The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1192

Stella hadn’t grown up in a wealthy family, but she’d never wanted for anything—and she’d certainly never stayed in a place as shabby as this roadside inn.

Joshua paced the cramped room, checking every corner, even behind the faded curtains and battered dresser. Only when he was sure there were no hidden cameras did he finally seem to relax.

He turned to see Stella standing by the heater, arms crossed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She glanced at him, a faint frown on her face. “The heat isn’t working.”

Joshua grabbed the remote and pressed a few buttons. Nothing happened; the heater stayed stubbornly cold. He switched it off with a sigh. “Why don’t you go take a hot shower? I’ll go downstairs and see if the manager can do anything.”

Stella remembered the manager’s surly attitude when they’d checked in and shook her head. “Don’t bother. It’s fine.”

The woman had made it clear—without proper ID, they were lucky to have a roof over their heads. This wasn’t a five-star hotel; they weren’t exactly in a position to be picky.

Joshua just shrugged. “It’s no trouble. I’ll ask anyway.”

Seeing he wouldn’t be dissuaded, Stella didn’t argue.

He returned a few minutes later, just as Stella stepped out of the shower, toweling off her damp hair. One look at his face told her everything she needed to know.

“She didn’t help, did she?” Stella said.

Joshua shook his head. “She acted like we were a nuisance.”

Stella managed a tired smile. “Why don’t you go take a shower? I’ll get the bed sorted out.”

“Thanks.”

She opened the wardrobe and found a spare blanket and a thin mattress tucked away on a shelf. After giving the floor a quick wipe with a towel, she spread out the bedding next to the double bed.

The room only had one bed—a queen, squeezed between the peeling wallpaper and the rattling window. In a twin room, at least they could have pretended not to notice the awkwardness of sharing a space. But sharing a bed with a man—no matter how open-minded she was—just wasn’t going to happen.

Joshua had already insisted he’d take the floor, and Stella wasn’t about to argue.

When he finally emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp, he saw Stella had already made up his makeshift bed.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “We should try to get some sleep. It’s late.”

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