The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1220

This was to be expected. This was the Lerman family's stronghold, and Leonard was no amateur. Still, Harold couldn't shake his worry.

Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps and rushed forward.

Jake's face was grim. "Mr. Gardner is injured. Get a surgical team ready. Now."

Harold's blood ran cold. Without asking questions, he made the arrangements. It was only after Joshua was wheeled into surgery that he finally spoke. "Jake, what happened? Did the plan go wrong?"

Jake's expression was complicated. "The plan went perfectly. We found Abby, but she didn't want to leave just yet, so we didn't force her."

In truth, rescuing Abby was a secondary objective. Joshua's real target was Leonard. He had gone after Leonard alone, sending the rest of them to find Abby. With the explosives he had planted as an insurance policy, it was a risk he was willing to take.

"If everything went smoothly, why is Mr. Gardner hurt?" Harold asked. "Did you run into other trouble?"

Jake's eyes darted away. "Nothing major. We were ambushed passing through a garden."

"A garden?" Harold repeated, confused.

"The Lerman family's gardens are famous in these circles," Jake explained. "Something about the soil and climate there produces exceptionally beautiful flowers. They say a single bloom from that garden can fetch a high price at auction."

Harold was still lost. Then he saw Jake pull a single, perfect rose from his pocket. It was an unusual varietal, with an enormous bloom and a vibrant, almost glowing color. Under the light, it seemed to shimmer with a dreamlike luminescence.

Joshua wouldn't have brought back a flower for no reason. Looking at Jake's face, Harold pieced it together. Joshua had been injured… while picking this rose. It was exactly the kind of reckless, insane thing he would do.

"Find a vase," Jake said. "Mr. Gardner went through a lot of trouble for this flower; don't let it wilt. And have you notified Stella? Give it to her when she arrives. I can't be seen here again, so I'm leaving now."

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