The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1726

Due to Aurora's disappearance, Stella's birthday was a low-key affair this year. Instead of inviting a large group of friends, she had a quiet candlelight dinner with Joshua. As was her tradition, she gave Joshua the gift she had prepared for him the previous year.

Abby, Antoney, and the others all sent Stella their birthday wishes and had Abby deliver their presents to her.

At the restaurant, just as Joshua gave Stella her birthday gift, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Stella's gaze deepened. It was Skyler.

Stella answered the phone. "Father."

Skyler's gentle voice came from the other end. "Star, are you still out celebrating with your friends?"

"Yes, Father. Is there a reason for your sudden call?" Stella asked.

"We've found Aurora," Skyler said. "When you have a moment, could you come back to the house?"

Stella wasn't surprised to hear that Aurora had been found; in fact, she felt it had taken them longer than she'd expected. "I understand. I'll be back shortly," she said.

After hanging up, Stella turned to Joshua. "Joshua, they've found Aurora."

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Finally?"

Coleman glanced at Stella, then coldly looked away, turning his attention to Aurora.

Stella blinked in surprise. In the past, Coleman would have immediately started blaming her without a second thought. But today, he hadn't said a word. Did this mean their plan was beginning to work?

Stella also turned her gaze to Aurora, who was lying asleep on a bed. She was thinner than before, and a hint of weariness was visible between her brows.

From Skyler and Jonathan's conversation, Stella pieced together what had happened. Because they had missed the optimal window for the search, it had taken the Williams family a full three months to get a lead on Aurora's whereabouts. They traced her to the Delta and discovered she had fallen into the hands of the Fordham Group brothers.

The Delta was a place of tangled allegiances, and the Fordham brothers controlled more than half of it. Rescuing Aurora from their grasp was next to impossible. To save her, Jonathan had personally negotiated with the two brothers, offering them significant benefits. The offer was incredibly tempting, yet, surprisingly, the Fordham brothers refused to release her. Even when Jonathan increased the stakes, they wouldn't budge. No matter what conditions he offered, or even when he resorted to threats and coercion, the brothers remained unmoved.