The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

When Stella found out Neville's birthday was coming up, she spent a long time thinking before finally deciding to make him a gift with her own hands.

Neville had helped her so much. If it hadn't been for him, she would have been cornered by Haynes' endless pressure, left with nowhere to go and forced to sleep on the streets. There was no way she could have gone through her divorce so smoothly without Neville's support.

She was deeply grateful to him.

Neville glanced down at the keychain in his hand, his dark eyes as deep and unfathomable as the sea.

He looked at her, lips curled in a gentle smile, his voice low and warm.

"Thank you. I really like your gift.”

The way he looked at her was too intense, too soft, sending a shiver down her

spine. It was not the way you'd look at a friend.

Stella's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively avoided his gaze.

She stood up. "It's getting late. We should head back."

But as soon as she got to her feet, a hand closed firmly around her wrist.

looked up

intent. "Don't go. I brought something back

Stella let out a small,

small gift box. "Open it. See if you like

him. It wasn't very big or heavy, making it impossible

to reveal a

it, a delicate,

or ostentatious-simple, elegant, exquisitely made. Tiny black diamonds were set in the

masterpiece, his final work-the kind of piece you heard about but never actually

Abby had said the "Forever" bracelet would look incredible with Stella's Nocturne performance. Stella had admitted she loved it, but it was destined for an auction she could never hope to

actually get his hands

could tell at a glance that

immediately shook her head. "I can't

raised an

valuable,"

gift, no e matter how valuable. Gifts aren't about the price tag-they're about the thought behind them. If a cheap gift can hold meaning, why can't an expensive one? Should something be rejected just because it's worth

"That's

take back gifts," he said,