MasukPaulglanced at Ellenaand did not say anything else. He picked up the thick stack of documents from the desk, held them firmly in his arms, and turned around to leave. His footsteps were steady, and the door closed quietly behind him.The office returned to silence.Ellenasat alone in front of the desk. Her gaze lingered on the documents for a moment before she slowly reached out and took out Edward’s pen from the drawer. The pen rested in her palm, cool and familiar, as if it carried memories that refused to fade.She had received many pens like this when she was young. Back then, they were nothing more than ordinary writing tools, casually given and easily forgotten. She never imagined that one particular pen would quietly bind her fate to someone else. It became the beginning of everything, the invisible thread that tied her life to Edward’s.She lowered her eyes, staring at the pen, her fingers unconsciously tightening aro
Ellena closed the door softly behind her and returned to her room.The click of the latch echoed faintly in the quiet corridor, sounding much louder than it should have. She paused for a moment, standing still, as if listening for something like footsteps, a voice, or even her own heartbeat. Nothing followed. The villa was silent, calm to the point of oppression.As if remembering something all of a sudden, Ellena walked toward the window. She pushed the curtain aside and looked out.The floor she lived on was high, and night had already fallen. The lights of the city below were scattered like distant stars, blurred and indistinct. Cars moved silently far below, their headlights forming thin, flowing lines. No matter how hard she tried to focus, she could not see anything clearly, nor could she find what she was subconsciously looking for.After a while, Ellena closed the window and let the curtain fall back into place.She returned to her bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling. Sle
Ellena could feel the subtle changes in Edward’s body.The shift was slight, almost imperceptible, but because she was trapped so close to him, she noticed it instantly. The warmth surrounding her seemed to intensify, carrying a pressure that made her entire body tense unconsciously.A faint shiver ran down her spine. For a brief moment, she froze completely.Her breathing caught in her throat, and her fingers curled tightly against her palms.Edward lowered his head slightly, his breath brushing lightly against the side of her face. His voice came softly, low and restrained, but carrying an unsettling certainty that made her heartbeat grow chaotic.“If you don’t want to do it, don’t move.”The meaning behind his words made Ellena’s face burn instantly.Her eyes widened slightly before anger quickly replaced the brief moment of panic. She gritted her teeth hard.“Edward, don’t for
Ellena didn’t want to talk to Edward. She really didn’t know what to do with him anymore. Every time she thought she had finally understood him, he would do something that left her completely confused again. It was exhausting trying to guess what was in his mind.The truth was, she knew she wasn’t a match for him in terms of schemes. Edward was always calm, always composed, always three steps ahead of everyone else. He could hide his thoughts so deeply that no one could read him unless he wanted them to. Even after all the years they had spent together, Ellena still could not confidently say she truly understood him.She was not like him.Her emotions had always been easier to see. When she was angry, she became cold. When she was hurt, she became silent. She could never pretend as perfectly as Edward could.And right now, she was angry.Not just angry, but frustrated. Frustrated that he stood there acting so calm, as if nothing h
After Ellena said so much, Edward’s expression remained unreadable. His face was calm, almost detached, as if he were a passerby observing something distant and unrelated to him. There was no flicker of anger, no trace of guilt. That coldness, paradoxically, made Ellena’s anger ebb.Instead of losing her temper, she felt her breath steady. Her chest rose and fell calmly as she gathered her composure. A faint, almost mocking smile curled at her lips.“What a pity,” she said softly. “If you really died in that car accident, I could have taken your money to take care of other men. I could be with whoever I wanted.”For the first time that night, a crack appeared on Edward’s otherwise unshaken face. It was subtle, but enough for Ellena to notice. She leaned into her newfound calm, letting her smile deepen slightly.“You left the entire Arnoult Group to me. You must want me to live a happy life,” she
Ellena was still brooding over what Edward had done. Her mind churned with countless unspoken words, memories, and betrayals, and it made it impossible for her to speak to him calmly.She stared at him for a long moment, as though searching for answers in the depths of his expression. Then, without a word, she turned away and walked to the other side of the sofa. She sat down slowly, crossing her arms and legs with a deliberate air of self-restraint. Her gaze fixed on him, expressionless, almost unreadable.The bedroom was not small, but in that instant it felt crowded. The space between them seemed to shrink, charged with unspoken tension. They were not just in a room together, they were in a silence heavy with the weight of everything unsaid.For a long moment, neither spoke. They looked at each other, eyes locked in an unbroken exchange of thought, resentment, and something deeper. Ellena waited for him to speak, but Edward only stared back, serious and unbli
Both men were breathing heavily.Edward's big palm was on her tightly clenched hand. He gently pulled it back and easily held her hand in his. His tone was unbelievably gentle. "Will you marry me?""Yes." Ellena was only half rational at this moment. She completely responded subconsciously.In the next
Ellena's tone was not very cold, but when Chloe heard her words, she could not help but shiver. Chloe held Ellena's arm and leaned against her body like she did not have bones, "Ellena, you have been living together with big boss for a long time and when you talk, you are almost as scary as him." El
Edward's eyes, which were as dark as ink, were even darker. He looked at Spencer with disdain. "If I don't have a good opinion of my people, do I have to give her to someone else?" Spencer was stunned for a moment. Then he smiled and said, "Mr. Arnoult, what you said makes sense. If there is nothing
Ellena came back to her senses and just happened to hear Spencer's words. She looked at Chloe and then at Spencer and asked, "What are you guys talking about?" Spencer smiled and said, "Just now Miss Chloe asked me. Can I see what this person is thinking from the actions and expressions of others?"







