The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1925

She had been staying home to recover. Although she went out occasionally, it wasn't often. The same went for him.

"Besides," Stella continued, "you can't just revolve your whole life around me like you did before."

He looked up at her. "Why not?"

"Because you're the head of the Gardner family now. You need to maintain your authority. If you're constantly following me around, people are going to talk."

"Don't worry," he said lazily. "They wouldn't dare."

Stella suddenly remembered the elderly Gardner matriarch who had gone to see Neville Connolly. Even at her advanced age, she had cowered in front of Joshua, too terrified to even meet his eyes. It was a testament to how deeply Joshua's ruthless reputation had been burned into everyone's minds.

After a brief silence, Stella tried another angle. "Joshua, you taught me so much because you wanted to see me stand on my own two feet. If you're always hovering over me, solving every problem that comes my way, I'm never going to grow."

"Star, I promise I won't interfere," he said smoothly. "You make the calls. I won't step on your toes."

He seemed dead set on returning to her side.

A sliver of doubt crossed Stella's mind. Joshua wanted to come back to work for her, and right on cue, Wilbur resigned. Was it just a coincidence?

She opened her mouth to try and persuade him again, but he cut her off.

A cryptic, almost dangerous smile played on his lips. "Why do you keep pushing me away, Star? Don't you want to be with me every day? Or... do you not love me anymore?"

"No, of course not," Stella instinctively denied. "I just think a little space and healthy boundaries might be good for us..."

He stared intensely into her eyes. "I don't need space, and I don't want boundaries. When you love someone, you're supposed to be with them every second of the day. Even if you stop loving me one day, you're not allowed to leave. Star, you reeled me in, and now you have to take full responsibility. My world doesn't have breakups or divorces—only widowhood. Anyone who tries to tear us apart is a dead man walking."