That night, Elena stood in front of Damian's door. Her hands were shaking, not because of the cold, but because of the chaotic feeling. She knew very well how Damian and Isabella were, but for Olivia's sake, she had to put her pride aside. With a deep breath, Elena knocked on the door. Soon, the sound of steps approached, then the door opened. Damian stood there, dressed in a casual T-shirt and pants, his face looking tired and a little annoyed to see Elena in front of him. "What else?" he asked coldly. Elena swallowed. "I want to talk." Damian sighed harshly. "When it comes to the kids, we're divorced, Elena. I have no obligation whatsoever-" "It's about Olivia," Elena cut in quickly. Damian rolled his eyes, then huffed. "What now?" Elena bit her lip, fighting back the embarrassment that was starting to creep up on her. "There's a family event tomorrow at her school. She wants her father to come." Damian gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "And you expect me to come?" El
Nathan came out of the bathroom with a slightly red face. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward about what had just happened. Elena stood by the table, equally awkward. She avoided Nathan's gaze, fiddling with her own fingers, trying to ease the uneasiness in her chest. Nathan took a deep breath, then finally said, "Sorry." Elena turned her head. "For what?" Nathan rubbed his face. "I got carried away. I shouldn't have..." He trailed off, then looked at Elena. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Elena was silent for a moment before shaking her head softly. "It wasn't just you. I was wrong too, Mr. Nathan. I... I enjoyed your touch too, and that... shouldn't have happened." Nathan felt his chest pounding at Elena's words. He stared at her silently, trying to read the expression on her face. "Elena," Nathan finally stepped forward, unconsciously pulling Elena into his arms. Elena widened her eyes. "Mr. Nathan-" "One thing I want to know," Nathan whispere
Elena looked at the cheerful face of Olivia who was jumping up and down beside her. The school program was over, and the smile on her eldest daughter's face made all the tiredness seem to evaporate. Nathan walked quietly beside them, one hand holding the large teddy bear he had given Olivia. "How about lunch," Nathan said, glancing at Elena, who was still a little awkward after Olivia's statement. Elena smiled and pulled out her cell phone. "I'll call Tamara first. Katty and Delya can't be left for too long." She typed quickly and put the phone to her ear. Soon, Tamara answered. "El, relax, I can take care of them. In fact, Katty was teaching Delya to dance on TikTok just now," Tamara said with a laugh. "Seriously? Geez... well, I'll leave them for a while. I'll be back shortly after eating." "Take it easy," Tamara said in a soft voice. After hanging up, Elena turned to Olivia and Nathan. "Tamara said Katty and Delya are safe. So... let's eat?" Nathan nodded. "I happ
The atmosphere in the café was warm. Elena sat with Nathan and his three daughters, enjoying a lunch full of laughter. Olivia, Katty, and Delya looked so comfortable around Nathan, as if they had earned the affection of a father. However, the warmth suddenly faded when a middle-aged woman with an elegant appearance entered the cafe. Her sharp eyes swept the room until they stopped on Nathan. Her face hardened when she saw her son sitting with Elena and her children.Nathan, recognizing his mother's presence, immediately stood up. "Mom," he greeted in a flat tone.Mrs. Sonia approached, her gaze coldly fixed on Elena and her three daughters. "Nathan, who is that woman?" she asked sternly.Elena felt awkward and quickly stood up, trying to smile politely. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I am Elena, and these are my daughters, Olivia, Katty, and Delya."Mrs. Sonia ignored the introduction and looked back at Nathan. "I need to talk to you, Nathan. Now."Nathan sighed, then turned to Elena. "Sorr
Elena's footsteps sounded softly coming down the taxi. Her hair was neatly tied up, her face looked tired but determined. Just as she passed through the glass doors of Nathan's office lobby, a man in a black formal suit approached her with a serious face."Sorry, Miss Elena. I have a meeting outside. Please follow me."Elena was suspicious. But when she saw the shiny black sedan parked out front, she had a bad feeling. The window of the car rolled down slowly. Mrs. Sonia's haughty face appeared behind it."Come in, we need to talk," the woman said flatly, in an unassailable tone.Elena took a deep breath. But she stepped in anyway, opened the door and sat in the rear passenger seat. The door locked automatically. The car was still in place, but the atmosphere felt like it was moving into the abyss."What did Madame want to talk about?" Elena asked quietly, calm despite the rumbling in her chest.Without further ado, Madame Sonia took out a thick white envelope from inside her luxuriou
The sound of heavy rain hitting the glass of the building had been heard since the afternoon. The street lights slowly lit up as the sky grew darker. Elena tucked her drawing tools into her folder, took a deep breath and stared at her office window filled with the shadows of water drops.What a day, she thought. But all the designs are done, all the revisions have been sent, nothing else is pending."Miss Elena, you're not home yet?" asked Mila, wearing a light raincoat and carrying an umbrella.Elena stood up and straightened her bag. "Waiting for a taxi."Mila glanced outside. "It's raining really hard. I'll just wait in the lobby."Elena just smiled. After Mila said goodbye, Elena walked down to the lobby. Her shoes were wet from the puddles on the front steps. Her hair was starting to get damp even though it hadn't really left the canopy roof.Elana stood on the sidewalk, trying to order a taxi from the phone app. But everything was "unavailable"."Geez, not like this," she mutte
