”

Because Stella was competing on home turf, most of the crowd was firmly in her corner.

Of course, Harry had his own group of admirers, and they weren’t shy about voicing their support for him.

The host’s voice rang out again, commanding everyone’s attention.

“Now, let’s welcome our winner, Miss Stella, to say a few words.”

Stella took the microphone, her smile calm and gracious. “Thank you to everyone who’s supported me. I’m sure you all know about the wager between Mr. Harry and myself. If I lost, I promised to retire from the stage—never to touch a violin again. If Mr. Harry lost, he agreed to apologize to my mother, Nora, and my mentor, Anthony—and get down on his knees and bark like a dog.”

Her words sent a ripple through the audience.

Most people had been caught up in the drama of the wager, but now, as they took in the details, the implications became clear.

“Wait—Stella’s making Harry apologize to her mother and mentor? Does that mean Harry insulted her mother?”

“With his personality? Wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Wasn’t Stella’s mom, Nora, the one who passed away? That’s just reprehensible—insulting someone’s late mother!”

“Make him apologize! Make him get down and bark!”

“Yeah! Make him bark like a dog!”

A group of onlookers, always hungry for drama, began shouting at the top of their lungs.

Stella’s gaze shifted to Harry, who glared at her with a dark, venomous stare.

“But then again,” she continued, “Harry is Mr. Walden’s protégé and a renowned figure in the community. To strip him of his dignity like this—perhaps it’s asking too much, even for him.”

At her words, a flicker of relief passed over Harry’s face, and a trace of his usual arrogance crept back in.

“Let Harry choose—what’s more important, his career or his pride?”

Harry’s face twitched as the reality sank in.

Now he truly understood what it meant to be hoisted by his own petard.

He’d announced the wager to leave Stella with no way out—never imagining he’d be the one with his back against the wall.

He instinctively glanced at the judges’ table, but none of the judges would meet his eyes. No one was willing to speak up on his behalf.

They’d tried to smooth things over earlier, but Harry had refused to compromise—going so far as to insult the local contestants.

A so-called master challenging a newcomer so publicly—if he had no shame, what could they do?

Besides…they were just as curious to see if Harry would really get down and bark like a dog.