Harvey's once-handsome face darkened, and his furrowed brows cast a shadow over his expression."Have the maids cook it for you!"His son was being completely unreasonable.Beau's sudden change in attitude toward Elara was one thing, but why was he the one being tormented by it? Harvey had no patience to waste on such matters."I want Mommy's soup! She has to make it herself! Wah!" Beau wailed stubbornly over the phone.His whimpering sent piercing stabs through Harvey's ears, like thousands of tiny needles jabbing at his eardrums."Then how about I chop off her hands and use them to cook it for you?" he snapped in frustration.Beau's face turned pale with fright. "Daddy! How can you say that? I want Mommy…""Don't let me hear you say the word 'Mommy' again!"Harvey ended the call without hesitation. His chest heaved violently, and each breath he took felt like it was tearing at his heart.His blood boiled in the heat of his rage, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged
Harvey had long forgotten where he had placed that scarf. But he remembered Elara once telling him that she had designed the pattern herself.A scarf with a custom design that couldn't be bought in stores—it had to be handmade by Elara!Harvey first searched through their household purchase records and found that Elara had bought a large quantity of yarn.A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips. This confirmed it—the scarf was definitely hand-knitted by Elara. Then, his gaze froze on another item in the same order: an automatic knitting machine…That thing… She must have bought it to knit scarves, gloves, and hats for the kids, right?Elara had made so many things for the children—there was no way she could have done it all by hand.Harvey quickly pulled up the surveillance footage and found the moment Elara was using that very machine. She even thought the machine was too slow and modified it with a power drill.Ten minutes later, a perfectly knitted scarf slid out from the machin
Harvey rewound the surveillance footage, setting it back to seven years ago. In their first year of marriage, Elara always cooked for him herself.She would sit in the dining room, waiting by the table for him to come home. She personally took care of his clothes, carefully selecting his ties and cufflinks.Harvey watched as, on one particular night, she stood beside the trash can for a long time. Her head was lowered as she threw away the meal she had prepared for him—because he never came home to eat.So, love really could be worn down to nothing in a short amount of time. She could have left the Fisher family much earlier, yet she still chose to bear his children.Leonard's voice echoed in his mind, "She spent seven years in the Fisher family for a much greater goal."What was the greater goal? Harvey had a vague idea, but he refused to acknowledge it.He pulled out Niamh's old phone and pressed play on a recorded audio file."Niamh, where's my sister-in-law? I can't find her
"I regret driving you away. I want to eat the soup you used to make for me, and the lactose-free cakes you baked…"Beau bit down on his lower lip, limping as he made his way toward the stray cats.He shooed them away, grabbed the disposable plastic bowl from the ground, and scooped up the noodles with his hands before shoving them into his mouth.The soup had gone cold, but at last, the taste of his mother's cooking returned to his lips. Tears streamed down Beau's face as he ate.The stray cats hissed at him angrily, some even lunging at his legs, trying to reclaim their stolen meal."Beau! What the hell are you doing?"Harvey strode toward him. His voice was sharp with disbelief. Beau turned his head to look at him.His son's tear-streaked face was covered in ripped apart soft noodles."Are you out of your mind? You're even stealing food from stray cats?"Harvey had seen with his own eyes how Beau had snatched the plastic bowl away. At first, he assumed his son was just plann
For a brief moment, Elara felt herself slipping into a daze. Disjointed images surfaced in her mind—memories she thought she had long buried.It was now unearthed as if by a ruthless spade, bringing with it the sickening stench of decay.She had always known that Daphne had sold her. Her first foster parents never bothered to hide the truth when they beat and berated her.After getting pregnant, Daphne had staged a dramatic escape. She gave birth to a baby girl at a small-town hospital but spent her days sighing in despair.A female nurse, noticing her distress, had asked what was wrong.Daphne had confided in her, explaining that her relationship with Abel had been met with fierce opposition from his family.She had pinned all her hopes on giving birth to a son, believing that a male heir would secure her place in the Jones family. But now, with a daughter in her arms, the thought of having to struggle against the Jones family for years to come brought her to tears.Struck by a
Gianna immediately grabbed Elara by the chin and forcibly turned her face toward Gabriel."Your son has a crippled old man who collects junk for a father—he's never going to find a wife! You might as well buy her and make her his bride. I'll sell her for three thousand bucks!"She held up three fingers.Gabriel's lips trembled at his. He didn't have that kind of money, and he glanced at Elara somewhat helplessly.Seeing he couldn't afford it, Gianna cursed under her breath and told him to get lost.Gabriel simply took Finnegan's hand, and the two of them left. At that moment, Finnegan's expression was cold and unreadable.Elara remained with the Sacco family for another three months. At some point, the police came by, recorded the household's information, and left.She couldn't remember exactly which day it was, but she recalled curling up beside the kitchen sink, burning with a fever so high that she stopped reacting to the beatings and insults. It was as if her body no longer