Elena entered her apartment with shaky steps. The door closed behind her, isolating her from the outside world. She leaned back for a moment, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The image of the incident in Nathan's car was still vivid in her mind, making her cheeks heat up."What have I done?" she murmured softly, voice barely audible in the quiet room.Elena opened her eyes, gazing around her simple yet cozy apartment. Without turning on the light, she made her way to the bathroom. Every step felt heavy, as if the weight of her thoughts added to the gravity around her.Arriving at the bathroom, Elena turned on the light and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her normally bright brown eyes now looked dim, filled with doubt and regret."Elena, you have to be stronger," she whispered to herself, trying to be encouraging even though her heart was still in turmoil.Elena took off her clothes one by one, feeling the cold fabric that clung to her skin from the previous rain. Once
The next day. Dusk had fallen and the sky was beginning to turn red on the western horizon when Elena received a message from Tamara. She was sitting in the living room of her modest apartment, staring at her phone screen with a face full of emotion and an irrepressible smile.[Tamara] Elena, you won't believe it! Our new partners have made their payments, and the amount is way beyond expectations] Tamara wrote with a big smile emoji.Elena took a deep breath, feeling both proud and relieved. [Really, Tamara? I didn't expect the results to be this great. All the hard work has finally paid off].It didn't take long for Tamara to reply, [Yes, dear. All the transactions have been completed. Now, you've also completed the tasks at Mr. Nathan's company perfectly]Elena smiled a little while rubbing her cheeks, [Yes, it's true. I think it's time for me to move forward and turn over a new leaf]Elena put down her cell phone and stood near the large window overlooking the city. "I've planned
That morning, the sky was clear with no clouds.A black car pulled up slowly in front of Alva's school gate. From inside, Sisca - Alva's nanny - got out first, making sure it was safe before opening the door for the little boy."Alva, come on, we're here," Sisca said with a smile.Alva, who was still hugging her little doll, nodded slowly, then went downstairs with cheerful steps.As soon as her little feet touched the ground, several casually dressed bodyguards immediately moved around them. Not flashy, but tight enough to make anyone think twice about approaching.Since the kidnapping case the other day, Elena didn't want to mess around with security anymore. Especially since Alva, her flesh and blood, was now her top priority.Sisca straightened Alva's small bag. "Remember, don't leave the classroom until Auntie comes. If there's anything, go straight to the bodyguard uncle.""Yes..." Alva said with a small nod, then ran towards her friends who were already playing in the school ga
Five o'clock in the morning. The sky outside was still dark, the apartment air cold. Nathan opened his eyes slowly, realizing that Elena was still fast asleep in his arms. He smiled a little, rubbing Elena's wet hair against his cheek. She looked very tired. Last night Nathan had really tortured Elena with pleasure. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. He looked down, kissing Elena's forehead without waking her up. "Sleep, my dear..." he whispered softly.Carefully, Nathan got out of bed, picked up his t-shirt that was lying on the floor, then left the room, closing the door gently so as not to disturb her sleep.As he stepped into the living room, Nathan let out a small yawn. "Alright, next assignment..." he muttered as he ruffled his hair.Nathan opened his phone, looking at the digital clock that was already pointing at five past ten. After thinking for a moment, Nathan smiled - he knew Elena's kids were usually up early to get ready for school. Nathan walked into the child
The air in the room was warm, but in Elena and Nathan's chests, a bigger fire was already burning.They were still lying down, their breathing not quite back to normal.Nathan caressed Elena's cheek with the back of his finger, a small smile perched on the corner of his lips."Elena... Thank you," he whispered, as if still unable to believe the woman in front of him was truly his tonight.Elena closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the caress. "I can't believe we're finally here either," she murmured.Nathan chuckled, then leaned down to kiss Elena gently on the forehead. "And I'll never let you go."They stared at each other for a few moments, then, as if there was something he didn't want to let go of, Nathan got up from the bed and tugged on Elena's hand."Where are you going?" asked Elena, her voice hoarse and spoiled.Nathan smiled mysteriously. "Just come along."Nervously, Elena shook her head but followed Nathan into the bathroom.Nathan opened the shower, letting the warm wa
