《Rich Family's Substitute Sweetheart》全部章節：第 841 章 - 第 850 章

Ellena sat at her desk for a long while, the pen still lying near her hand, its presence pulling her thoughts into a deep spiral. When she finally rose and returned to her room, the heaviness in her chest had not lifted.Sleep did not come easily. Even when she drifted off, her mind was restless, caught between half-formed memories and strange fragments of thought. Her dreams were a jumble, scenes that shifted and changed without warning, flowing into each other like frames in an old, flickering film reel. She saw a boy’s shadow, the glint of a pen, Spencer’s cold eyes, Edward’s distant figure… and then the faces blurred, becoming strangers she couldn’t name.When Ellena woke, it was with the sensation that she had not rested at all. Her body felt heavy, as though she had run a marathon in her sleep. She pressed a hand to her forehead for a moment, collecting herself before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.The air was still cool as she padded barefoot

Ellena’s voice carried a trace of ridicule as it sliced through the suffocating silence. "Am I tired? The way I handle the Arnoult Group has nothing to do with you."Her words, though calmly spoken, dripped with accusation. They were a shield, a blade, and a declaration of her independence all at once. Yet the moment the words fell, Ellena could feel the air around her shift. The atmosphere in the car, already heavy with unspoken history, grew unbearably oppressive. It was as if the walls of the underground parking lot closed in, leaving the two of them no room to breathe.Then, in a tone that was restrained but unmistakably edged with anger, Edward spoke. "Ellena."Her name rolled off his tongue with a weight that made her chest tighten. He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t pleading. But the tension embedded in those three syllables was louder than any outburst.Ellena’s composure cracked for a brief instant. She took in a deep breath,

Elaine curled her lips slightly, a faint expression of contemplation crossing her small face."Alright," she said softly.She lowered her head and took a deliberate bite of the meat on her plate. The warmth of the kitchen, the sound of her small chewing, and the quiet atmosphere wrapped around them like a fragile cocoon. Then she looked up at Ellena with surprising seriousness."When school starts, I will be very busy, too."Ellena smiled faintly, her tone gentle yet affectionate. "Yes, my little Ella is also a busy person."Elaine’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and she chuckled softly, her joy infectious. Ellena watched her for a moment, the warmth of motherhood settling quietly in her chest. Yet her own appetite was gone. She barely touched her meal, her attention constantly drifting toward the entrance of her home.But no one came. The door remained still, the hallway silent.She kept glancing up, her thoughts restless, but the minutes slipped by unnoticed. By the time she and Ela

After Ellena said so much, Edward’s expression remained unreadable. His face was calm, almost detached, as if he were a passerby observing something distant and unrelated to him. There was no flicker of anger, no trace of guilt. That coldness, paradoxically, made Ellena’s anger ebb.Instead of losing her temper, she felt her breath steady. Her chest rose and fell calmly as she gathered her composure. A faint, almost mocking smile curled at her lips.“What a pity,” she said softly. “If you really died in that car accident, I could have taken your money to take care of other men. I could be with whoever I wanted.”For the first time that night, a crack appeared on Edward’s otherwise unshaken face. It was subtle, but enough for Ellena to notice. She leaned into her newfound calm, letting her smile deepen slightly.“You left the entire Arnoult Group to me. You must want me to live a happy life,” she

Ellena could feel the subtle changes in Edward’s body.The shift was slight, almost imperceptible, but because she was trapped so close to him, she noticed it instantly. The warmth surrounding her seemed to intensify, carrying a pressure that made her entire body tense unconsciously.A faint shiver ran down her spine. For a brief moment, she froze completely.Her breathing caught in her throat, and her fingers curled tightly against her palms.Edward lowered his head slightly, his breath brushing lightly against the side of her face. His voice came softly, low and restrained, but carrying an unsettling certainty that made her heartbeat grow chaotic.“If you don’t want to do it, don’t move.”The meaning behind his words made Ellena’s face burn instantly.Her eyes widened slightly before anger quickly replaced the brief moment of panic. She gritted her teeth hard.“Edward, don’t for