LOGINInside, Lora carefully stored the suitcases away and called Lucas and her two sons to come home for dinner.
The three men were equally stunned when they saw the mountain of cash.They had handled sums like this before—But seeing it all laid out in physical bills like this?That was a first.Henry asked, “Tiesto, all this—this is for Ella?”“Yes,” Tiesto replied firmly.Caleb asked, “It’s all from a legitimateAfter eliminating this internal threat, Tiesto celebrated with her.At a hotel, their candlelit dinner was romantic.Ella laughed: “Those who know, know I solved May’s problem. Those who don’t… probably think it’s our wedding anniversary.”“As long as you’re happy, every day is our anniversary.”“Then I’ll be happy every day.” Ella smiled.Tiesto cut her steak.The candlelight flickered, reflecting the radiant joy of their smiles.They left the hotel hand in hand, just as Michael and Mrs. Benitez appeared.“Just look at you—past thirty already. Tiesto’s younger and he’s married, yet you still haven’t made any progress. Are you trying to drive your mother insane?”Michael’s eyes spotted Tiesto, silently pleading for help.“Aunt,” Tiesto greeted.Mrs. Benitez paused, embarrassed, then
Mrs. Pratt made a special trip to Eve Garden.Lora accompanied her.“I actually came today to ask,” Mrs. Pratt said softly, “does Nora still have any of Ella’s childhood belongings? I’d pay whatever it costs to get them back.”“Don’t get your hopes up,” Lora sighed. “I already asked Nora. She said Ella’s things were in the way and threw them all out long ago. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that she did at least raise Ella, I really would have…”Even now, Lora couldn’t hide her lingering regret.Mrs. Pratt’s heart ached. “Ella has really suffered too much.”“But the good news is, she won’t suffer anymore,” Lora said gently. “Good children are blessed in the end.”Mrs. Pratt nodded. “Back then, Tiesto’s mother and I even talked about arranging a childhood engagement between our fami
Mrs. Pratt brought the DNA report home.After reading it, Mr. Pratt said, “Honestly, we didn’t even need this test. I already knew Ella was our daughter. Just look at her talent and ability—she’s exactly like you when you were young.”“It just makes me feel more at ease,” Mrs. Pratt said. “When Ella comes home, which room do you think she should take?”“I’d say the sunny room on the third floor. We’ll redecorate it properly, buy new furniture. What do you think?”Just then, Milo walked in and overheard. “The room on the third floor? Mine has the best temperature year-round—cool in summer, warm in winter. I’ll move out. Give mine to Ella.”Orlando came downstairs. “Excuse me? My room’s the best. Bigger space, soundproof walls, and a huge balcony.”“But your room smells,” Milo said calmly.“And what about you? You’re always playing with dyes—your walls are practically stained. Who knows if there’s formaldehyde contamination in there!”
On the day Piper and Nathan’s case went to court, Ella happened to be free and decided to go see.She went with Tiesto to the courtroom.There weren’t many people—only a handful of spectators.Since their cases were related, the hearings were scheduled at the same time.Nathan stood in court and admitted to his actions without any pretense.Piper also confessed.Both received their respective sentences.As Piper left, her eyes landed on Ella.A bitter smile tugged at her lips. She regretted everything that had led her to this point. If only she hadn’t coaxed Nathan into committing those acts… if only past mistakes hadn’t compounded…But regret was useless.Everyone had to face the consequences of their actions.Piper was angry, but Ella was living a good life.She had always been better off than Ella as a child, yet fate had favored Ella
Back at home, Ella was still thinking about everything.She asked Tiesto, “Honey, do you think what Ms. Darla and Christine said is true?”“She knew about your birthmark and has been pushing Christine to oppose you all along. I’d say the chances of it being true are very high,” Tiesto said as he poured her a glass of warm milk.Ella held the cup, her mind full of thoughts.“Don’t think too much about it,” Tiesto said softly. “No matter what happened, you’re the victim here.”His heart ached for her. She had endured far too much since childhood.He reached out and gently smoothed the frown between her brows.“No matter who you are, you’re still my Ella.”Early the next morning, Milo and Orlando arrived at Ella’s door.One carried a thermos of soup, the other a basket of fruit.When Tiesto opened the
Christine clenched her palms, her face tense.Mrs. Pratt tried to comfort her. “You were probably too anxious and saw things wrong. Dr. Hart is here. Ms. Darla should be fine.”Hearing that Ms. Darla might survive, Christine’s expression darkened even more.Dexter said, “It’s late. Any further investigation can wait until tomorrow. Ellen, let’s go.”Henry stepped out.“How is she?” Christine asked first.“Ms. Darla is fine now, though still unconscious. In a few hours, she should recover completely,” Henry reported.Mrs. Pratt said, “That’s wonderful! Christine, did you hear? Ms. Darla is fine.”“Ella, you should go home and rest too. Other matters can wait until tomorrow.”“Thank you, Henry,” Ella said, then left with Tiesto.“Ms. Darla may not be the best person, but it’s a relief she woke up.
The next morning, she woke still in his arms.No nightmares, no lingering fear—just a deep, uninterrupted sleep.Opening her eyes, she saw him wearing the same pink bathrobe as her, the scent of shower gel matching hers.Lying together on the same bed felt almost… natural.She buried her face in hi
Christine burst through the office door.The senior executives in the middle of a meeting with Milo were startled.Recognizing the famously temperamental young miss, they kept their expressions neutral—though displeasure flickered in their eyes.“Let’s adjourn,” Milo said calmly.Once everyone had
Christine was applying a facial mask.Her assistant came in and whispered the matter in her ear.“Ella actually has this kind of background?” Christine said.“Khaled did call her Great-aunt in public. She’s probably his relative.”“Hmph. What is Khaled to me?” Christine didn’t take him seriously.A
On the other side, Kiana hurried over with documents. “Ella, can we leave?”“Let’s go.”Ella grabbed her bag and stood.Her phone rang.Tiesto again.His voice carried a faint trace of alcohol. “Ella… what time will you be home tonight?”He stared at the unmoving delivery status and rubbed his temp







