The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1636

After escorting Stella to her office, Abby Murphy made her a cup of coffee.

She couldn't help but ask, "Star, didn't you go to a party with Joshua last night? Why do you look like you didn't get any sleep? Don't tell me…"

Abby looked Stella up and down, a knowing smile on her face.

"Joshua confessed to you, didn't he?"

Stella looked up at Abby. "You knew?"

Abby acted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course I knew. Even if I didn't see it at first, it became pretty clear after he told you the truth about himself. Why else would he help you so much? Guilt alone wouldn't have made him do all those things for you."

Stella rubbed her tired brow. "…Is that so?"

"I know you just got divorced and have been hurt, so you don't want to think about romance right now," Abby said. "That's why I never brought it up. I imagine Joshua held back for so long to give you more time."

Abby paused to gauge Stella's reaction before continuing. "Star, the truth is, Joshua's help went beyond the scope of an employer a long time ago. But back then, you didn't see him in a romantic light, so you never thought about it that way, and it was hard to notice his feelings. And now… since Joshua has chosen to make it clear, it means he came back this time to pursue you."

Abby added, "Since Joshua has made his intentions clear, he wants you to start seeing him as a man. Star, whether it's his looks, intelligence, or status, Joshua is top-tier among men. I really think you should give him serious consideration."

Joshua hadn't confessed to Stella while hiding his identity, and that alone put him above many men. Abby always felt that a confession made under a false identity carried a hint of testing—testing whether the other person would look down on them because of their status.

But Joshua's purpose for hiding his identity was never to test Stella. In Abby's view, the fact that he waited until after he had resumed his identity to confess was a sign of responsibility. As the head of the Gardner family, he could offer Stella a tangible future, one where she wouldn't face opposition or criticism because of his status. He wouldn't make her fight the world over mismatched backgrounds and endure all that pressure.

If you can't even offer someone a future, what right do you have to ask them to be with you?