The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Aurora's expression remained calm. "If Sellers decided not to tell, he must have

his reasons. If I remind Karl, wouldn't that just make Sellers resent me?"

Simone considered this and realized Aurora had a point.

For a moment, she couldn't help but admire Aurora.

"Aurora, with your poise and strategy, even Jonathan might not be your match. It's

almost a shame you weren't born a man in this world."

Aurora just smiled, as if something else had crossed her mind. She turned to

Simone. "That earring I gave you- have you had it customized yet?"

Simone nodded. "I've already sent someone to take care of it. But... are you sure

this is safe?"

Aurora's eyes darkened for a moment, deep and unreadable.

"I'm not sure why he's so fixated on my earring, but maybe he's seen one just like

it before and is looking for its owner."

Simone remembered the earring Aurora had handed her. "Didn't you say your

earrings were custom-made-only you and Stella have them? So maybe..."

Simone frowned slightly. "Maybe the person he's searching for is Stella."

Aurora replied, "That's very likely. But he's been with Stella for ages, and he's still

asking me about the earring. That means either he and Stella haven't recognized

each other, or the person he's looking for isn't her."

She paused, then continued, "Either way, this is an opportunity for you. Better to

try and get nothing than to miss a chance altogether."

Simone looked at Aurora. "But... what if-just what if- the person he's looking for

is you?"

Aurora laughed softly. "Even better. Then you'd have nothing to worry about-

you'd be safe."

Simone stared at her for a moment, understanding finally dawning.

Aurora wanted her to take this chance.

Simone asked again, "What if the person he's looking for really is Stella, and they

just haven't figured it out yet?"

Aurora's smile was faint. "We're best friends. Is it so strange for us to wear the

same earrings? If he's mistaken, how could he blame us for owning something

identical?"

Simone couldn't help but laugh. "Aurora, only you could make it sound so simple."

Aurora said, "Fortune favors the bold. If you're always afraid to take risks, you'll

never achieve anything. Every investment carries some risk. The only question is

whether it's worth it."

She took a sip of tea, then added, "I can't make this decision for you. It's up to

you."

Simone found herself growing ever more curious about Joshua. She thought for a

moment, then made up her mind.

"You're right. This is such a minor risk-it's not worth hesitating over."

She hesitated, then asked, "So, do you really think the person Joshua's searching

for is Stella?"

Aurora replied, "There's a fifty-fifty

chance. Those earrings were

custom-made by our father. If I

remember correctly, Stella only wore

them once before losing one. When

she left the Williams estate, she

didn't take anything with her. Her

room was left untouched after she

left, because Dad hoped she might

come back someday."

Just a few days ago, Aurora had flown back to Solmaris and found the second

earring in Stella's room.

She added, "She might not even remember the earrings at all."

The Novaris regional competition had wrapped up quickly.

Stella took first place. Rachel was runner-up, and the third spot went to a male

violinist.

The three of them would represent Novaris in the international competition three

months from now.

In the meantime, Stella was to hold a concert.

Her popularity had soared so high that tickets sold out almost instantly. Fans who

couldn't get seats were clamoring for her to add another date.

Stella discussed it with Abby, and they decided to schedule an extra concert after

the international competition.

Abby said "Star, you should think

about a world tour. With your skill

and reputation now, you could fill

concert halls anywhere. Sponsors

would be lining up for you-you

could pick and choose."

Ever since she'd defeated Harry, Stella's fame had skyrocketed.

Endorsement deals, private gigs, invitations from renowned maestros-she was

flooded with offers.

Even Candida Fletcher was being swamped with business cards.

Stella simply nodded. "It's worth considering."

Abby continued, "After this concert,

Antoney will be heading back to the

Watsons. He's leaving his music

team with us, so we won't have to

go through the hassle of new

auditions."

Stella agreed that was for the best.

They chatted a while longer until Abby's phone rang. Whatever was said on thenoveldrama

other end made Abby's face turn serious.

"I'll be right there," Abby said, hanging up quickly.

Stella noticed Abby's somber expression and asked, "Abby, what happened?"

Abby's face was unusually grave.

"It's Joshua. Something's happened to him."