MasukHe deliberately accentuated the word ‘waste of a man’ deeply, with a hint of provocation. The man approached her intentionally, the piercingly cold aura of him got even thicker and stronger.
Ellena moved uncomfortably, and after a moment of disbelief, she believed his words. After all, Edward’s villa was not accessible to people outside his family or special guests like her.
“He is your cousin. Please don’t talk about him like this.”
Presumably, Edward had also had difficulties in his family. Ellena felt sympathy. Even if the Arnoults were top-tier socially, she sympathized with Edward’s situation. He must have had hard times in recent years.
Edward’s brown eyes quickly flashed in surprise. He didn’t expect this ugly woman to say such words.
He couldn’t help looking at her again. The messy hair, the black-framed glasses, soiled, long cotton clothes, and the bangs on her forehead almost think enough to cover her eyes. There were even a few small spots on her haggard face. It was disgusting to even look at.
He had heard how his fiancée would be as beautiful as a blooming rose. There was no way that this ugly woman was his rumored fiancée.
But the Arnoults did not care whether the woman who married him was ugly or beautiful. As long as it was woman who could produce an heir. They would not care even if they had to select another one.
Besides, it wasn’t as if Edward had any plans of treating her as his wife. All he needed was a simple and quick transection.
A dark glint flashing in his eyes, Edward stretched out his hand and pushed Ellena on the bed. There was undisguised contempt and malice in his tone. “There is no one else. You don’t need to pretend. With your looks, you are probably still a virgin. I might treat you far better than that cripple!”
After he finished speaking, he reached for her directly. He was about to touch her waist. Almost.
Slap!
“Get off!” Ellena used all her strength to slap him on the face. “Don’t assume everyone is as dirty as you. You’re lucky that your cousin hasn’t arrived yet. Leave immediately, and I will pretend nothing happened here. Or would you prefer to be slapped again?”
Although she tried her best to stay calm, her trembling hands betrayed her. She clutched the sheets beneath her, and let out a ragged breath. What the hell did she just witness?
She had imagined how ugly Edward would be on the way over, how scarred and how disables he truly was. But she never expected to encounter such a thing as this.
Her jaw clenched, and she forced herself to look up at him. ‘You can do this, Ellena.’ She encouraged herself. ‘You got this.’
Edward had a sullen look and exuded a bitter chill. “No woman has ever dared to slap me.”
“Consider this your first.” Ellena shuttered.
Because of the struggle, her glasses had fallen off, revealing a pair of unexpectedly clear and precise eyes. Her trembling eyelashes showed their owner’s tension and fear. “D-don’t come any closer!”
Seeing that, suddenly Edward paused, and for a moment he began to feel a bit soft-hearted.
He straightened his shirt and glanced coldly at her. “You can continue to wait for that ‘waste of a man’ here.”
Bang!
It wasn’t until the door was closer that Ellena’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Outside the door.
When the bodyguard was about to reach the Master bedroom, he saw the red mark on Edward’s face. With his pale complexion, the mark was incredibly visible. Even a partially blind person would be able to spot it a mile away. He froze for a moment before saying, “Young Master… Your face…”
Edward touched his face and said bluntly, “Ran into the door.”
Doors had five fingerprints on them?
Even though his story seemed doubtful, the bodyguard did not dare to ask any further.
Instead, he respectfully handed a folder, “This is Young Madam’s personal information.”
Edward opened the folder and saw the name on it, Ellena Smith.
Interesting. That ugly woman was cold as hell, yet the meaning of her name was light. How ironic!
Her birth mother was even more interesting. Treating her stepson and stepdaughter like precious gems while being cruel to her biological daughter. Despicable.
Moving on the document, he frowned and asked the bodyguard, “Is she really this much of an idiot?”
The bodyguard nodded.
“Check again.”
When Ellena spoke, she was clear and organized. Besides, Edward had never seen an idiot who could rise up so fiercely and fight back against a man in that situation.
Thinking of this, he lost his countenance and thrust the file he was holding into the bodyguard’s hands. “If you can’t give me accurate information then don’t bother coming back to me!”
