MasukMadelinelooked at Nolanand said with an ugly expression, "Nolan, you..."Her lips trembled slightly from anger. She had never expected Nolanto speak to her in such a mocking and merciless tone. Although Nolanhad never been particularly respectful toward her and usually ignored her existence in the Smithfamily, she was still an elder after all. No matter what mistakes she had made, being ridiculed like this in front of everyone still made her unable to endure it.Her face alternated between red and pale. She wanted to refute him, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. Never before had Nolanhumiliated her so openly.Madeline's chest rose and fell violently. She turned her head to look at Ralphinstinctively, hoping that he would help her say a few words.For so many years, whenever disagreements arose within the family, Ralphhad usually stood on her side, especially after Jaydenand Naomi's deaths. S
Madeline's heart skipped a beat.The moment Nolanquestioned her so directly, panic surged through her chest. It was so sudden that even her breathing became uneven for an instant.When Nolanquestioned her so directly, guilt rose in her chest at once.She had thought no one knew about her meeting with Ellena. She had never expected Nolanto ask about it the moment he returned.She instinctively reached out and tucked the hair by her ear, trying to appear calm. But the smile on her face was stiff and unnatural.The small movement, which usually looked graceful, now only made her nervousness more obvious."I didn't do anything," she said quickly. "I just went out shopping."Her reply came almost too fast, as though she had already prepared the excuse beforehand."Nolan, what's wrong with you today?" Ralphfrowned and spoke sternly. "Instead of staying at the company to deal with business, you come back only t
Madelineheard Ralph's words and slowly nodded. Her expression was lowered, and there was something faintly frightening in the way she spoke.Her eyes remained lowered, hiding the emotions within them. Her voice was soft and gentle, yet for some reason, it carried an indescribable chill."Please take the medicine first."She picked up the medicine from the table and handed it to Ralphas though nothing unusual had happened.Ralphwas still full of anger, but he did not continue arguing. He took the medicine she handed him and sat back down. The room gradually became quiet.The only sounds left were the faint clinking of the glass and Ralphswallowing the medicine with water. The tense atmosphere settled into an uneasy silence.Not long after, Nolanreturned.The front door opened, and hurried footsteps echoed through the living room.The moment he entered the room, his eyes went directly to Madeline.
Although Nolanfelt uncertain, he still asked softly, "Why are you so nervous?"Even though he had already sensed that something serious had happened, he forced himself to remain calm. Years of managing the company had taught him that panic never solved problems.The person on the other end of the phone sounded flustered and hurried."The contracts we signed before, they all called to terminate the cooperation. Not only that..."The employee's breathing was uneven, as though he had been answering phone calls without a break since morning.The employee continued speaking rapidly, reporting one matter after another.Every new piece of news was worse than the last. One long-term partner after another had either suspended cooperation or expressed the intention to withdraw. Several ongoing projects had also been affected, leaving the entire company in chaos.Nolan's expression gradually changed as he listened. By the time he heard the
Everyone 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
Ellena scanned the comments and found that most of them were about the second part of the Lost City.There were also some comments that were immediately refuted by others when they came out.Ellena turned off her phone and cleaned up the tableware. She planned to call Edward later and ask about Elaine
Although Elaine's words were intermittent, Edward was surprisingly able to understand the meaning of her words.Elaine wanted the family of three to be together, but her ability to express herself was limited. So what she said was somewhat incoherent.Edward said, "Why don't I let her come? It was she
Ellena returned to the kitchen and poked her head out to look at the father and daughter outside.Seeing that Edward still did not move, Elaine pointed in the direction of the kitchen and urged him. "Daddy, quickly go."Edward's face was tense, as he stood up expressionlessly and walked towards the ki
Camilla suddenly lost control of her emotions and her expression became somewhat ferocious, "Get out immediately! Get out!"In Ellena's memories, Camilla was a person who paid attention to her image. She was a very calm woman who would not lose her composure in front of others.But the current Camilla







