LOGINEllena did not say anything else.
The exhaustion she had felt moments earlier still lingered in her chest, making her unwilling to continue the conversation. No matter what she said, Edward would simply stand there quietly and listen. No matter how much sarcasm she threw at him, he would not argue back.
That kind of reaction made her feel strangely powerless.
She walked forward and opened the car door, her movements calm but slightly stiff. Edward followed closely behind
Madelinelooked 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
“Edward!" Ellena was forcefully dragged out Edward. After a few seconds, she came to herself and began to struggle. Edward did not care about her strength at all. He pulled her hand without any explanation and was about to drag her out the door. Ellena could not shake
Ellena took half a step back and said with a cold expression. "Thanks for your concern. His injuries are almost healed." Naomi laughed but her words were full of provocation, "Then you really have to thank me. At that time, it was just cut the brake line." Ellena clenched her hands
Edward frowned and called out her name, "Ellena." Ellena interrupted him and looked into his eyes. She said seriously, "Edward, I know you better than you think." "You have no feelings for me or Elaine now. You are trying to accept us. This is good enough. Don't be too anxious. Come step by step." E
She remembered the plot structure of the 'Lost City', but there were some details that she could not remember very clearly. Now that she wanted to write the second part, she had to restudy the contents of the first part. For the entire afternoon, Ellena had been holding her tablet and watching "Lost







