The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2014

A cold draft swept down the corridor, and Stella swayed on her feet.

Her face was paler than paper; she looked like she could collapse at any second.

Laurel guided her to a chair outside the door.

She tried to offer some comfort to the devastated woman.

"Even if he willingly accepts the hypnosis, it's not a guaranteed success. The failure rate... is still pretty high."

Stella sat entirely motionless, not offering a single reaction, as if she hadn't heard a word.

Three hours ticked by. The room remained dead silent.

In the past, Joshua would have been out by now. But this time, the clock kept ticking.

A strange, heavy premonition settled over Stella's heart.

Five hours later, the heavy oak door finally clicked open.

Both women snapped their heads up.

The tall, striking man stepped out into the hallway.

His expression was completely blank.

The grueling, hours-long session had left a shadow of exhaustion between his brows.

But he didn't immediately walk over to Stella like he always used to.

He didn't even spare her a second glance. He just walked right past her.

Laurel couldn't help but stand up. "Joshua."

He paused, slowly turning to look at her.

"Laurel? What are you doing here?"

His voice was as smooth and resonant as always.

Laurel instinctively glanced at Stella. "I... came with you for the session."

Following her line of sight, Joshua's gaze finally landed on Stella.

His dark eyes were bottomless, radiating an untouchable, frosty distance.

There was no warmth, no obsessive focus in his stare. It was like a frozen lake, devoid of a single ripple.

Joshua asked, "A friend of yours?"

Laurel nodded stiffly.

Colby nodded, pouring himself a glass of water.

"Yeah. This time, it really took."

Even though she had known the answer, hearing it out loud made her chest tighten.

She turned to Laurel, though her gaze was unfocused.

"Is everything handled?"

Laurel looked at her, a tempest of emotions swirling in her eyes.

Stella's voice was hollow, drifting like a ghost.

"Right. He always was meticulous... There won't be any issues."

Watching her, Laurel felt a heavy weight settle in her chest.

"Ms. Cameron, thank you."

It was a massive debt of gratitude.

Stella had sacrificed everything for Joshua's sake.