The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Aurora had been forced to run for her life, utterly humiliated—so why should Stella

get off scot-free?

He wanted nothing more than to terrify Stella, to send her running in panic, her

composure shattered. He wanted her to carry this shameful stain for the rest of

her life.

But Stella’s reaction had caught him completely off guard.

She was tougher than most men he’d ever met.

Even with a gun pointed at her, Stella remained far calmer than any man would

have managed.

Sellers’ voice yanked him out of his thoughts.

“What, nothing? Don’t tell me she just fainted from sheer terror like some helpless

damsel?”

Sellers had witnessed Leonard’s methods before and knew just how ruthless he

could be. A woman like Stella wouldn’t last five minutes in Leonard’s hands.

But Leonard was nothing like him.

He’d grown up in the Burton family, and under Mr. Burton’s influence, they rarely

resorted to truly vicious tactics.

Leonard, on the other hand, was a different breed entirely.

To secure his place as head of the family, Leonard had done unspeakable things

—his reputation for cruelty was so fierce that even Sellers was wary of crossing

him.

was no paragon of

managed to earn Leonard’s hatred was doomed to a

fate—no one doubted that.

of Mr. Burton, Sellers couldn’t get

a perfect way to both rid himself of this

his own grudge.

only explanation for Stella not falling apart at Leonard’s

was that she’d

thought she

at all. She dreams of replacing Aurora? She should take a

herself first...”

trailed off, cut

lot more cunning than I expected. No wonder Aurora

blow at her

in surprise.

I pointed a gun at

In fact, she

was hearing. “You sure

You know, sometimes you mistake pleas for mercy

course, caught what Sellers

my flaws, but being an idiot isn’t one

you’re telling

to what she

“I called her cunning for a reason.

managed to get Haynes to take the

everything Haynes had said during their

listened, his brow furrowing deeper and

the William’s family

story, things could

murmured. Even

popular, as long

the Williams

to be careful

simply get rid