The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 519

Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

All Stella could do was play “Moonlight,” over and over again.

She probably just picked that one piece, practiced it obsessively, and learned to imitate it by rote.

That made sense. How could Stella, a woman who’d spent five years as a housewife, possess some extraordinary gift for music?

And as for Lauretta and the others, boasting that Stella was a member of the Neo-Vespera University Hall of Fame...

Rachel gave a dismissive little laugh.

Most likely, it was all because of Mr. Burton. Who would dare refuse him anything?

The moment Mr. Burton spoke, no one would say otherwise.

She’d really believed Stella had some real talent. Now, it was clear she was nothing special after all.

Rachel comforted herself with these thoughts, stubbornly refusing to admit that Stella might actually surpass her.

She clung to her rationalizations, soothed her pride, and gradually felt her mood lighten.

She glanced over at Joshua, only to find him lost in thought, his expression unreadable. Who knew how much he truly believed?

Joshua’s mind was elsewhere—caught up on the woman playing violin in the garden that night, not on her. He was never easy to fool.

“If you’d like,” Rachel said, “I could always try to compose something of my own and imitate it instead. Or perhaps…”

She paused, her gaze steady. “Are you thinking the person playing violin in the garden that night wasn’t me?”

With someone like Joshua, it was better to lay things out in the open than to play games.

He looked at her with a faint, almost mocking smile. “I do have my doubts… After all, you don’t have the token.”

Rachel didn’t have the other earring.

Back then, he’d been desperate to find her. All his investigations pointed to Rachel being the only person in the garden at the right time.