The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 271

Mr. Walden looked genuinely surprised.

"Only a high school education? But from what I can tell, she must have at least fifteen years of violin training. Mr. O'Brien, are you certain that's her only schooling?"

If Stella Cameron had started learning the violin at age five, that would mean she'd spent fifteen years honing her skills-she'd still have been playing at twenty. While natural talent certainly matters in music, nothing replaces years of hard work and formal study. No one could reach that level by teaching themselves alone.

Besides, the variety and depth in her playing-there's simply no way she developed that in isolation. Even someone like himself, no matter how skilled, couldn't raise a student to that level without exposing them to the wider world.

There was no doubt in Mr. Walden's mind: the woman in the video had received advanced training.

Standing nearby, Rachel Pearce couldn't hide her growing frustration. The entire conversation seemed to revolve around Stella, and it gnawed at her.

She interjected, "It's absolutely true. Haynie is her husband-he wouldn't lie about something like this."

Mr. Walden gave her a knowing look. "Or perhaps, Mr. O'Brien, you don't know your wife as well as you think?"

faint discomfort tightened in Haynes O'Brien's

Stella. But lately, her actions had left him questioning that assumption—he

brought him back

stay out of the spotlight. If your wife doesn't want to perform publicly, that's perfectly fine.

eyes widened in

Mr. Walden extended an invitation, it was only the first step- he would observe the candidate for quite some time before deciding whether to accept them as a student. His standards were notoriously exacting, almost impossibly so; over the years, he'd handed out hundreds, perhaps thousands, of invitations, but

Stella's playing, he certainly wouldn't take

in five years! What made

won't let her go. She's just busy taking care of the children and really doesn't

a full-time mom. Haynie's encouraged her to go back to work more than once,

hasn't even touched a violin in five years. The video you saw was actually recorded half

ever learned

frowned, clear