The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

So, was his plan to avoid drawing attention by helping poison Stella Cameron in secret, instead of eliminating her openly?

But Rachel Pearce dismissed that theory almost immediately.

Stella met with Mr. Burton frequently-if she were to be poisoned, Mr. Burton would notice straight away.

Joshua Gardner wasn't that foolish.

So then, what was his real reason for getting close to Stella?

Rachel's mind kept circling these questions, when the auction officially began.

Most of the items up for bid tonight were paintings and calligraphy.

Jasper Wilkinson showed zero interest in any of it. After glancing around for a while, he was yawning nonstop.

Stella, on the other hand, had a keen eye for art. She watched the auction, genuinely absorbed.

Abby Murphy muttered, "A few casual brushstrokes and suddenly it's worth a million? That's daylight robbery."

Contemporary artists' works often fetched prices in the millions.

As for old masters, their pieces almost always went for several million or more. Naturally, the older the piece, the higher the price.

Neville Connolly remarked, "It's not quite as impressive as the last auction, but this one's quality is still top-notch. I mean, there are several works here from centuries ago, and they're all originals."

Stella glanced at him. "You know about this stuff?"

Neville's eyes sparkled with a mischievous charm. “I know a bit here and there."

Abby leaned in eagerly. "Neville, are you one of those mysterious men of many talents? How do you know so much about everything?"

Neville grinned. "I dabble in a lot of things, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert at any of them."

Abby burst out laughing. "Oh, come on, Mr. Connolly. Don't be so modest. Knowing a little about everything is a gift. Our Star knows a lot too—I bet you two have plenty to talk about."

Neville shot Stella a curious look. "Oh? Besides music and painting, what else can Star do?"

Abby was just about to respond when the auctioneer's voice suddenly rose with enthusiasm.

"Next up, we have the latest work by the celebrated artist Aurora.

Everyone here knows Aurora's paintings-her style is so distinctive, even Al can't imitate it."

As the auctioneer spoke, he whisked away the black cloth draped over the painting.noveldrama

Under the bright lights, a stunning field of flowers burst into view.

Azure sky, fluffy white clouds.

A windmill stood in the distance, blending into the horizon where water met the sky.

Vivid, colorful flowers seemed to

sway in a gentle breeze, their

delicate fragrance almost driftiel

from the canvas, filling the hall with a sense of tranquility.

"What a beautiful painting! The colors are so pleasing, and the whole style just

feels so comfortable."

"Just looking at this puts me at ease."

"Where is that place? I'd love to visit someday."

"If I hung this at home, I think my whole mood would lift.”

The crowd buzzed with admiration for the piece.

Even Candida Fletcher, who usually didn't care for art, couldn't help but be captivated.

At that moment, the auctioneer began to introduce Aurora.

"Aurora

Her

fame five years

è sense of color bringset

com set

to viewers and draws

everyone in. Content rings

belongs to

Even the simplest landscape comes alive in her hands, as if she breathes a soul into the canvas-people can't help but lose themselves in her work. .

IMS

Yet Aurora herself is shrouded in mystery; she's never appeared in public.

Her paintings have even earned the praise of renowned master Mr. Lawrence Bell..."

The auctioneer's glowing words piqued Abby's curiosity.

"This Aurora sounds amazing! Star, do you know who Aurora really is?"