Stella couldn't be happier to have Aurora take the annoying Leonard away.
She nodded slightly.
After Leonard and Aurora left, Stella decided to head to the back garden anyway. Joshua had been gone for a little too long, and she was starting to worry.
From what Leonard had said, it was clear Laurel Quinn was no one to take lightly. Even though Stella had confidence in Joshua's abilities, she didn't dare underestimate her.
***
Out in the back garden, everything was quiet and still.
Laurel Quinn looked at the man beside her with a complex expression and said softly, "Joshua, it's been a long time."
Joshua nodded slightly. "I already know about the partnership between Star and the Quinn family. Thank you for giving her such a large contract."
Laurel looked at his handsome face and sighed.
"You don't have to be so formal with me. If it weren't for your help back then, I never would have become the head of my family. It's just one contract, not even a fraction of what you did for me. Besides, if she hadn't met my standards, I wouldn't have worked with her. In a way, I just gave her an opportunity, just like you introduced her to people earlier. Whether she can seize it is up to her."
Joshua didn't reject her kindness. Instead, he asked, "How have you been all these years?"
Laurel gazed at the shadows cast by the trees and flowers on the ground.
"Same as always. Busy every day. I used to think that with supreme power, I could get everything I wanted. But now that I have it, I find it's not as wonderful as I imagined."
Joshua turned to look at her. "Do you regret it?"
Laurel didn't deny it. "A little... but I think that's just how people are. We always think the other side has it better. If I hadn't become the family head, I probably would have thought that was the best thing in the world."
"You seem to have a clear perspective on it," Joshua commented.
Laurel's eyes filled with concern. "I know your condition. It's impossible for it to be over so quickly."
Joshua turned to look at her. "Passive treatment takes longer. I was actively cooperating, so of course it was more effective."
"That may be true, but..." Laurel's voice trailed off.
It was true. In the past, Joshua had always seemed to be passively undergoing treatment, never actively participating. She had no idea how effective it would be if he fully cooperated.
Just then, Joshua seemed to hear a sound.
He turned his head to look.
In an instant, his eyes became like a lake filled with starlight, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curved into a gentle smile.
"Star."

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance
anxiously waiting for updates...
Hello! This series has been requested a lot on Reddit, but we’re unable to post the link there ourselves. If you have a Reddit account, we would truly appreciate it if you could help us share the link to this novel to increase its readership. As a thank-you, we will increase the number of free chapters available each day. Thank you so much for your support!...
The same rotation blaming Stella trying to get her destroyed. Isn't the writer tired of writing the same foolishness overand over again? This is exhausting....
Can’t wait to see what joshua will do...
Why would the author of this book do that to Stella? Such cruelty!...
So many chapters are incomplete. Missing pages. Hard to get continuity...
Please move on from Stella's troubles, we need more exiting news. Like Joshua discovering that Stella is the one he has been looking for,the owner of the earring....
Seriously, how long will this get stretched ?? Looks like the whole world is set to trouble Stella... It's not moving anywhere.....
Hey...please update regularly...
Is Jasper gay? He certainly behaves that way....