The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 517

Rachel’s chest tightened, each breath growing more difficult.

She’d always thought Mr. Burton was just an eccentric old mystic—certainly not someone with real skill. But after what she’d just witnessed, it was clear his medical expertise was anything but a sham.

Which could only mean one thing: Mr. Burton must already know she was faking her illness.

Even Rachel, slow to catch on as she sometimes was, realized now that Mr. Burton’s earlier behavior had been nothing but a game—he’d been toying with her. And Stella, that snake, likely knew the truth too.

Stella hadn’t exposed her, instead choosing to play along. It was all part of her plan to get that billion-dollar payout from Haynes.

If Mr. Burton were just a powerless old man, Haynes might not have believed a word he said. But Mr. Burton was the founder of the Burton Group. His words carried weight—Haynes was bound to believe him.

She was about to be exposed. Panic flooded Rachel’s veins.

From the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Haynes. He looked just as blindsided as she felt.

Rachel’s heart pounded so hard it was all she could hear. Desperation clawed at her. In that moment, she remembered Joshua Gardner.

Yes—Joshua. He’d promised to come to Neo-Vespera tonight. Maybe he could help her.

Taking advantage of Haynes’s attention being fixed on the stage, Rachel hurriedly typed out a message to Joshua.

Out in the hallway, Joshua’s sharp, dignified features softened as he read her text. His long, pale fingers danced across his phone as he replied:

“Don’t worry—I’ll take care of this.”

Relief washed over Rachel, but anxiety still lingered. She quickly texted back, “How are you going to do that?”

Joshua’s reply came moments later: “Come to the hallway.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. She darted her gaze around the ballroom. Was Joshua already here? How had she not spotted him?

In a low voice, she whispered, “Haynie, I need to use the restroom.”