The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

The reporter blurted out, "Obviously, you're just in it for the money!"

Stella met his gaze. "If I'm so obsessed with money, then why did I donate all of it? With that much cash, I could enjoy a lifetime of luxury-maybe even two lifetimes. Why would I hand it all over instead of spending it on myself?"

The reporter froze, suddenly at a loss for words.

He had a point—if Stella was really after money, why give it away? The logic just didn't add up.

The silence only lasted a moment before another entertainment reporter jumped in, their tone sharp and accusatory.

"Ms. Cameron, as far as I know, you never even finished high school. You're hardly some heiress or business mogul... So how exactly did you get your hands on such a huge sum of money? Are you sure it was all acquired legally?"

Someone else chimed in, voice dripping with insinuation. "There are rumors that you recently posed as Mrs. Haynes. Are you sure you didn't scam some rich guy out of this fortune?"noveldrama

Stella didn't flinch. She looked the reporter square in the eye. "I'd like to know- what kind of con could possibly net someone a billion dollars?"

The reporter smirked. "It might be tough to trick one man out of that much, but if you strung along a few, it's not impossible."

He paused, flashing a smug, knowing smile, as if daring her or anyone else to challenge him.

"Everyone knows men in love leave their brains at the door," he added, drawing a few uneasy laughs from the crowd. "And with a woman as beautiful and talented as Ms. Cameron, getting money from men would be a walk in the park."

"So, unless you have a better explanation, how do you account for where that billion came from?"

His words were like a grenade tossed into a still pond-the room buzzed with shock and speculation.

No high school diploma, no wealthy family background, yet somehow she'd amassed a billion dollars. It was enough to make anyone's imagination run wild.

Stella fixed her gaze on the reporter. "So, what you're saying is-if a woman is young, attractive, and wealthy, her money must have come from something shady?"

The reporter inhaled sharply, caught off-guard. With so many people watching, there was no way he could admit to such a blatant double standard. Doing so would be an insult to women everywhere.

He shifted his eyes, trying to regain control. "Of course not. I'm just questioning the source of your fortune, Ms. Cameron. Don't you think the public deserves a reasonable explanation? If your charity is funded by dirty money, wouldn't that be a joke?"

He pressed on, emboldened, as though he'd found Stella's Achilles' heel. “Imagine—a so-called philanthropist using stolen money to play the hero. I can't think of anything more ridiculous!"

"Ms. Cameron, unless you can prove your money is legitimate, the police station is right down the street. I'd advise you to turn yourself in."

He gave her a chilling smile. "Come clean and you'll get leniency. Resist, and you'll only make it worse. If you admit your mistakes, maybe people will forgive you."

What no one knew was that the reporter had received a text message not long ago: if he could bring Stella down in public, he'd pocket a cool five million. For that kind of reward, he was willing to go all out to smear her name.

Other entertainment reporters started to chime in, eager to pile on.

"Stop deflecting, Ms. Cameron. If you have nothing to hide, just tell us where the money came from. Admitting your mistakes is the right thing to do."

"You expect us to believe a high school dropout could earn a billion by honest means?"

"If you can't give us a straight answer, we'll have no choice but to call the police!"