Elara asked her, "What do I get out of working with you?"Priscilla smiled and handed her an iPad. "I have a project you can invest in. You provide the technology, I provide the funding, and we split the profits evenly."If you're smart, Ms. Jones, you won't let this opportunity slip away."Elara carefully reviewed the project details and was surprised.It just so happened that she had been researching a similar concept. However, she had put her ideas on hold because, even if she perfected the technology, she lacked a complete system to bring it to market.The project Priscilla was offering was backed by the Capitol government, with Fisher Corp providing new technology for the front-end implementation.Priscilla had already invested a significant amount of money into it. If she was now offering it up for collaboration, it was either a bluff or her technical team had hit a wall.Considering Priscilla knew she had studied under Leonard, it was highly likely she wanted access to Le
"Ah!" Harold let out a pained cry as Elara yanked her arm free from his grip and stepped back."Elara, it's me!" Harold clutched the side of his face, which was already swelling from the blow.Elara concealed the disdain in her eyes and said coolly, "Oh, it's you, Dr. Judd. I thought I was being attacked by some thug."Beside Harold stood a foreigner, who froze for a moment upon seeing Elara's face.Harold rubbed his bruised cheek, grimacing. "A place like The Mirage wouldn't have thugs roaming around. I just wanted to ask—what are you doing here?"Elara turned the question back on him. "What about you? What are you doing here?"Harold glanced at the man beside him before smiling. "I'm here for a business engagement."The foreigner simply nodded at Elara in greeting, and she responded with the same courtesy before turning to Harold. "Well, I'll be on my way then."She made a move to leave, but Harold quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her path."Elara, I've been trying
Theodore was truly a frightening man! Yet Elara didn't find this off-putting.Wasn't this exactly the sort of thing he would do? She had sensed this man's calculated advances from the moment he began appearing frequently in her life.Soon, Cassie left, and Elara sat in her office chair, moving back slightly."You can come out now," she commanded.Her voice had regained its composure. "You should have recovered by now, right, Mr. Snapp?"Theodore emerged from under the desk, which had been relatively cramped for someone of his size. He blinked at her, his eyes brimming with amusement as he asked, "Was that fun?""I almost fell for you," Elara blurted out, her voice carrying a more teasing tone.The man looked slightly disappointed. "So, you didn't fall for me after all?"Persistent, he leaned forward and lowered his voice to ask, "Did it feel good when you touched me earlier?"Elara's bright eyes sparkled with light as she had to admit, "I didn't expect you'd feel so nice to to
If one word could describe Theodore, it would be "insatiable!"The spasms emanating from Elara's abdomen made her aware of the unusual sensations in her body. In the warm early summer afternoon, even the air in the office seemed to grow heavy and humid.She felt as if an electric current had struck her, sending a tingling sensation up from the base of her spine. Her lips parted slightly, and she couldn't help but feel an intense curiosity about Theodore."Why would someone like you be interested in someone like me?" Elara's voice fell from above him."Hmm? Someone like me? What kind of person am I?"Theodore looked up at her with an expression that seemed completely vulnerable, as if offering himself to be commanded by her.Seated in her office chair, Elara lowered her gaze. As she looked down at this man, a strange and subtle thrill arose in her chest.She finally understood what it meant to gaze down from a position of power. It felt as though butterflies were dancing wildly i
Harvey was annoyed by Ethel's interference in his love life. Elara's decision to divorce him undoubtedly had something to do with Ethel's meddling."I recall that Uncle Leonard has been looking after the Shelton family. Didn't the Sheltons' daughter go abroad to study with Uncle Leonard's letter of recommendation?" Harvey asked."That's ancient history," Ethel replied. "I hear she has done quite well for herself in Melcina. She's returned and taken a position at Quantum Tech under Price Nation."Harvey was about to leave, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard a certain phrase from Ethel."What position does Ms. Shelton hold at Quantum Tech?"Ethel was delighted—Harvey was showing interest in Angie.She described enthusiastically, "I heard she's highly regarded by Priscilla. Since she's joined Quantum Tech, she must be in a top position.""Isn't Elara the one in charge?" Harvey thought. He quickly realized this meant Elara's position at Quantum Tech wasn't secure.Harvey re
