"Alright, alright, whatever you say." Niamh dismissed Bambi completely, not taking her seriously.The competition at this prestigious kindergarten was fierce, with many children producing better crafts and delivering more polished speeches than Bambi.Niamh had just looked over the other Outstanding Works crafts and believed Bambi's chances of taking first place were slim.Bambi walked onto the stage carrying her craft project. She wore her school uniform: a white long-sleeve blouse paired with a red plaid skirt. Her hair was styled into two round buns, giving her an endearing look.Her sweet and lively features caught the audience's eye. Her long lashes framed her dark, bright eyes beautifully.But whispers started among the parents as soon as Bambi stepped onto the stage."Doesn't the Fisher girl look a little chubby?" one murmured.Another parent snickered, "A little chubby? That's putting it lightly."The two shared a knowing laugh. In this elite school, the wealthy mothers
The children's speeches concluded, and Bambi unsurprisingly took first place for flawlessly reciting her presentation from memory.The principal of the kindergarten personally awarded Bambi a star. Meanwhile, Beau stood in the audience, watching as the children on stage received their accolades.For the first time in his life, he left an event empty-handed—not only without a prize but also as the subject of ridicule.Tears welled in Beau's eyes as he searched for Elara in the crowd."My darling!" Ethel approached and scooped Beau into her arms."Grandma!" Beau sobbed aloud.Ethel soothed him in a soft voice, "Don't cry, my darling. You'll always be number one to Grandma!"Beau replied while sniffling, "But Bambi got a star... Grandma, please tell Mommy to come back so she can do my homework! If not, I'll leave with Mommy too!"He knew well how much his grandmother doted on him, and his threat was sure to be effective.Ethel's tone immediately turned stern. "If you leave, you'l
"Grandma! Bambi hit me again!" Beau yelled.He started sobbing, while Bambi stood with her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.Born with incredible strength, Bambi had unintentionally hurt Beau a few times when they were younger as she was unable to control her power. Since then, Ethel had always been on high alert around Bambi, constantly watching over her.Beau knew he could count on his grandmother to take his side, and played his part well. Ethel stormed forward with a sour expression, reaching out to rip the star off Bambi's chest."Bambi Fisher, hitting someone at school means you're unworthy of a star! I'll ensure the teachers revoke your eligibility for awards for the entire school year!"Beau, who was still clinging to Ethel's legs, pretended to cry as he buried his face in his hands. He was sneaking a glance at Bambi through his fingers.Meanwhile, Bambi stood rooted to the spot, and her vision grew blurry.Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want to cry,
The parents in the auditorium were glued to their phones, buzzing about the online uproar."The school is trending!""Madam Foster's identity has already been exposed!""The public really doesn't miss a thing. They didn't know Mr. Fisher got a divorce, but they could immediately tell Niamh is the mistress.""I can't stand Niamh Jones either. She's always draping herself over my husband.""Just two nights ago, when I went to pick up my drunk husband, she was sitting on Mr. Pitt's lap. Then, she casually tossed her bra onto Mr. Cox's face. My husband swears they were just messing around."As the parents gossiped animatedly, Ethel turned on the director, Peter Manford, and snapped, "Shut down the livestream now! If the Fisher family's reputation is tarnished, I'll sue you!"Peter wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Madam Foster, I've already cut the feed."The events that had unfolded earlier left Peter scrambling. By the time he regained his composure and stopped the broadcast, th
Ethel laughed at Bambi's naivety. "You might not even be able to afford tuition anymore if you follow your mother!"She believed her granddaughter had no idea what awaited her in the future, and Ethel's glare at Elara carried nothing but venom."I want to see how a mere college graduate like you plans to raise Bambi! Bambi doesn't realize her life has already hit rock bottom. The gap between her and Beau is now an unbridgeable chasm."No matter how hard you try, Bambi will never reach the level Beau is destined for!"Elara's voice remained calm. "Both my children came from the same womb. If Beau has something, Bambi should too."Since the Fisher family can't treat them equally, I will take Bambi and help her grow into who she wants to be."Elara turned to leave with Bambi when a group of people carrying briefcases walked into the auditorium. The middle-aged man leading the group wore a modest white shirt and black trousers.Elara's eyes narrowed. How coincidental—it was a famili
Desmond said to James, "I just got off the plane and rushed here from the airport to handle this. If she doesn't step down, Summit Academy won't just lose new enrollments—you'll lose your current students too!"James glanced at Ethel in a panic.Ethel signaled to him with her eyes. "James, don't forget that Fisher Corp is Summit Academy's biggest sponsor..."James appeared torn. On one hand, he couldn't afford to lose Fisher Corp's financial backing. On the other hand, he couldn't risk offending the Department of Education."Enough, Mom!"Harvey's voice was sharp, freezing the air around him. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"He turned to Desmond and declared, "I'll take over my mother's position on the board."The man's presence was commanding, leaving no room for objection.Desmond's gaze shifted between Harvey and Elara before he chuckled. "I trust that you will be far more capable than your mother, Mr. Fisher."Then, Elara spoke softly to Bambi, "Let's go.
