The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2068

"The second is that she meant absolutely nothing to me, so there was no need to bring her up," Joshua said.

"Which one... do you lean toward?" Stella asked.

"Whichever it is, if I chose to forget her, it means I was already done with her."

Joshua casually tossed the ring back into the box. "This person doesn't matter to me anymore. Why go looking for a headache?"

Hearing those words, Stella didn't know if she should feel heartbroken or relieved.

All she could manage was, "That's a very healthy mindset. Admirable."

Joshua smiled faintly and let the subject drop.

"Let's head back."

...

Over the following weeks, Stella spent every spare moment she had at the Auto Repair Shop.

Keeping her promise, she always texted Joshua before she headed over.

Most of the time, he showed up. Only once or twice was he too tied up with business to make it.

Slowly but surely, Stella finished the intricate custom paint job.

This time, there were no disasters.

Joshua personally inspected the car with Stella present.

Though the ordeal had dragged on for quite some time, the final result was flawless.

After signing off on the vehicle, Joshua turned to her. "The car is perfect. So... next up, I'll need to rely on you to help me find the woman who played the violin in the gardens."

Stella braced herself. "...Right. I will do my best to look into it, but I can't guarantee I'll find her."

Joshua offered a gentle smile. "That's fine. Knowing you're willing to help is enough."

After witnessing how ruthlessly demanding Joshua had been over the fender bender, his sudden easygoing attitude gave Stella a strange sense of whiplash. She wasn't used to him being this agreeable.

"Since you're satisfied with the car, I'll be heading out," Stella said.

She couldn't help but wonder: if he did remember something, and she had just rejected his date, would he orchestrate some kind of 'accident' to force her hand?

The way he had dramatically pulled out the ring and brought up the hypnosis had reignited her fears that his amnesia was a total act.

And yet, every time her suspicions peaked, his subsequent behavior managed to convince her she was just being paranoid.

Because after that polite rejection, Joshua vanished. He never reached out to her, and he never used the car as an excuse to see her again.

They didn't cross paths a single time.

It was as if the name 'Joshua Gardner' had simply evaporated from her world.

If Laurel hadn't confirmed that he was still in Solmaris, Stella would have believed the entire ordeal had been a fever dream.

Laurel rarely spoke to Joshua these days, so even she had no idea what he was plotting.

Hearing Stella's update, Laurel started to wonder if they were both just chasing ghosts.

Maybe the crash really was an accident, and Joshua's interactions with her simply stemmed from a fleeting curiosity.