Mag-log in"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
Ellena's refusal didn’t end the reporter’s line of questioning. Instead, the man pressed forward boldly, as if emboldened by the silence that followed.“I think this is still related to the Arnoult Group, Miss Smith,” he insisted, voice rising slightly. “Now that the group is under your control, we just want to understand the reasons behind the transfer. Don’t the public and shareholders deserve to know?”A few gasps and murmurs followed among the crowd of reporters.Ellena’s expression didn’t waver. Her tone remained composed, but colder this time. “That is a personal matter,” she replied crisply. “Forgive me for not answering you.”The reporter opened his mouth again, but before he could utter another word, Paul stepped forward. With a subtle nod, he signaled to the staff on standby. Within moments, two security personnel made their way over and led the persistent reporter out of the room.This wasn’t an ordinary company. It was the Arnoult Group. Even with Edward’s disappearance, t
The next day at noon.After Ellena dressed up, she went to the restaurant Vincent chose.She specially set off in advance. When she arrived at the restaurant, Vincent had not come yet.Ellena first ordered herself a cup of coffee. After more than ten minutes, Vincent came.
"No." Edward's voice was deep and hoarse, cutting off Ellena's last hope mercilessly.Ellena had never been so desperate.She was so desperate that she wanted to die.Even if she felt despair towards Madeline, at least Madeline had never treated her sincerely. So she still wo
Ellena realized what Edward was going to do, and her heart was filled with panic."Edward, put me down!" A chill ran through her limbs and bones. She did not know that Edward was not in the hospital or going to the court but was waiting for her at her house. She did not know why he was sud
After sending Chloe off, only Ellena, Vincent and Spencer were left at the door of the court.Vincent said to Ellena, "I'll send you back. We can talk about something along the way."Ellena did not have any objections. She nodded and turned to leave.Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of somethin







