The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Simone shook her head. "No, he didn't. My brother was so worked up, he passed out before he could finish."

Aurora chimed in, "If Leonard saw anything at all, it must have been the attempt on his life at the hospital. Simone, don't let your imagination run wild—what if it's all just a misunderstanding?"

She gave Simone a reassuring smile. "After Leonard was shot, the hospital was locked down tight. For an ordinary person to sneak in and try to kill Leonard again -it's just not that easy.

Unless..."

Simone leaned forward, her voice tense. "Unless what?"

It was a fair question—something about this whole incident was deeply unsettling. With the hospital on such high alert, even a world-class assassin would have a hard time getting in and out without anyone noticing.

Aurora furrowed her brow. "Unless the perp was already hiding inside the hospital before any of this happened."

But was that even possible?

How could Joshua have known in advance that Leonard would be admitted to that particular hospital? And if he really was that clever, would he have been fooled by the lies spun by Rachel Pearce and Simone? Did he even have the brains for something like that?

Aurora doubted it. She'd never thought of Joshua as a criminal mastermind.

But Simone, blinded by her feelings, clearly didn't want to hear anything bad about the man she liked.

Rumor had it the Gardners were all cruel and ruthless. To hold the position of family head, intelligence wasn't always required, but brutality certainly seemed to be. And with how frequently the role of head changed hands in the Gardner family, Aurora couldn't help but worry about Joshua's stability.

What if there was some dark history of mental illness?

Aurora watched Simone, who seemed dangerously close to falling head over heels. As her best friend, she couldn't help but offer a gentle warning.

"Simone, the Gardner family just went through a major shakeup not long ago. I think... maybe you should just date him for now. There's no need to rush into marriage. Honestly, even if you don't get married right away, it won't hurt your relationship."

Aurora's advice was subtle, but Simone understood.noveldrama

Aurora was hinting that while Joshua was still head of the family, Simone should look out for herself a little. After all, when Leonard and Sellers Burton had courted Aurora, they'd brought plenty of benefits to the Williams family.

Simone said quietly, "Aurora, you and I are different. You were the one pursued, but with Joshua... I was the one who took the initiative."

She gave a rueful smile. "If I had your charm, maybe I wouldn't be in such a mess."

Aurora paused, momentarily at a loss for words.

She'd forgotten about that.

Realizing this, Aurora didn't know what else to say. Instead, she gently advised, "Simone, since someone just tried to kill Leonard, that puts you in danger too. For now, it's best to avoid risky countries. Maybe skip Novaris for a while—there's too much chance of being kidnapped or threatened. Once Leonard's health stabilizes, you can come home with me to Solmaris, or go back to Yorston. Whatever you prefer."

Simone nodded quietly in agreement.

"Oh, by the way—did you hear about Stella dropping out of the competition?"

Aurora replied, "I just heard yesterday from my brother. He and Dad went to see her. Apparently, Stella's hand was ruined by her kidnappers."

Simone's eyes widened in shock. "Someone kidnapped Stella in Novaris? That's insane. And they destroyed her hand?"

To Simone and Aurora, Novaris was never exactly safe, but for Stella—protected by Haynes and Neville—it should have been.

Aurora shook her head. "I don't know all the details. My brother didn't say much. He just warned me that Novaris is dangerous right now, and said I should steer clear of trouble for the time being."