LOGINEllena heard Elaine’s words and paused mid-motion, one shoe halfway into the cabinet. She placed the pair neatly inside before gently closing the door. Her mind, however, was still tangled in the earlier events with Spencer.From the kitchen came the faint clink of dishes being put away. The nanny, Stacy, was tidying up after supper, her sleeves rolled slightly, movements efficient yet unhurried. Hearing the commotion at the door, she turned off the faucet, dried her hands on a towel, and placed the cleaned dishes carefully into the bowl cabinet. Then she stepped out, her face bright with welcome.“Miss Smith, you’re back!” Stacy greeted warmly.Ellena gave her a small smile. “Stacy, thank you for taking care of my daughter.” Her tone softened as she said it.The nanny’s name was Stacy, and she had been with them long enough to know the rhythms of the household. By now, Ellena’s earlier tension had been tucked away, her expression returning to its usual c
Spencer's emotions seemed extremely unstable. Ellena could almost feel the tension radiating off him in waves, like heat shimmering in the summer air. Her own heart was pounding wildly, the sound of it loud in her ears. She clenched her hands slightly, worried that at any moment he would lose control and do something irrational. The way his eyes darted, sharp and unpredictable, only added to her unease."Is this the reason why you hate Edward all this time?" Ellena’s voice was steady, but her gaze flickered between Spencer’s face and the narrow street around them, wary of any sudden move.Spencer had stopped her for so long now that she had lost track of time. Logically, Paul should have realized she was missing by now. He would definitely be looking for her. It should be just about the time for him to appear."Ah!" Spencer sneered, the sound low and mocking, his lips curling into a smirk that held no warmth.At that very moment, footsteps ech
Ellena felt that something about Spencer’s expression was terribly wrong.It wasn’t just anger. There was something twisted underneath, a mix of grief, rage, and a darkness so heavy that it made her instinctively tighten her grip on the bag in her hand.Inside the bag was her phone.Her mind began calculating, each thought sharp and precise. If Spencer suddenly tried to harm her, she needed to be fast enough to grab the phone and call the police.Paul was inside the supermarket. Paul was vigilant, always aware of his surroundings. If he didn’t find Edward inside, he would come out quickly. And when he stepped outside and found her gone, he would know something was wrong.She took comfort in that.Even so, she forced her face to remain calm, refusing to let Spencer see that her nerves were stretched tight.“What do you remember?” she asked, her voice steady.Her thoughts, though, were running elsewhere.That pen, the one
The address written on the note led them to an old street on the west side of Herton City.Herton City had been changing rapidly over the years, glass towers rising one after another, new roads opening every season, bright billboards lighting the nights. But this particular street seemed to have been forgotten by time itself. The pavement was cracked in places, the buildings low and weathered, the old signboards faded under years of sun and rain.When Ellena got out of the car, she stood there for a moment, looking around."This place…" she said softly, her voice carrying a note of nostalgia that even she hadn’t expected.She turned her head slightly toward Paul, explaining almost absentmindedly, "When I was in primary school, I took this road every single day."With a dull bang, she shut the car door and walked a few steps forward, her heels clicking lightly on the uneven ground."At that time," she continued slowly, "Naomi did
Ellena believed that Paul was not lying. She trusted his careful nature and the calm way he had explained the sequence of events.She stood in front of the desk for a few seconds, thinking silently. Then, in a tone that left no room for hesitation, she said,"Open it and see what's in it."Paul’s expression changed slightly. "I'll let the security guard open it."He suddenly stopped walking, his tall figure stiff, and the air around him turned tense. The way he spoke made it sound as if what Ellena was about to open wasn’t a simple package, but something far more dangerous—something that could explode with the wrong touch."Don't call the security," Ellena said directly, her voice quiet but firm, leaving no room for argument."But President Smith…"He wanted to persuade her further, but Ellena had already turned away, not willing to listen. She walked past him, straight back into the office.The moment she reached the desk, she picked up the package again, feeling its weight in her ha
Since there was still no news of Edward, Ellena had no choice but to take over the Arnoult Group herself.From the day she sat in the chair of the president’s office, the stock price of the Arnoult Group had been dropping little by little like grains of sand slipping through one’s fingers.She had already expected this situation long ago.Edward was too smart not to have thought of this when he handed everything to her.It wasn’t that she lacked effort. It was that his absence had left an irreplaceable gap that no one else could fill.That morning, as soon as Ellena’s car stopped in front of the Arnoult Group building, the flashes of cameras lit up like a sudden storm.A reporter, seemingly waiting since dawn, suddenly rushed forward, squeezing through the cordon as if desperate.The sharp shutter sounds surrounded her, like invisible hands trying to peel away every layer of her composure.Fortunately, the Arnoult Group’s security guards had been trained for situations like this. The
Ellena’s chest tightened the moment those words left Elaine’s mouth. She had prepared herself to be stern, to discipline her daughter for recklessly following Edward, but the child’s trembling voice carried such raw pain that it cut straight through her resolve.For a mom
The two of them stared at each other in silence, eyes locked in a battle of wills. For several seconds neither spoke, as if the room itself had frozen in the weight of their confrontation. The dim light threw shadows across Edward’s features, accentuating the sharp lines of his face. His si
Ellena knew that it was useless to blame the security guards. Fear and urgency pressed on her chest like a weight, but she forced herself to remain clear-headed. The more time they wasted pointing fingers, the further Elaine might be taken away. What mattered now was immediate action.She
Ellena remained outside for several minutes, her chest rising and falling as though every breath carried with it the weight of her tangled emotions. The sting of what had just happened inside the private room still lingered in her mind, like an unshakable shadow. She clenched her fists at her sides







