MasukChloe exchanged glances with Ellena and leaned towards Ellena.Nolan walked to the side of the bed and bent over to call, "Naomi."The person on the bed did not react.Nolan turned around and said to Ellena, "She is asleep."Then, he reached out and lifted Naomi's blanket. Naomi's face was revealed.Chloe who was at the side immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. Ellena's eyes also slightly changed.That was not a normal face. Her entire face was so thin that one could see the shape of bones. Her eye sockets were also deeply sunken. There was only a layer of skin on her cheekbones.It was already impossible to see Naomi's original appearance.Ellena walked two steps closer and at this moment Naomi, who originally had her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.Because Naomi was now too thin, her eyes appeared to be bigger and looked a little strange.Naomi seemed to have had a nightmare. Her eyes were as wide as
"Oh." She did not seem very concerned.Nolan was silent for a moment. He asked her, "Do you want to see Naomi?"Nolan knew what Naomi had done to Ellena, so when he asked this kind of question, he was still a little embarrassed.Ellena smiled, looking like she wanted to watch the fun, and said, "Okay."Nolan was stunned for a moment and nodded with an uneasy look on his face.It was eight o'clock in the evening when Ellena finished her last meeting.She returned to her office and there was a pile of documents on her desk.Ellena flipped through the documents and turned to Paul. "When do you think I can finish reading them?"Paul lowered his eyes. "President Smith, don't be discouraged. You can deal with as many as you can.""There's still no news of Edward, is there?" Ellena sighed and leaned against the back of the chair, unconsciously turning around.Paul shook his head. "No."
At exactly twelve noon, Ellena was still in her office, eyes slightly tired as she listened to Paul explain the documents stacked before her. He stood beside her desk, his tone calm but firm, analyzing each proposal with practiced clarity.“This one can pass directly,” Paul said, tapping a page with his pen. “It’s a renewal of a previous contract. Nothing has changed.”He flipped to the next. “This one is feasible but needs negotiation. The supplier raised their quote by eight percent. We can bring it down.”Another file. “This one, we should call back immediately. It’s reckless.”Ellena leaned her elbow on the desk, supporting her temple. She was listening, absorbing what she could, though her body ached with fatigue. She hadn’t had a proper meal all day. There was just too much to do, too much to process.After a moment of silence, she spoke up, almost absentmindedly. “Paul,
Paul was startled by Ellena’s words.He looked at her with a complicated expression. There was a flicker of surprise, then understanding, then something else. It was filled with respect, perhaps, or regret.“When Mr. Arnoult was still around,” Paul said quietly, “I once asked him this question too, about whether you could sell the company if it ever came to you. He told me... it was up to you.”Ellena turned her face slightly, brows raised in genuine surprise. She could not see her expression, but she could feel the disbelief, the faint irony curling at the edges of her mouth.She stared down at the documents, silent for a moment. Then she sneered, not at Paul but at the strange foresight Edward had always possessed. “He really did think of everything, didn’t he?”Paul didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced at his watch and smoothly changed the subject. “The meeting is about to start.”
The next morning, Ellena dressed in a crisp black suit and tied her hair into a low, elegant bun. Her face looked calm, composed but her heart was heavier than she let on.This was her first official visit to the Arnoult Group after the news of her takeover had gone public.Though she had been connected to the company in name through Edward for years, this was the first time she walked into its halls with true authority. With a title. With power. And with pressure.Paul arrived at her house right on time to escort her to the office.The moment the black car pulled into the underground parking lot, employees began to take notice. And when Ellena stepped out in heels, sharp lines, and an unreadable expression, their murmurs followed her like a low, curious wave.Some watched with blatant curiosity.Some with restrained skepticism.And some with open disdain.After all, in their eyes, Ellena had never truly belonged to this world of n
Ellena chuckled lightly, the corners of her lips curling up with a cool grace. “Previously, Madeline had been frantically looking for Naomi. I guess they’ve finally found her.”“Sure enough, I knew you’d guess it!” Chloe’s eyes lit up as she clapped her hands in excitement. “I had the same feeling too. I mean, who else would make the Smiths go in and out of a hospital so often? It's not like they’re known for compassion.”“I know the Smith family well enough,” she continued. “They don’t care about people without a reason. The only ones they’d be so cautious about are either deeply tied to them… or Naomi herself.”Ellena’s expression darkened slightly as memories she would rather forget came rushing back. She had long seen through the veneer the Smiths used to disguise their hypocrisy. Their affection was always transactional, calculated.“The
The air-conditioners in the airport made the indoor temperature very cool. Edward was dressed in black, and he looked cold and lonely.Martin walked towards him.When he arrived in front of Edward, he tilted his head and met Edward's eyes. He raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Why are you
"Wait a minute!"Lorenzo became anxious when he saw Ellena was really leaving.He immediately stood up and stopped Ellena. "I know that you have already cut off ties with the Smith family. Although you have given birth to a daughter for Edward, he will not care about your matters. Regardless of whet
After the reporters were chased away, Ellena and Chloe entered the room.Elaine obediently sat on the sofa and waited for Ellena.When she saw Ellena come in, she called out, "Mommy.""Ella.” Chloe walked over and picked Elaine up to tease her.Ellena went to the side to pour water for Chloe and Ch
“Ah?”Paul stared at Edward in disbelief, thinking he had misheard him. Did Edward just say... reporters?He blinked hard, trying to process the words that had left Edward’s mouth.Why was Edward going to ask reporters to block Ellena’s door?Edward’s face remained cold and unreadable. His jaw tig







