MasukEllenaonly 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
If Edward had nothing to worry about, he would have confronted Spencer head-on long ago.He would never have tolerated Spencer acting so recklessly or allowed him to become increasingly brazen.The moment Spencer realized he could no longer use anyone to threaten Edward, he would naturally lose his leverage. Without that advantage, even Spencer would have no choice but to restrain himself.But Edward did have something he feared losing.That was why he continued to retreat.Ellena had naturally been shocked when she learned what Edward had done.More than shocked, she had been furious.Such a major decision, yet he hadn't discussed it with her.He hadn't even given her the chance to object.Everything had been decided before she knew anything.Yet even so.What could she do?No matter how angry she became, the decision had already been made.Edward had always been this kind of person.F
While Ellena was distracted, Elaine thought that Ellena did not hear her and kept repeating, "Mommy, I see Daddy. It's Daddy!""It's Dad. I know." Ellena put her down, "You go down first. My hands are a little sore."She realized Edward was right. Elaine had gotten fatter recently. She had only hugged
A trace of extreme anger appeared on Ellena's face. Her tone was slightly cold, "Maren, what are you trying to do!? "I know that you have a grudge against me because of Spencer, but don't go too far!"Maren sneered and gritted her teeth, "Ellena, it is I who underestimated you."Although she was unwil
Edward pondered for a moment and said, "It's possible.""At that time, I drove out of Spencer's villa and only looked back. I didn't see the old man at all." Ellena suddenly paused and asked Edward, "How did you know that Spencer's foster father passed away? " Do you know who his foster father is? "O
Moreover, even if Spencer was willing to let her go to see Edward, it must be because of his bad intentions."If it wasn't because of you, why would you believe that Edward was really in a car accident?" Ellena clenched her fists and stopped walking. She turned her head and stared at Spencer.Smart pe







