The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Leonard had only destroyed her hand-her legs were still intact.

Now, the instinct to survive surged through Stella, unlocking every last ounce of strength in her body.

The driver hesitated, startled for a moment, then instinctively moved to give chase. But when he saw Leonard bleeding profusely, he froze. He couldn't just leave Leonard, wounded and helpless, alone in the middle of nowhere.

While he stood wavering, Stella had already vanished into the wild, disappearing among the trees. By the time he came to his senses, it was too late to even consider pursuing her.

He quickly turned back to Leonard, kneeling down to staunch the bleeding as best he could.

Stella's knife had cut deep-no one could tell exactly where it struck, but whatever nerve she'd hit in Leonard's thigh had left his leg completely numb and useless.

As Stella's silhouette disappeared into the wilderness, Leonard's eyes narrowed, cold and dark with fury.

Stella ran blindly through the undergrowth, with no idea where she was headed. She couldn't let Leonard catch her. If he did, death would be a mercy.

With every stride, the adrenaline that had kept her going began to ebb away. The pain in her hand flared, intensifying-especially where Leonard's blade had pierced her palm. The wound had reopened, blood seeping through her trembling fingers.

Her strength was fading fast. Her vision blurred at the edges.

She forced herself onward, desperately repeating in her mind that she could not, must not, lose consciousness.

too still-an endless, silent expanse with no end in

how far she'd run before her body finally gave out. She collapsed

...

to

the time he arrived at the location,

were dark, dried stains

his heart clenching with

deep breath, fighting to keep his

from the blood on the floor," he ordered his men. "Get them to the

Stella's blood? Or Abby's? Had either of

another agent walked over

this in the backyard. The last signal ping came from right

turned icy. "Track Sellers' assistant's phone. I want to

the report came in. "Mr. Connolly, the phone is still in Sandford and currently on

whatever it takes-force their car

house and

something occurred to him. "Any news from

towards the overpass. He

Foreman's territory, after all-his sources

grew thoughtful. “Send a team to check it out. Keep me updated