Elara opened the gift box, revealing a sapphire bracelet inside. Her gaze sharpened as she picked it up."What's the size of this bracelet?" she asked."5.6 inches," Harvey replied instinctively.Elara let out a dry laugh, and a bitter taste was rising in her throat. "That's Niamh's wrist size."She extended her hand out the window, letting the sparkling sapphire bracelet slip from her palm.Harvey's brow furrowed as emotions rippled through his usually cold eyes. "You're just jealous of Niamh. That's why you're throwing this tantrum."I've known Niamh for over 20 years. If there were something between us, do you think you'd even be here?"His words seemed to stir something deep within Elara—a memory buried in the past. Her broken smile reflected back at her in the rearview mirror."Do you remember about the night you left to find Niamh three years ago? You made me go to the hospital alone."I had a fever of 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit that night. Taylor was on leave, and the sta
"Ack!" Niamh let out a sharp cry behind Harvey.Harvey turned to see her sprawled on the ground with her hair disheveled, and her wide, imploring eyes were fixed on him."Harvey…"An indelible image overlapped with the scene before him in his mind—his sister, Dawn Fisher, who was forever frozen at 18, was calling out to him again and again amidst the flames.He walked over and helped Niamh to her feet.Seated in Harvey's car, Niamh struggled to suppress the triumphant smile threatening to bloom on her face."What do you plan to do with this bracelet?" she asked while holding it out in her palm."Throw it away," he replied curtly in a cold tone."Sure thing!" Niamh responded nonchalantly while miming a toss toward the window.With a deft twist of her wrist, she slipped the bracelet into her pocket instead in a seamless movement.…In the Fisher residence's study, the strikingly handsome man sat behind the desk as his eyes scanned the pages of Elara's medical records.His gaz
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
Harold smiled as he explained, "Of course, they're talking about the most prominent figure in all of Capitol."Although Angie had lived in Melcina for years, she still kept up with the major gossip surrounding Capitol's elite families.And when it came to the most famous heir of the Snapp family, none other than Theodore came to mind. His reputation was practically legendary—everything he touched turned to gold. It was as if, with just a flick of his fingers, he could rise to the top of any industry."Does he have any business dealings with Quantum Tech?" she asked.Harold replied, "Ms. Price is interested in having Mr. Snapp's firm, Polaris Law Firm, take over Quantum Tech's legal affairs."The moment Harold said this, Angie understood that Priscilla clearly had an ulterior motive. She must be looking to shift her business focus back to Eucon, and using Quantum Tech to pull Theodore into her orbit was the first step."So, that means Mr. Snapp's visit is to discuss a legal partne
When Angie realized what she'd been saying, she quickly apologized, "Sorry, Leonard, for making you listen to my complaints all this time.""It's fine." Leonard's cool voice resonated like a struck bronze bell, sending subtle vibrations through her heart.This was the first time Angie had managed to keep Leonard on the phone for so long, though their entire conversation revolved around Elara.Leonard showing such rare patience made Angie's lips curve upward in delight."Can I call you again in the future?" She ventured the bold question, though anxiety churned inside."You may call if it's regarding Quantum Tech matters."He had glimpsed an Elara who was completely different from the respectful woman he knew through Angie's words. So, she had a temper too—how intriguing.Angie's smile stretched ear to ear as she continued, "Leonard, thank you for listening to my grievances.""Oh, right."Suddenly remembering something, Angie added, "Quantum Tech has a front-end project collabo