Vincent looked straight at Edward, a trace of shock clearly flashing through his eyes.For a brief moment, he seemed uncertain, as if he was not fully convinced that the person standing in front of him was really Edward. His gaze lingered, sharp and probing, as though he was trying to confirm whether this was reality or simply an illusion caused by the dim lighting in the underground parking lot.The surprise in his eyes disappeared quickly, but not before Ellena noticed it.The underground parking lot was quiet and nearly empty. The pale overhead lights cast long shadows across the concrete floor, making the atmosphere feel strangely cold. In the silence, even the smallest movements seemed amplified.At that moment, Edward leaned slightly toward Ellena and whispered softly in her ear, “He is looking at you. Go and ask him what he wants.”His voice was calm and low, carrying a hint of amusement that instantly irritated her.Ellena’s brows knitted together at once. She turned her head
Vincent leaned against a tree at the entrance of the residential area, a lighter held loosely between his fingers. His posture looked casual, but his eyes were fixed in one direction, as if he was waiting for someone.The evening breeze stirred the leaves above him. The warm glow of the streetlights stretched across the pavement, casting long shadows around his feet.From a distance, he appeared relaxed.However, anyone paying close attention would quickly notice that he was not as calm as he looked.He pressed the lighter unconsciously. A small flame appeared.Then he flicked it off.A second later, he pressed it again.The action repeated, absent minded and mechanical, revealing the impatience hidden beneath his calm exterior. It was obvious that his thoughts were elsewhere.Every few moments, his gaze would drift toward the road leading into the residential area.As if he was expecting someone to appear at any moment.
Ellena did not say anything else.The exhaustion she had felt moments earlier still lingered in her chest, making her unwilling to continue the conversation. No matter what she said, Edward would simply stand there quietly and listen. No matter how much sarcasm she threw at him, he would not argue back.That kind of reaction made her feel strangely powerless.She walked forward and opened the car door, her movements calm but slightly stiff. Edward followed closely behind her, his steps unhurried, as if he had already grown accustomed to silently staying beside her.The underground parking lot was brightly lit.The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly against the concrete floor.Neither of them spoke.The atmosphere between them remained complicated and restrained.When Ellena got into the car and had not yet fully settled into her seat, her phone suddenly rang. The ringtone broke the silence inside the vehicle.She lo
Martin no longer carried out any public relations actions after Edward personally told him about the situation. Even the public relations department of the Arnoult Group completely stopped interfering in the matter, because the order had been issued directly under Ellena’s name.As a result, the storm that had been brewing online quickly grew out of control.For a period of time, Edward was pushed straight to the center of public opinion.The Internet was filled with voices discussing him.Every social media platform seemed flooded with comments related to him. New posts appeared every minute. Countless discussions emerged one after another. Some people analyzed his past actions. Others speculated about his current situation. Many had no understanding of the truth at all, yet they still participated enthusiastically, treating the matter as a source of entertainment.Many people joined in simply to watch the excitement. Those who had once not even dared to stand in front of Edward were
Edward looked at Ellena with an expressionless face. His gaze was calm and cold, without the slightest ripple of emotion. There was no anger, no joy, and no impatience in his eyes. It was as if her sharp words had never reached him at all.Ellena raised her head as well and met his gaze directly.She did not retreat.Her eyes were equally steady, equally stubborn. She refused to show weakness, refused to look away first. The air between them grew heavy, as if an invisible force was pressing down on the room.“Ellena,” Martin suddenly spoke, his voice tense.A thin layer of cold sweat had already formed on his back.Among everyone Martin knew, Ellena was the only person who dared to scold Edward like this. No one else would ever dare to speak to Edward in such a tone.No.It was not that others did not want to. It was that no one dared.The two of them continued to look at each other in silence. Seconds passed slowly, stretching endlessly. Finally, it was Edward who looked away first.H
Ellena heard Chloe’s words and could not help but smile faintly. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, though the heaviness in her heart did not completely fade.After she sat down, Martin handed the menu over to her with one hand. “Please order,” he said, his tone polite but his eyes still carrying traces of lingering irritation from earlier.Ellena took the menu, but she did not open it immediately. Her fingers paused against the smooth cover, and her expression slowly became complicated. After a brief silence, she said quietly, “I saw Edward.”The moment those words left her mouth, Martin’s posture changed.He immediately sat up straight, his eyes widening as he leaned forward. “Where is he?” he asked, his voice rising uncontrollably.Because he was too agitated, the movement was abrupt. The chair beneath him scraped harshly against the floor, producing an ear piercing sound that echoed briefly in the private room.Ellena glanced at him and continued calmly, “He came to see
Ellena reached out to the nanny Paul had introduced. The woman was a native of Herton City, living in the quiet outskirts.There was nothing ostentatious about her—no airs or pretense. Just a calm, homely simplicity in the way she spoke and carried herself.Despite everything
Martin was momentarily speechless after hearing what Ellena said.Her words struck with quiet finality.After a long pause, he finally replied, "But if Edward doesn't show up, someone has to take charge of the Arnoult Group."Ellena's eyes narrowed slightly, a determined glint flashing through her
Alyssaheard Nicholas's words and fell silent.Sampsonand Emmetthad a long history of grudges between them, but until now, Alyssastill didn't understand why Sampsonhated Emmettso much.He seemed to have a deep hatred for Emmett.However, no
Arthurnoticed the surprise in Alyssa's eyes when she saw him.He nodded slightlyand said,"Miss Moore."Arthurwas wearing a well-ironed suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked very serious."Mr. Arthur." Alyssanodded as a greeting and then said,&