After the simple but hearty dinner, Elena began to clear the table. She carried a pile of dirty dishes to the kitchen, while the children's laughter could be heard from upstairs. One by one, Olivia, Katty, Delya, and Alva went to their respective rooms. The apartment was finally quiet again.Nathan stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the busy Elena. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, a small smile playing on her lips."Elena..." he called softly.Elena turned her head, smiling tiredly but warmly. "Hmm?"Nathan stepped closer without making much noise. In an instant, he was hugging Elena from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder. The warmth of Nathan's body made the cold night air feel lighter.Elena froze for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief and let herself lean back in the embrace.Nathan took a deep breath, as if holding back something he had been meaning to say for a long time. "Let me ask you something else..." he whispered in Elena's e
That afternoon, Elena's apartment was quiet. Nathan and Tamara had just left, having spent hours making plans with Li Zheng. Elena had just closed the door when the doorbell rang again.Ting tong.Elena frowned, feeling strange. She stepped carefully to the door, peeking through the small hole.And her eyes immediately froze.Damian.With his neat gray suit and his trademark flat face, the man stood at the door, as if his arrival was a matter of course.Elena let out a long breath, trying to calm the boiling anger. She opened the door just a little, enough to slip her body in the gap."What do you want to come here again, Damian?" Elena asked coldly."I want to see the kids." Damian's voice was flat, but his gaze was sharp, piercing.Elena smiled a small, cynical smile. "It's useless. They won't want to see you.""I want to see them," Damian insisted, moving a little closer. "I'm the father."Elena held the door firmly. "No, no, no. I won't let you in."Damian hardened his jaw. "I'm t
Inside the study, Damian sat leaning back in his chair, staring intently at the files on the desk. In front of him, Isabella was pacing back and forth, an annoyed look on her face."I told you, this isn't necessary, Damian," Isabella exclaimed, her voice rising.Yes, this woman strongly disagreed with Damian taking a DNA test. Just now her husband had said that he would DNA test Alva and himself, just to convince himself of the accusations against Elena. Damian didn't answer. He just picked up a form from the table - the DNA test consent form."I want reassurance, Isabella. I want to know... whether Alva is really my son or not."Isabella stopped her steps, staring at Damian as if he had just insulted her entire ancestry. "You're crazy! What a waste of time! It's obvious that Alva is not your flesh and blood! You didn't forget, did you? Elena, the designer queen, was hit with a case that she often climbed into the beds of businessmen to get financial injections. Certainly, Alva is no
That morning, the air felt stale than usual. Elena sat in the living room of her apartment, hugging her knees as she stared at the muted television screen. The business news scrolled quickly below, like a knife that kept slicing slowly into her sanity.~Stocks in a company owned by Elena Queen fell 3.4 percent this morning. The mall owned by Elena Queen also in the city center was reportedly empty of visitors. Analysts expect this to be an ongoing effect of the scandal that broke last week~Her cell phone rang. It was Tamara.Elena immediately picked up the phone."Elena, it's bad!". "I know, Tamara," she said quickly."Yes, but... Honey, you should see this morning's report. It's not just the central mall, our branches in Italy and Thailand are also dropping in turnover. They're asking - should we stop operations for a while?"Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't panic... let's hold off for now. Let's set up a conference call this afternoon, and I'll explain myself."
That morning, at Damian's company headquarters, the atmosphere was different from usual. The staff looked more energized, as if a fresh breeze had just entered through the long-closed window.Damian walked into the boardroom, his suit neat, his face full of confidence. Several directors sat in a row, looking at him with mixed expressions of relief and disbelief."Good morning," Damian opened the meeting, his voice calm but steady."Mr. Damian, we just got confirmation," said one of the directors. "The new investor has officially injected funds. We can breathe easier starting this month."Damian nodded. "How much is the total investment?""Eight trillion, initial stage."David's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew that number wasn't small, and he also knew... it didn't come without a price."Who introduced this investor?" asked Damian, though he already knew the answer.One of the PR staff sitting in the corner of the room raised a hesitant hand. "Mrs. Isabella, Mr. Damian. She presented o
A while later. "This can't be... This guy's too sneaky," Nathan muttered, his eyes glued to the laptop screen that had just displayed the latest report from the digital tracking team.Mira nodded, her expression no less frustrated. "That guy erased the trail before we could identify the last IP point. We came close to finding the exact location, but somehow, the account just disappeared. All the records just vanished, like a ghost.""That guy's no amateur," Nathan rubbed his tired face. "This is clearly the work of someone who knows how to hide their identity... or has the help of a cyber insider."Elena stayed at the far end of the room, standing hugging herself. Her gaze was blank outside the window, staring at the buildings that had been a symbol of her former glory-which now felt like they were laughing at her."We almost knew who it was, but we failed," Mira said quietly."That means that person is still one step ahead of us," Elena replied quietly, her voice like mist covering