Perhaps it was because he had spent recent days shoveling manure for fertilizer, cleaning pigpens, and herding cattle and sheep, but Harvey's germaphobia seemed to have been cured.He crouched down and began searching through the pile of garbage.Seeing Beau standing idly nearby, he sternly commanded, "What are you standing around for? Help me look! If we don't find the stethoscope, you won't be eating dinner!"Beau finally understood the gravity of the situation. With fear and trepidation in his heart, he looked at the garbage scattered on the ground with a miserable expression."Daddy, can I at least have a pair of gloves?""Look!" Harvey roared. "If we don't find it, I'll throw you in the trash can!"For the first time, he had completely lost patience with his son. Flames seemed to shoot from his eyes, and the features of his face were tense and sharp.Beau trembled, held his breath, and crouched down. With a disgusted expression, he began searching through the garbage while
Harvey froze in shock. He pulled back the covers, finding nothing on the bed. He spun around and darted out of his room, leaving a sharp, cold breeze in his wake.Outside his room stood a bodyguard assigned by Leonard. Harvey then grabbed the bodyguard by the collar."Where's my stethoscope? Who told you to touch my stethoscope?" he demanded.The bodyguard was bewildered. He gripped Harvey's hand in displeasure. "Mr. Fisher, please calm down. I don't know what you're talking about."Hostility flashed in Harvey's eyes as he breathed heavily and questioned, "My stethoscope that I put under my pillow—who took it?"The bodyguard thought for a moment. "I did see Mr. Beau playing with a stethoscope this morning. I'm not sure where he got it from."Harvey's pupils constricted sharply. Beau had entered his room and taken his stethoscope?That little brat!Beau, dressed in a gray monk's robe, was surrounded by visitors who had come to the chapel to pray. These past few days, he had been
This time, Harvey very clearly saw Elara's face deepen from a light pink to a rich, blooming rose—visibly, and in real time.Her beauty blossomed like a peony in full bloom. Her long lashes trembled several times, and her dark eyes shimmered as if brimming with tears.She looked as if… She was lovestruck. The moment that phrase crossed Harvey's mind, he was so stunned that his eyes widened in disbelief.Was Elara suddenly getting shy because of him?A strange flutter rippled through his chest. He sat at his desk, staring at the high-definition monitor in front of him, where every detail of Elara's face—even each individual eyelash—was crystal clear.He shifted his gaze to the upper-left corner of the screen to glance at the small preview of himself.After Leonard had driven him up to the mountains, the priest at Atkina Church had given him a haircut. Since he was neither a monk nor formally ordained, it was just a close-cropped cut, not a full shaving of the head.He looked at h
Theodore's eyes gleamed like sunlight shimmering over a lake. He looked like a large dog trapped in a cage, gazing at Elara with unwavering intensity. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly like a windmill spinning at full speed.Elara screamed internally. This had gone a little too far! Her eyes then dropped to the tip of her own shoe. The place she had kicked… had grown!"Oh!" She quickly jerked her foot back, only to feel her body tip backward uncontrollably.Just as she was about to fall, Theodore reached out and grabbed her ankle.The moment his fingers touched her skin, her heart skipped a beat. Theodore pulled her back toward the desk.Elara froze in place like a statue. Her entire body was tense, her eyes were wide, and her pupils were unfocused."Elara, what's wrong?"Harvey had seen her suddenly lose her balance and fall backward. It startled him so badly, he looked as if he wanted to jump through the screen.A wave of helplessness washed over him. Luckil
Elara looked under the desk. What on earth was going on?Meanwhile, Harvey observed Elara in her formal women's suit on the computer screen—an attire he'd never seen her wear before.Her hair was pulled back into a bun secured by a simple ebony hairpin. A few strands, gilded by sunlight, curled against her porcelain cheeks.Though she appeared to be looking down at something, Harvey's gaze and thoughts remained completely captivated by her face. Only months had passed since their divorce, yet seeing her now felt like encountering someone from another lifetime.Had time stretched endlessly during his days at Atkina Church?"El—" Harvey's throat tightened as if stuffed with paper.But he quickly regained his usual composed tone. "Elara—no, I should address you as Ms. Jones now. Had Sam not called me, I wouldn't have known you'd assumed Quantum Tech's CEO position."His voice carried that innate condescension of the privileged, laced with unmistakable mockery."Why are you hiding
Elara stood still as she gazed at the tall, distinguished man before her. Meanwhile, Theodore looked up and smiled at her against the light."Why are you so far away?"Elara stepped toward him, teasing lightly, "I wanted a good look at you.""Then you'll need to come closer." Theodore leaned forward, closing the distance between them.Though she stopped a step away, their faces nearly touched. Elara instinctively held her breath as her eyes locked on him."Can you see clearly now?" Theodore asked."Mm," Elara replied."And?""So handsome." Elara praised him sincerely. "You're one of the most attractive men I've ever seen!"She truly meant it. Theodore chuckled through his nose. She'd seen plenty of handsome men in her life—Finnegan, Harvey, and Leonard. Especially Leonard, whose looks even made Theodore feel somewhat threatened."My face is the least remarkable part of me." He declared confidently.Images of those shirtless photos Theodore had sent flashed through Elara's mi