The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 512

After all, all these years she'd been left to fend for herself, never once enjoying even the slightest advantage of the Williams family name.

Back when the incident with Sherman happened, if Stella had just admitted to it on the spot, he might have thought she was bold enough to face the consequences—he would have respected that, maybe even admired her. Who knows, he might have even let her off the hook.

But she'd done it and then refused to own up, and that single act had left him profoundly disappointed.

Other than her face, she hadn't inherited an ounce of her mother's brilliance.

After Stella left the Williams estate, he found himself wondering if, perhaps, he'd held her to too high a standard.

She wasn't like her mother, after all. She hadn't grown up surrounded by privilege, nor received the finest education money could buy.

He already had a remarkable daughter; there was no need to expect Stella to match her mother's excellence.

But now, watching the girl on stage, he saw-just for a moment-a flicker of Nora's spirit in her.

Maybe... she wasn't as disappointing as he'd always imagined.

melody filled

expected it

Somewhere along the way, Aurora had convinced herself Stella simply wasn't particularly skilled-certainly not on

wrong. Stella's technique was exceptional. In fact... it was every bit as

a slender young man with sharp

was so special about the woman who kept getting the upper hand over Rachel-what kind of charm she possessed that could coax the notoriously eccentric, long-retired Mr. Burton out

all he'd seen was a performance by a man, a woman, and

was, in fact, a fan of the violin himself-years of practice had given him some expertise. He could tell the man's playing was

piece he truly loved: the Moonlight Sonata, the way Rachel would play it out in the garden. He'd listened to her rendition over and over, never growing

the feeling he'd had the very first time he heard that music-no

was rare-something you might encounter once in a lifetime, if

he couldn't

searched for someone who could recapture that elusive

though, as music

attention. There was something in the melody a certain quality, a faint echo

The tone