The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 310

"Haynie, the auction is about to start. If you have anything to discuss, let's wait until it's over."

Haynes watched the pair as they walked off together, his thin lips pressed into a hard line. A glint of cold calculation flickered in his eyes.

Inside the auction hall, Abby waved Stella and Neville over as soon as she spotted them entering.

"Star! Mr. Connolly! Over here."

Stella made her way to Abby. "I told you we could have come together, but you insisted on coming alone."

"If the two of you walked in with me, I'd just drag down your star power. Gorgeous couple like you? You'd turn every head in the room, and next to you, I'd just fade into the wallpaper," Abby declared, her tone proud and playful.

She glanced around, rolling her eyes. "Did you see how smug Rachel and Haynes looked earlier? Especially Rachel-strutting around like a peacock, fanning her feathers for everyone to see."

"And everyone else isn't any better-falling over themselves to praise her, like she's some sort of goddess descended from the heavens. Please." Abby scoffed, unimpressed. "Her achievements are barely worth mentioning next to yours. I don't get what all the fuss is about."

in, "Well, Rachel must have something going for her. She's still stuck in Haynes's mind, and Jasper's been

top student since she was a kid-queen bee at every school, and there was even a director who

but the violin's her real talent. That's how she got

right. I even heard she once beat out a prodigy everyone had high hopes for-after losing to her, the poor guy never really

plenty of prodigies in this world, but not many who can keep it up and actually make

her, Stella thought silently. If she hadn't gone through the divorce, would she ever have picked up the violin again? It

chatted, the auction officially

these kinds of events, had only bothered to come tonight because he'd managed to get a few tickets. Their seats weren't the best-fourth row to the

and Jasper, of course, were seated right in the

her a sidelong glance and let out a soft, derisive snort-his disdain clear as day. So much for Stella's supposed connections; she was still stuck in the

minutes later, the auction

cups once used in a royal palace. Several collectors and high society types began bidding in earnest, and the set

item was a crown from the early twentieth century, once worn by a European royal. Studded with diamonds, it sparkled so brilliantly it

gasp.