The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella's reflexes kicked in instantly. She gripped the wheel and steadied the car just in time, narrowly missing the curbside flowerbeds.

A quick glance in the rearview mirror told her Sellers was coming at her again— his car barreling down like a runaway beast.

Her eyes narrowed, her face hardening to ice.

His brakes had failed? Was he planning to use her as a buffer, to force his own car to a stop?

She remembered Sherman mentioning Sellers' driving-a pro, once a race car driver. With his skills, even with no brakes, he could have found some way to bring the car to a halt.

But instead, he was using this reckless, self-destructive approach.

He was trying to kill her.

Stella's hands tightened around the steering wheel, fury flaring in her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd felt this angry. Sellers' viciousness was beyond anything she'd imagined.

She slammed her foot down on the gas. The car shot forward, swift and sharp, like an arrow loosed from the bow.

Just as Sellers' car nearly clipped her front bumper again, she swerved and left him behind. For now.

Thank God her car had been specially modified; otherwise, just one more hit and she'd lose control for sure.

Haynes, in the passenger seat, saw what was happening in the rearview and scowled.

"What the hell is Sellers doing?"

Stella's voice was flat. "Isn't it obvious? He wants me dead."

Haynes frowned. "You two don't even have any bad blood. Why would he go that far?"

A cold smile tugged at Stella's lips. "So, what-you think I'm making this up?"

"That's not what I meant—” Haynes began, but Stella cut him off, her patience gone. "Whatever. You can believe whatever you want. It's not like you'd believe me anyway."

Haynes opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, the car jolted-Sellers had rammed them again.

Stella reacted fast, pulling away

before he could get a solid hit, but Sellers was relentless. No matter

how much distance she put

between them, he closed the gap innoveldrama

seconds, impossible to shake.

Haynes, who'd done his fair share of driving, could tell right away-Sellers was no

ordinary driver. The man was a pro, and not just any pro.

He glanced sideways at Stella. The curve of her jaw was delicate and pale, but her focus was razor-sharp, her gaze tense but utterly unafraid. There was a breathtaking intensity to her in this moment; for a second, Haynes' heart skipped a beat.

Sellers' car kept coming, skimming dangerously close, but every time, Stella handled it with calm precision.

Her driving skills... weren't bad at all.

But no matter how good she was, her car just couldn't match Sellers' machine. It

was only a matter of time before he caught up.

...

Sherman had thought taking care of

Stella would only take a few

minutes. But to his surprise, each time Sellers almost collided with her car, she managed to slip away at the last second.

No amateur could dodge like that.

Sellers squinted, muttering, "This Stella... she's not as simple as she looks. She's no beginner."

Sherman shook his head, stunned. "Where did she learn to drive like that?"

The words trailed off as a memory surfaced-how he'd once goaded Stella into learning to drive, just to humiliate her.

"No way,” he murmured, “she couldn't have picked up those skills back then— could she?"

Sherman had already had people dig into Stella's life over the past five years. She'd been a stay-at-home mom, looking after her husband and kids, barely touching a car.

The only time she might have been around racing was during that stint when he'd dragged her to driving lessons, just for his own amusement.