The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1142

When Haynes O'Brien arrived, Stella Cameron wasted no time. She dove straight into her plan, outlining every detail for him.

Haynes listened quietly, his attention unwavering.

It wasn’t until Stella mentioned wanting to find an opportunity to undercut Israel Williams that Haynes glanced up at her, his eyes sharp.

“Did Neville Connolly come up with this plan for you?”

Stella was a newcomer—there was no way she could have devised a scheme like this on her own. Even with relentless study of business strategy, no one could hatch such a bold idea without having survived real storms.

Whoever was advising her was no amateur.

It couldn’t be Antoney Watson; he was just as green as Stella and nowhere near this calculating. And Foreman Richards? If he could think this far ahead, he wouldn’t have fallen for Leonard Lerman’s trap in the first place.

That left Neville. But even so, Haynes’s gut told him it wasn’t him.

It wasn’t about Neville’s intelligence—he was plenty sharp. But Neville was mostly aboveboard, and this plan wasn’t something you could execute with clever talk alone. It required getting your hands dirty—using tactics that were anything but clean.

Stella shook her head. “It wasn’t Neville.”

She didn’t elaborate, and Haynes sensed she wasn’t going to. He let it drop.

Maybe it was Mr. Burton, or Antoney’s father stepping in behind the scenes.

Haynes leaned forward, his voice steady. “Star, before you go any further, I have to warn you. If you want to lure Israel into this, you’re going to pay a price.”

He laid bare the heart of the scheme in a single sentence.

Still, Haynes couldn’t say outright that betting against Israel was a mistake. If she won, it would be worth it.

After all, Israel had grown up with the Williams family, using their resources to build a company that was formidable by any standard. If Stella could turn the tables and buy in at the bottom, she’d walk away with a fortune.

But Israel and Leonard were not to be underestimated. Even Foreman had taken a loss to Leonard. Did Stella really think she could win so easily?

Haynes spelled out every risk and reward, making sure Stella understood the stakes.

He didn’t think it was worth the gamble. But if she was determined, he’d back her—he’d make sure she had a safety net.

Stella considered for a moment, weighing everything. In the end, she chose to move forward with the plan.