LOGINEllena only raised her eyes to glance at Madeline and 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
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
Paul stood by the door, his hand lingering on the handle. When Ellena finished speaking, he looked momentarily startled, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he quickly composed himself. He offered a small, respectful smile and a brief nod of acknowledgment. "I'll take care of it then, Miss Ellena," he said quietly before stepping out and closing the heavy door behind him with a soft click.The office grew quiet once more. Ellena took a deep breath, trying to shake off the remnants of the conversation she’d had at lunch with Chloe and Martin. She didn't want to carry that heavy, gloomy energy into the lounge where her daughter was resting. Pushing open the door to the inner room, she found the space bathed in the soft, golden light of the early afternoon.Elaine was still tucked under the blankets, a tiny, motionless mound on the oversized sofa. Ellena approached quietly. Elaine was a stickler for routine; she ate her meals with the precision of a clock, and it was already w
Even after Ellena sent the message, she still couldn't be at ease. All she could do was sit back and stare at her screen from time to time, awaiting his reply. Her finger refreshed the screen a few times in the last hour.What's wrong with her? She ran her fingers down her hair irritably as she place
Ellena took a deep breath and walked into the room, making sure to leave the door slightly open behind her. An innocent smile slipped into her lips. "Manager Black is discharged so quickly. I was just about to visit you in the hospital." Dawson Black was his full name. He had a wife and a daughter.
Naomi and Madeline were already assuming that she was having or had an affair with “Nicklaus”. If they saw him coming down the street to pick her up now, then they would surely misunderstand her situation even more. Ellena frowned, feeling as if she was coming down with a headache. This was just too
Ellena stared at the coffee stains on his buttoned up shirt and raised an eyebrow. She said sarcastically, "You can't even hold a cup of coffee properly. They say that if something's wrong with your hand coordination, your kidney isn't good. Think they could say the same for you?" Edward pur







