The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1573

Hearing Joshua's name, Stella's gaze flickered, but she remained silent.

Abby quickly changed the subject. "Star, once we wrap things up here, let's go out. A real shopping spree. We were cooped up in Harland for so long, we completely forgot what a mall looks like."

"Okay," Stella agreed.

Stella had been working overtime constantly and hadn't had a proper rest in ages. Now that the dust had settled, the tightly wound spring inside her could finally unwind. There were still three or four files on her desk. She decided to work late tonight to finish them so she could go shopping with Abby tomorrow. She meant to just rest her head on the desk for a moment before starting, but before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

She wasn't sure how long had passed when she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders. She woke with a start.

Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "Did I fall asleep again… Joshua, what time is it?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Then, Abby's voice broke the silence. "Star, it's already eleven-thirty."

Stella turned and saw the sorrow in Abby's eyes. She lowered her gaze.

Abby's eating habits were all over the place, and now, buried in work, she'd often go the whole day without a meal.

It was Joshua who would message her, reminding her to make sure Stella ate. Just a moment ago, it was his message that prompted her to check if Stella had fallen asleep. He had even told her that if she ran into any trouble she couldn't handle, she shouldn't try to tough it out but tell him right away.

Abby's heart ached. Joshua had openly admitted his wrongdoings, yet he never said a single cruel word to distance himself from Stella. With her, he wasn't the feared head of the Gardner family. He was just Joshua, and that had never changed.