The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella had to admit, her own reasoning felt a little flimsy, but she truly couldn't come up with a better explanation.

Abby pressed on, "By the way, did you tell Keen about this?"noveldrama

Stella shook her head. "No, I don't plan to tell him for now. This is between me and Haynes—it's not something a child needs to be dragged into. Besides, I don't want to tip Haynes off. I'd rather wait and see what he's really after. Worst case, I'll just be extra careful with anything Keen brings me from now on."

Abby couldn't help but admire Stella's composure. If she were in Stella's shoes, staying calm would be out of the question.

***

The day of the competition arrived sooner than expected.

Thanks to the organizers' mediation, all the contestants had agreed to return. Their goal in withdrawing earlier was to manipulate rankings and grab attention, not because they truly wanted to quit. If they'd actually left, they'd have lost their leverage entirely. If they really had that much backbone, they wouldn't have played these little games in the first place.

This was Stella's first public appearance since the scandal, and all eyes were on her.

The venue was packed to the rafters. In previous rounds, there were always tickets left unsold, but this time they'd vanished in a flash—and even scalpers were prowling outside. The livestream hadn't even started, yet nearly a million viewers were already online, waiting.

Howard Shaw looked out over the sea of people filling every seat, a complicated expression on his face. He sighed, “No wonder so many directors chase after viral stars these days. The perks of sheer popularity-hard not to be tempted."

As soon as Stella stepped into the venue, a horde of reporters descended on her like a flock of vultures. Abby quickly stepped in, shielding Stella from the worst of the crowd. Neville Connolly's hired security guards moved in, pushing back the surging press to keep Stella safe.

Questions flew in from every direction, relentless and sharp as arrows.

“Ms. Cameron, Miss Felipa was penalized because of you, yet you've never publicly apologized. Don't you think that's incredibly arrogant?"

"Ms. Cameron, we've heard you were in a car accident and injured your hand. Is it really possible to recover so quickly? Are you even fit to compete?"

"Some say you have powerful connections behind the scenes—otherwise, the organizers wouldn't have bent the rules just for you..."

The questions grew more pointed

with every passing second. It was as if these reporters wouldn't stop until they gushed Stella into losing her cool or caught something O scandalous on camera.

Yet, faced with their barrage, Stella remained perfectly calm; not a hint of agitation flickered across her face. Suddenly, a shrill voice cut through the din.

"Well, well, after having all the other contestants petition for your removal, you've still got the nerve to show up? That kind of thick skin is something else!"

Stella glanced in the direction of the voice. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, stood holding a microphone, looking smugly defiant. When Stella's gaze met hers, the reporter's mouth curled with disdain and triumph.

"I mean, why bother with the competition at all?" she continued, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "The

winner's already been decided behind closed doors, hasn't it?”

“Don't listen to her, Star,” Abby whispered. “She's just trying to get a rise out of you."

Stella nodded. "I know."

She ignored the reporter and, surrounded by Abby and the others, made her way into the main hall.

Joshua Gardner arrived alongside

them. Thanks to Mr. Burton's careful treatment, Joshua was recovering quickly. He wasn't fully healed yet, but as long as he avoided fights or strenuous activity, he could go about his daily life just fine.