The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

As for Shawn's disappearance...

What did that have to do with Stella?

She had a rock-solid alibi.

Shawn's parents insisted Stella had kidnapped their son, while Stella retorted that it was Shawn's own parents, desperate to dodge responsibility, who had hidden him away and were now putting on a show in front of everyone.

Haynes said evenly, "According to Star, the Pearce family and the Williams family have been close for generations. Yet Shawn did something so despicable-and even tried to film it to blackmail Star. If you don't give Star a proper explanation, don't be surprised to see Shawn's face splashed all over the headlines tomorrow."

He glanced at Mr. Pearce. "I hear you're preparing for the upcoming election. With a son like this-morally bankrupt and the subject of scandal-not only will the public turn against you, but your colleagues will lose faith as well. Surely you can weigh what's at stake here."

The Pearce family had always been involved in politics; they couldn't afford too many negative stories. And with Mr. Pearce's campaign just around the corner, the threat was all too real.

If that video were to go public...

Mr. Pearce's jaw tightened. He could already see it: his chances of winning would evaporate overnight.

Stella was the Williams family's heiress, and Haynes was no pushover either. There would be no sweeping this under the rug.

it take for you

He was backing down.

with Stella, and she gave a small,

slid a prepared contract across the

the terms his face turned

businesses. It didn't sound like much, but with

remained calm. "Mr. Pearce, we're offering a fair

If you accept the offer, the Pearce Group could be first in line for some lucrative collaborations. That would put

against your competitors. But forty percent of a kündred millioncor twenty percent of

Pearce fell silent, hesitation and uncertainty

why Shawn had tried to

her. It wasn't just about her looks. The real prize was the pre-IPO shares she controlled-an asset worth far more than

and biotech companies were the future. If the Pearce family could

might even secure a presidential

Stella found herself watching

with new