LOGINEveryone in the office looked at each other.No one spoke immediately. The atmosphere in the meeting room turned subtle and tense.The silence stretched for several seconds. Although no one dared to question Ellenaopenly, the surprise on everyone's faces was impossible to hide. Some quietly exchanged glances, while others lowered their eyes to the documents in front of them, trying to conceal their thoughts.Although the Smithfamily only owned a small company, they were still fairly well-known in Herton City. Much of that attention had originally come from their engagement with the Arnoultfamily. Back then, the connection alone was enough to place them in the public eye.The marriage alliance between the two families had attracted considerable attention from both the business community and the media. Even people who had never paid attention to the SmithGroup had heard of its name because of its relationship with the Arnoultfa
Ellena's eyes were filled with a frightening warning.There was no need for her to raise her voice or show anger. The coldness in her gaze alone was enough to make the atmosphere tense.Her eyes were like a layer of frost, calm yet piercing. They carried neither hesitation nor pity, only an unmistakable warning. Anyone who met that gaze would instinctively feel an invisible pressure settling over them.Madelinewas stunned for a moment.She had not expected Ellenato look at her that way. For an instant, she seemed shaken. But very quickly, she recovered herself. The hesitation on her face disappeared and was replaced by stubborn hostility.Her fingers unconsciously tightened into fists beneath the table. She straightened her back as though doing so would restore the confidence that had been shaken by Ellena's words.She narrowed her eyes and said sharply, "Spencerdealt with Naomi, is it not because of you? If it wasn't becau
Ellenaonly raised her eyes to glance at Madelineand said a name indifferently, "Spencer."The single word was enough to change Madeline's expression.The pride that had been on her face a moment ago immediately showed a crack. Her fingers tightened around the coffee cup, and for an instant she did not know how to respond.The smile lingering on her lips stiffened before gradually disappearing. She instinctively lowered her gaze, trying to hide the sudden panic that flashed across her face. Although it lasted only a moment, Ellenacaught every subtle change in her expression.Ellenahad guessed from the beginning that the person who spread the news about Elainewas Spencer. There had never been many people who knew enough to use that matter against her. Spencerwas the most likely person.After all, Elaine's existence had always been carefully concealed. Very few people knew the truth, and even fewer possessed both th
There was no news on the Internet yet, but the people around Ellena already knew about Elaine's existence.The matter had spread quickly, yet nothing had appeared publicly online. That alone made Ellena feel that it was deliberate. Someone had chosen to let the information circulate only among people connected to her. It was not meant to create a public scandal yet. It was meant to reach her directly.That kind of method was far more unsettling than simply exposing everything to the public. It showed restraint. It showed calculation. Whoever was behind it knew exactly what they were doing. They were carefully controlling the pace, making sure the rumors reached the people Ellena knew before the outside world caught wind of them. It was as though an invisible hand was tightening around her, waiting for her to react before making the next move.Was this a warning?The thought flashed through her mind almost instinctively.As soon as that thought appeared in her mind, Ellena's phone lit u
Apart from Marilyn, only Spencer was left.Ellena was not surprised that Spencer would do such a thing. She had already expected it in her heart. It was only that she needed to confirm it again for herself. Some people never really changed, no matter how much time passed. Spencer was one of those people.After all, Spencer had used Elaine before. He had treated an innocent child as a tool to reach his own goals. He almost had Elaine… burned to death.When Ellena thought of this, her expression stiffened slightly. The memory was enough to make her chest tighten. She secretly clenched her teeth and forced herself to stay calm. There was no point letting anger show on her face now. What mattered was protecting Elaine and making sure such a thing would never happen again."Mommy, I'm full."Elaine's clear voice pulled Ellena back from her thoughts.She came back to her senses at once. The coldness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by warmth. She smiled at Elaine and said gently, "Come ove
The messages continued to flood in, a relentless tide of digital noise that made it impossible for Ellena to focus on any single conversation. Names she hadn’t thought of in years blinked onto her screen.The sheer volume was overwhelming. She scrolled rapidly, her thumb a blur, but she couldn't find a single familiar face in the sea of notifications.She gave up on the inbox and tapped directly into her contact list, her eyes searching for one name she could trust implicitly: Chloe.If the world was burning, Chloe would be the first to tell her exactly which way the wind was blowing.She tapped on Chloe’s name and saw that a message had arrived only two minutes ago. Ellena clicked it, her eyes racing across the text.Chloe: "Ellena, words are circling around that you and Edward have a daughter. This news has spread throughout the entire Holston City. I think someone deliberately released this news."Chloe: "I'm going to be on the show soon. It's not convenient for me to call you. Giv
Natalie said with a surprised expression, "Doesn't he know Edward? He is actually trying to fight with Edward!"Ellena's tone was slightly heavy, "He knows Edward."Earlier, when she came out of the bathroom, Jasmine was looking for trouble with her, Vincent even mentioned Edward.Even if Vincent did n
Ellena did not say anything else, but it served her well to say, "Mr. Reed helped me. I am grateful."Vincent was really interested in her. He would not let go of any chance."If Miss Smith is really grateful to me, why don't we have a drink together after the party ends today?" Vincent's voice was ve
"If there's a chance, I hope Miss Smith can drink and chat with me." Vincent raised his glass and said, "I have something to do. Excuse me."Ellena smiled and said, "See you."Vincent took a sip of wine and looked deeply at Ellena before he left with a smile. Not long after he left, he turned back and
However, when Natalie entered the room and saw the empty wine bottle on the floor, she could not help but exclaim in surprise, "You've drunk the whole bottle?""Yes." Ellena nodded and pointed at the dark red stain on the carpet and said to Natalie, "No, I spilled some."Compared to the whole bottle o







