The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

At the mention of Stella Cameron's name, Sellers Burton's brow furrowed

reflexively.

"Her again? What happened between you two, exactly?"

Karl recounted the whole story of his feud with Stella.

After listening, Sellers remarked, "You nearly ruined her hand. She certainly has a motive to pull something like this."

He didn't offer much more comment and didn't seem to think Karl had done anything wrong. After all, Stella had butted in where she shouldn't have; if her hand had ended up crippled, she would have had no one to blame but herself.

"But honestly," Sellers continued, "I don't believe she has what it takes to pull this off."

Planting contraband on Karl? That was far beyond anything Stella could manage.

And to have Karl locked up for a night, knocked out, and stripped naked on top of it? The whole chain of events seemed simple, but pulling it off would take some serious resources.

Karl's voice turned cold. "Just because she couldn't do it herself doesn't mean no one around her could."

"This is Neo-Vespera. Neville Connolly, Haynes O'Brien, Jasper Wilkinson-any one of them could be behind it."

Sellers nodded. "I've already sent people to look into it. But this is Neo-Vespera, after all. With the way those three operate, it's unlikely they'd leave any evidence behind. Especially Haynes-he's meticulous, never leaves loose ends."

As he spoke, Sherman Burton walked in, holding the results of the investigation, a peculiar look on his face.

Sellers asked, "What's with that expression?"

“The findings are in. There's no hard evidence, but everything points to Haynes..." Sherman shook his head, still trying to process it. "Since when did Haynes become this despicable?"

Sherman knew Haynes fairly well-he could be ruthless with his enemies, but there was still a difference between ruthlessness and outright malice.

He could understand Karl being locked up or even beaten. But to have him stripped naked and dumped on the street?

That was another level entirely-petty and humiliating in a way that was hard to comprehend.

Sellers fell silent, deep in thought.

The O'Brien Group hadn't gotten to where it was without Haynes' cunning and capability. He might not be a saint, but he wasn't known for being downright shameless either.

After a pause, Sellers glanced at Karl, hesitated, then asked, "Karl... are you sure you weren't... violated?"

Karl was, after all, a strikingly

handsome man, the type who turned heads wherever he went. In their

circles there were people with all

sorts of tastes-it wasn't outside the

realm of possibility. '

He needed to be certain-was Karl just stripped, or had something even worse happened?

It was an awkward question, but one Sellers felt he had to ask. Better to know the truth now than be caught off guard later.

Sherman, standing to the side, looked equally uncomfortable.

Poor Karl-what a nightmare to go through.

Karl's fingers tightened around the neck of his beer bottle until cracks appeared in

the glass. With a sharp snap, he shattered it in his grip.

"If they actually dared to do anything to me," he ground out, "I swear, I'll drag

every last one of them to hell with me, even if it takes me down too!"

Sellers said, "Even if nothing happened, word's already out. Haynes might not have come up with such a nasty idea himself, but whoever whispered it in his ear is truly vicious."

As for who was really behind the scenes, none of the brothers spelled it out, but they all understood.

Karl's jaw clenched so hard it seemed his teeth might break. "I'll remember this. When I get my chance, I'll make her wish she'd never been born."

...

With Haynes and Rachel Pearce gone, the air itself seemed fresher.

Even Keen O'Brien and Marvin Connolly were getting along, a rare truce. Marvin was a well-behaved kid he never picked fights, and as long as Keen didn't stir up trouble, they managed to keep the peace.

The two kids ran off to explore the amusement rides, leaving Stella and Neville

standing outside, chatting and waiting for them.noveldrama