A small whirlwind swept past Lesley as Theodore went ahead and dashed forward. A vein bulged on Harvey's temple upon seeing Theodore suddenly pull six and a half feet before them. Just as he wanted to yell at her, Lesley yelled, "Elara!"She raised her arm high and waved at Elara.Elara looked up at her, her bright eyes curving as she smiled. When Theodore noticed that Elara only had eyes for Lesley, his steps faltered.At that moment, Lesley overtook him, jogging toward Elara. She yelled, "Make way! Everyone make way!"Harvey suddenly appeared with a wheelchair. On it sat Beau. He used the wheelchair to block Theodore's path and even tried to ram into Lesley with it.Theodore stood in the aisle, blocking Harvey's way."This aisle is too small. How could you possibly push a wheelchair through? Take your son and sit at the side."Harvey's face darkened. "Sit at the side? My son won't be able to see the stage! I want to sit with him in the center!"With that, Harvey picked
Harvey knitted his brows together tightly. "Beau is your son. How can you be so cold-blooded that you won't even hold him?"Elara retorted, "Do you still remember how you responded when I told you that Beau didn't want to be close to me?"Harvey froze in place. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes.A cold, faint chuckle escaped Elara's throat. It seemed he had long forgotten. The ever-busy president of Fisher Corp had never truly regarded his own family as something that mattered."You said that a son shouldn't rely on his mother, especially since Beau is the heir of Fisher Corp. Instead, I should restrain my emotions and make myself his teacher, not his mother! "I once told you that Ethel always spoke ill of me in front of our son. You said it was the truth, so it wasn't bad-mouthing. You said your mother wasn't wrong, that I was just a country girl with knowledge. "You also said I was extremely lucky to have married into the Fisher family. Otherwise, even if your family
Beau was teary-eyed as he shrank back, showing a timid expression."The final performance of this year's gala is a tap dance piece, Spring Awakens, performed by a student from the preschool division's Class 1B—Merida Jones."Elara heard the announcer introduce Merida's performance. She and Xavier immediately sat up straight. The crimson curtain was drawn open, revealing Finnegan as the first to step into the audience's view. He was too eye-catching. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore black trousers and a black vest, which was left unbuttoned, exposing his tanned chest. The stage lights spilled over his muscles, contouring them.The parents who had been sleepily sitting in the auditorium inadvertently glanced at the stage. Their gazes were fixed in place. They all gasped.Finnegan struck the drum. The audience's eyes were fixed on the lines of Finnegan's arms and pectoral muscles.Many audience members pulled out their phones to record the scene of Finnegan drumming."Wow! Whose
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Rosalie asked. She then shoved Harold's shoulder, displeased.She then added unhappily, "How can you side with outsiders instead of rooting for your daughter?"Harold pursed his lips and quickly changed his tune to appease Rosalie. "Paisley could probably win first place. Besides the judges' scores, there's also the audience votes. Paisley's performance had the most people present watching." Rosalie raised her chin proudly. "Paisley will definitely win first place!"She had already spoken to several parents in advance. From what she knew, more than half of the parents had already voted for Paisley.Elara looked down. She then took a pen and placed a check mark next to the title of Merida's performance. Xavier did the same and gave Elara a thumbs-up.Elara smiled in response.Seated behind them, Beau could clearly see the interaction between Elara and Xavier. His expression darkened with resentment.Harvey's voice could be heard. "Why a
The host was clearly more interested in Finnegan and asked, "So, Uncle Finn, have you considered finding a girlfriend?"Finnegan frowned slightly. He didn't want to remain the center of attention and gossip. His gaze swept past the audience and landed precisely on Elara. He saw her lips curve into a warm smile, as if she took pride in his popularity. "Yes, I have."Finnegan answered stiffly, his expression serious, as if delivering a formal report.The mothers in the audience immediately grew excited, many already mentally scanning through eligible unmarried women they knew, eager to introduce them to Finnegan.A flicker of surprise passed through Elara's eyes. Finnegan actually wanted a girlfriend? That was truly unexpected.The next second, Lesley tightly wrapped an arm around Elara's while her gaze toward Finnegan was full of wariness."What's wrong?" Elara asked, somewhat puzzled."I'm protecting our little moon!"Elara chuckled, assuming Lesley had noticed the eager in
Rosalie's face twisted with fury. "I did no such thing! What apology letter? There was never any such arrangement!"Merida Jones! You've gone too far!" She glared in Elara's direction, stepping forward as if to confront her.Just then, Xavier pulled out his phone, opened an app, and tapped a button.Suddenly, the control screen at the event console switched to a music player interface, and a rousing march blared through the speakers. The children in the audience instinctively began clapping along to the rhythm.The entire auditorium erupted in lively energy as an AI voice announced through the sound system, "Let's give a warm welcome to Rosalie Fisher! Ms. Fisher, please come up to the stage!"Elara burst into laughter and gently ruffled Xavier's hair."Xav, good job!"Now, with all eyes on her, Rosalie had no choice—if she refused to apologize, there would be no graceful way out.Praise from Elara made Xavier turn to her, his bright eyes shimmering like a sky full of stars. He
"Apologize to Merida!""Ms. Fisher, you promised! You can't go back on your word!"The children surrounded Rosalie, their voices overlapping as they confronted her. Her stiff expression began to crack under the pressure. Nearby, even the parents raised their phones to record the scene."What did this Fisher woman do to make class 1B's kids block her like this?" someone murmured."You told Merida that if she won the grand prize, you'd let Paisley have snacks with us. Are you breaking that promise too?" one child asked.Paisley stared at Rosalie with red-rimmed eyes. This was an opportunity Elara and Merida had fought hard to secure for her—yet her mother refused to honor it."Daddy..."Clutching Harold's pant leg, Paisley called out softly, hoping for even a shred of his sympathy.Harold frowned in confusion. "What snacks?"Rosalie's face darkened with irritation."Elara made a bet with me—if Merida won first place, not only would I have to apologize publicly, but... They're f
The moment Harold spotted Harvey, he froze like a mouse cornered by a cat."Rosalie! Get over here now," he hissed under his breath.Rosalie had already reached the exit when she turned to call for Harold—only to find Harvey looming over him. Harold frantically widened his eyes at her, jerking his chin toward Harvey.Rosalie pressed her lips into a thin line but had no choice but to walk back.Meanwhile, Harvey stood like a walking freezer, his chilling aura radiating outward. "Go up there and apologize to Elara.""Harvey, how could you…" Rosalie's face twisted in disbelief.Harvey and Elara were already divorced—why was he still taking her side?"I'm your cousin!" she protested."Tch."Lesley, still seated with her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow and let out a derisive click of her tongue.She glanced at Theodore and nudged him. "The ex-husband's playing hero. Aren't you going to do something?"Theodore remained relaxed, his gaze never leaving Elara. "This is Elara's battle
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