The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

"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!"

him apologize! Make him

Make him bark like a

of onlookers, always hungry for drama, began shouting

shifted to Harry, who glared at her with a dark, venomous

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

words, a flicker of relief passed over Harry's face,

cross him. Even if he

her eyes sparkling as she looked at

bet

to

another option."

step back from the stage himself-never play the violin again-then

didn't even have time to smirk; his expression

Quit? No way.

way to the top-he hadn't come this far just to walk

the crowd. "What do you all think of

audience erupted, voices clashing in a

him apologize and

would only stifle

Harry choose—what's more important, his career

face twitched as

he truly understood what it meant to be