The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1445

After all, dealing with Rachel was child's play compared to taking on the entire Williams family. "Frankly," Stella admitted, "back then, I was worried you were a spy sent by Rachel to destroy my Nocturne Stella brand."

The air in the room seemed to freeze. The faint smile on Joshua's face vanished.

Stella immediately sensed the shift in his demeanor. Recalling what he'd just said about trust, she worried she had offended him by admitting her past suspicions.

"I was just being paranoid," she quickly explained. "Rachel had stabbed me in the back so many times, I was seeing enemies everywhere. Besides, if you had really been sent by her, there's no way I'd still be standing here today."

The more she knew of Joshua, the more she understood how formidable he was. With his skills and intellect, if he had truly wanted to destroy her, she would have been ruined long ago.

Joshua looked at her, his dark eyes unreadable. "Star, what if I had been sent by Rachel?"

Instead of immediately denying the possibility, Stella considered it seriously for a moment. "If that were true," she said finally, "then it would only mean that you showed me mercy."

His pupils contracted slightly. A strange, indescribable sensation bloomed in his chest and spread through his entire body. Her answer wasn't the one he might have wanted, nor was it the most comforting. And yet, somehow, she always managed to say the one thing that struck the very core of his being, pulling him deeper and deeper.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. Stella's body stiffened for a second, but she didn't push him away. After a moment's hesitation, she raised her hand and gently patted his back in a comforting gesture.

"Joshua, I will always trust you."

His voice was a low murmur against her hair. "Star, I don't deserve that trust."

"Even if one day you stand against me," Stella said softly, "I will never regret having met you."

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