LOGINEllena 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
Elaine curled her lips slightly, a faint expression of contemplation crossing her small face."Alright," she said softly.She lowered her head and took a deliberate bite of the meat on her plate. The warmth of the kitchen, the sound of her small chewing, and the quiet atmosphere wrapped around them like a fragile cocoon. Then she looked up at Ellena with surprising seriousness."When school starts, I will be very busy, too."Ellena smiled faintly, her tone gentle yet affectionate. "Yes, my little Ella is also a busy person."Elaine’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and she chuckled softly, her joy infectious. Ellena watched her for a moment, the warmth of motherhood settling quietly in her chest. Yet her own appetite was gone. She barely touched her meal, her attention constantly drifting toward the entrance of her home.But no one came. The door remained still, the hallway silent.She kept glancing up, her thoughts restless, but the minutes slipped by unnoticed. By the time she and Ela
"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
Edward narrowed his eyes and looked at Paul with a cold expression. However, his hands did not slow down at all. He gently closed Ellena's door and spoke slowly."Special Assistant Paul's abilities have improved. He even knows how to follow me." Edward looked at Paul with a smile that was not a smile
After Ellena heard the conversation between Edward and Jasmine, she lowered her eyes and sneered. When she raised her head again, she pretended not to know anything and directly walked past them. She did not stop for a moment. Jasmine only saw Ellena at this time. She was shocked and subconsciously







