The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

It wasn't until this moment that Antoney finally understood Stella's true intention.

She'd brought him here as a decoy, to muddy the waters.

The three women glanced at the three men present, then turned their eyes

collectively toward Joshua.

"It's him."

Stella asked, "Do you know his name?"

The businesswoman replied, "He told me his name was Caleb."

The heiress added, "He told me he was Rankin."

The socialite said, "He introduced himself as Cory."

Three different names. Classic con artist behavior.

Stella pressed further, "Since you were in a relationship with him, you must have

some photos or videos of him on your phone, right?"

The women calmly handed over their phones.

With how advanced photo editing is these days, it's hard to tell real from fake just

by looking. You can't trust your eyes anymore.

Stella continued, "Can each of you describe when you dated him, where you met,

and what happened?"

Though they'd already posted about the story online, those were just general

summaries.

businesswoman stole a quick,

throat, she began. Her account matched

she added plenty

a single logical flaw to be

heiress

her relationship with "Rankin"-who

actually Joshua.

confidently, as if

this story a

times in her mind.

cast a few surreptitious

didn't fool Haynes-and even

as convincing, every

unlike the others, she never once looked at Haynes. Her

darting around the room.

again. "You're all sure you were in a relationship

three nodded in

on, "does he have any birthmarks

distinctive?"

businesswoman answered steadily, "We never got that

know."

other two nodded in

watched the trio, brow furrowing deeper

not a single inconsistency to

story that's too perfect is the biggest red flag

pressed on, "You've known all along, but never came forward. Why

to expose

replied,

scammed us-our feelings, our

money-he disappeared without a

tried everything to

down, but it was like

That's when we