The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 553

Stella glanced at Haynes without betraying any emotion, then lowered her gaze.

She climbed into the vehicle without another word.

Benson had brought around an oversized SUV, its cavernous trunk stacked high with nineteen suitcases.

As Stella was about to start the engine, Joshua—who had been silent until now—finally spoke up.

“Ms. Cameron.”

She looked over at him.

Joshua offered her a gentle smile. “Take care.”

Stella nodded, her hesitation gone. She started the car.

Haynes, Foreman, and Joshua stood in place, watching as she drove away. In the rearview mirror, their figures shrank smaller and smaller until they vanished from sight.

Stella’s hand slipped into her pocket, brushing against something cold. Her pupils flinched.

A pistol.

She steadied her nerves and focused on the road ahead.

About twenty minutes later, Stella reached a secluded spot on the outskirts of town. An abandoned warehouse loomed before her, surrounded by dense brush and tangled undergrowth—a place perfect for hiding, but a nightmare for anyone hoping to stage a rescue.

Whoever chose this place for a handoff was clever—maybe too clever.

The moment Stella parked, her phone buzzed.

“Get out now. Leave the keys in the ignition. My people will check the money. Once it’s confirmed, we’ll talk about letting them go.”

Stella glanced at the suitcases in the back. “Fine. But I need proof—they’re still alive.”

The kidnapper didn’t hesitate. “Head inside the warehouse. Someone will bring you to them.”

Her fingers brushed the pistol in her pocket again, feeling a little steadier.

“All right.”

She stepped out and made her way toward the warehouse.

She gently rubbed his back, her voice soft and soothing. “Keen, did they hurt you?”

He shook his head. “No. They didn’t.”

As if remembering something, Keen glanced at Rachel, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.

“Mom, Rachel…”

He wanted to speak up for Rachel, to plead her case. But he knew how much his mother disliked her. Was it right to bring her up now—after everything Mom had risked for him?

While Keen hesitated, Stella’s eyes shifted to Rachel, sensing something was wrong.

Rachel looked even worse than she had in the videos.

Stella’s attention fell to Rachel’s wrists, raw and bloody from the ropes. For a violinist, her hands were everything—more precious than her face.

Rachel felt Stella’s eyes on her. She opened her mouth, intending to say something, but the words caught and died in her throat.

Slowly, she dropped her head.