The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

A strange sense of unease crept into Joshua's heart.

He immediately tried calling Stella.

No one picked up.

He dialed Abby's number. Same result.

Joshua tried again and again, but still, there was no answer.

That flicker of dread inside him grew stronger. He pulled up Candida Fletcher's number and called her.

Candida sounded surprised. "Aren't Stella and Abby in Sandford for the competition? Maybe you just can't reach them because it's late over there and they've already gone to bed?"

It was already 10 p.m. in Novaris-a perfectly reasonable time to be asleep.

Joshua asked, "Do you know which hotel they're staying at?"

"I'm not sure," Candida replied. "But I remember they mentioned going back to Neo-Vespera last time, and Abby said Foreman was in charge of arranging their Sandford itinerary. Maybe you should check with Mr. Richards?"

then hung up and

rang, but no one answered. Eventually, the

Foreman wasn't answering either?

Joshua's expression darkened.

together. He knew a bit about Foreman's feelings toward Stella, and there was no way Foreman would miss the opportunity to look after

it over, Joshua

his ear. Still

didn't keep calling them over and over. But with Foreman, he had no such

track of how many times he tried before,

through-tinged with a hint of

evenly. "I wanted to ask where Stella and Abby are." "Joshua?" For a few seconds,

regaining his composure, he replied,

sounded nonchalant. "Maybe they're in the shower, or asleep. Isn't it normal not to be able to reach someone this

hotel arrangements?" Joshua pressed. "Which hotel are they staying

their room for

a

and Abby are already resting. Are you trying to disturb them?

I suddenly