The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1358

Antoney glanced at her. "How else would you explain it? He doesn't need the money, yet he stays by her side. This time, he almost died at Gibson's hands to save her and Keen. Before that, he repeatedly went after Leonard to get revenge for her. It was Joshua who cut off Leonard's hand. With all that, do you still think they're just boss and subordinate, or just really good friends?"

Abby mumbled, "Well, Joshua has done a lot for Star, but she's been amazing to him too. Have you ever seen her put so much effort into anyone else? Making up for all his missed birthdays with handmade gifts… Haynes never got that treatment. Star is an incredible person, so it's only natural for Joshua to like her. Take today, for instance. Anyone would have been completely won over by a gesture like that. It just shows how charismatic she is…"

Her voice trailed off as she, too, realized something was off.

She got that Joshua has a thing for Star, but wasn't Star being a little too... attentive to him?

When Stella had been looking after Foreman, she had asked Abby to stay with her to avoid the awkwardness of being alone with him.

But this time, with Joshua kidnapped, Stella hadn't even told her. The difference in treatment was too stark.

"No way," Abby murmured. "You don't think Star might…"

"With everything unresolved with the Williams family, I doubt Star is ready to jump into another relationship," Antoney said. "Besides, after everything she's been through, she's not going to fall for someone easily."

But…

Antoney's worried reflection appeared on the windshield. Matters of the heart are rarely so easy to control. The people who are slowest to fall are often the ones who fall the hardest. Stella had never been in a real relationship; she probably didn't even know what love truly felt like.

…

Stella was indeed curious about the present he had kept hidden.

She nodded and gently opened the box. Inside lay a jade pendant, intricately carved with an ancient, complex pattern. It was clear and translucent, and as the light caught it, the interior seemed to shimmer as if water were flowing within, giving it a serene and profound depth. The ancient design exuded an air of history and significance; it was clearly no ordinary object.

"This is…" Stella began.

"Pendants like this are said to ward off evil, bring peace of mind, and are good for one's health," Joshua explained.

Stella found it hard to imagine Joshua giving her a jade pendant. It seemed like such an old-fashioned gift, the kind one might give in ancient times.