The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1600

Stella's brow furrowed slightly. "Abby, you didn't tell anyone about the attack, did you?"

Abby quickly shook her head. "No, I made sure to suppress the news." She watched Stella's face, seeming to guess what she was thinking, and added in a low voice, "I don't think it was Joshua."

Abby and Joshua were still in contact, though not frequently. From their occasional conversations, Abby could tell that he didn't know about the incident. Keen, Joshua's little informant, had been sent back home by Haynes months ago. Haynes himself had discovered the boy was feeding information to Joshua and was so exasperated by his nephew's disloyalty that he promptly sent him away.

Stella seemed lost in thought.

"It was probably just Byron's enemies," Abby reasoned. "The guy was no saint. He often had his competitors assassinated. He finally picked a fight he couldn't win. Whoever did it was ruthless, though, not even leaving a whole body… Their methods are on par with Leonard's. Well… I guess it takes a monster to kill a monster."

Stella didn't dwell on it. "If someone else took care of it for us, it saves us a lot of trouble." She had asked Abby to investigate because she had intended to get revenge herself. Her counter-attack plan was already in place, but before she could execute it, her target was dead.

After this incident, however, Abby insisted on finding some skilled bodyguards for Stella. Unable to refuse, Stella agreed. Even if she had some ability to protect herself, having protection for Abby would be a good thing. But when Abby brought over the bodyguards she had carefully selected for Stella to interview, Stella was left completely speechless.

As Stella's thoughts drifted back over the past six months, there was a soft knock on the dressing room door. A young man who looked like a pretty boy with a fair complexion entered. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with a slender and frail-looking build.

Behind him followed another young man, this one with a stern face and a powerful, muscular frame.

"You've seen what Joshua looks like," Abby said, completely justified. "He was by Star's side for so long that she's gotten used to seeing handsome men. Are you going to find a bunch of burly, scary-looking thugs to frighten her? Star was already in a bad mood after Joshua left. Seeing some eye candy will lift her spirits. What's wrong with that?"

Antoney had no comeback. He also knew about Joshua but, like Neville, didn't hold anything against him.

"Fine," Antoney had said. "I'll do my best to pick from the Watson family's own training camp."

Abby had originally selected six bodyguards, but Stella had rejected the idea.