The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2004

Joshua's proposal was a ray of light cutting through the fog.

There didn't seem to be a better solution.

She and Joshua couldn't stay deadlocked forever.

Stella nodded. "Deal."

Joshua promised that once Stella fully recovered, he would begin the sessions.

A week later, Stella was safely discharged from the hospital.

During her stay, Abby Murphy and Haynes O'Brien both came to visit.

Abby was convinced that with Joshua's looks and intelligence, their baby was going to be gorgeous and brilliant.

As for the Gardner family's genetic illness...

Abby and Stella had an unspoken agreement not to mention it.

They would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Worrying now was pointless.

What if the baby didn't inherit it at all?

Knowing Stella was pregnant put Abby in a great mood.

Haynes, on the other hand, had a much more complicated reaction.

As a man, he knew perfectly well that once Stella had this child, even if Joshua lost his memory, their connection could never be severed.

Because of the pregnancy, Joshua took it upon himself to bring Stella back to his place.

Stella didn't fight him on it.

That very night, she called Laurel Quinn to get her and Colby Hunt ready.

"This really is the best way forward," Laurel agreed. "Let's hope Colby pulls it off."

"What if he fails?" Stella asked.

"Then we leave it to fate," Laurel said. "Hypnosis is never guaranteed.

Plenty of Gardners have tried and failed.

It's just a desperate gamble for a better future.

Medicine is advancing so fast—maybe a real cure will be discovered eventually.

We can't just throw in the towel without trying.

By the way, where do you want to hold the sessions?"

"Let's do it at Mr. Burton's estate," Stella replied. "If we do it here and the hypnosis works, seeing familiar things might trigger his memories again."

"Understood, I'll set it up," Laurel said.

Colby coughed lightly, shifting his gaze. A faint, awkward blush crept up his neck.

It was glaringly obvious that Colby had a crush on Dr. Winter.

"Yes, Dr. Winter has some incredibly unique insights," Colby mumbled.

Joshua, who had been standing behind Stella, offered a smooth smile.

"Dr. Winter, Dr. Hunt. It's been a while."

"Mr. Gardner," Dr. Winter smiled back.

"Uh... I'm going to go finish setting up. You guys chat."

With that, Colby practically fled into the room. Dr. Winter nodded at them and followed him in.

Watching them go, a sliver of doubt crept into Stella's mind.

Could Colby actually pull this off?

He didn't seem nearly as reliable as Dr. Winter.

Ten minutes later, Dr. Winter stepped back out.

"We're ready."