Angie visibly flushed with embarrassment, and the other employees fell silent. Some immediately lowered their heads to focus on their meals, while others held their breath, pressing their lips together to control their expressions."Angie's been abroad too long—she's not used to strict workplace hierarchies," Samuel defended her, raising his voice."Elara, now that you're CEO, you just can't wait for everyone to bow and scrape before you, huh? You might not realize this, but modern workplaces emphasize equality—we all address each other as colleagues now."His mocking tone was unmistakable. As the eldest son of the Quinn family, he clearly didn't take Elara seriously.Elara met his disdainful gaze. "Fine."She continued calmly, "Then let's abolish internal titles at Quantum Tech. All employees will be leveled equally, with salaries determined by performance. Anyone above L4 will be downgraded to L4, so there's true equality across the board. That's the only way to eliminate workpl
When Elara came to her senses, she noticed Leonard was already gone—and Angie had disappeared with him.The nature of Leonard and Angie's relationship was undeniably intriguing, but since Leonard chose not to share, Elara felt it would be improper to pry into her elder's private affairs.She then joined the other Quantum Tech employees in seeing off the city officials. Harold immediately seized the chance to cozy up to her. "Elara, I'm dying to know—how did you become Quantum Tech's leader?"He continued eagerly, "I've been helping out at Quantum Tech recently. Ohm Technologies and my lab are collaborating on a project with them."Elara merely nodded, showing no interest in further conversation.Undeterred, Harold pressed on. "Let me introduce you to everyone at Quantum Tech."His enthusiasm was purely for show—he wanted the company to know he had special connections with Elara."You know Mr. Quinn, right?" he asked, making introductions.Elara glanced at the sharp-featured man
"Elara, you're the developer of the Prism project? Why have I never heard you mention this before?" Harold blurted out in confusion.After processing this information, he suddenly remembered Priscilla's second statement. He blinked, wondering if he'd misheard.He immediately turned to Samuel beside him. "Did I hear that wrong? It's so noisy here—what did Ms. Price just say? Who's Quantum Tech's leader?"Samuel's expression stiffened visibly.Meanwhile, Angie stared at Elara with suspicion. "What kind of deal did you make with Ms. Price? How could you possibly be Quantum Tech's lead?"Her instincts told her there had to be some mistake. She'd investigated Elara earlier. She was just a woman who dropped out of her direct PhD program at Capitol University to get married and become a housewife, without any substantial work experience.Someone like Elara might qualify as a janitor at Quantum Tech at best."What qualifications does she have to lead Quantum Tech?" Samuel muttered under
"My apologies, Ms. Price, the alarms in the data center are too loud. Let's switch to a video call."As she spoke, Elara connected her phone to the projection system. Priscilla tapped her screen to enable video, and in the next second, her face appeared on the large display.Everyone looked up at the screen in surprise. Angie even gasped. "Ms. Price?" From Priscilla's perspective, her phone only showed Elara's face through the camera feed."Ms. Price, I'm already in the data center. Please give your instructions," Elara continued.Her tone remained perfectly neutral. Priscilla responded, "You're Quantum Tech's leader. What professional guidance could I possibly give you?"Elara turned on the speakerphone, amplifying Priscilla's voice through the room. Amidst the urgent wailing of alarms, Priscilla's words sounded almost surreal. The surrounding crowd struggled to process what was happening."Elara Jones, do you realize city officials are inspecting Quantum Tech today? With the
Angie led the group into the digital data center."Good afternoon, Ms. Shelton." The employees greeted her with deep respect, their gazes filled with admiration.Angie maintained an aloof demeanor as she asked, "How's the testing on Prism's data coming along?""The basic framework is stable now. We're currently fine-tuning the details of Prism's database."Angie nodded. "Run the Prism system for our guests.""Uh... About that—"The staff hesitated. "We haven't fully mastered this framework yet..."Angie frowned. "After all this time, you still haven't figured it out?"Seeing their uneasy expressions, she sighed. "This framework's structure is elementary. Fine, I'll do it myself."The researchers' eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing this."The Prism model's framework design is incredibly complex—it completely defies conventional understanding. Yet Ms. Shelton mastered the entire codebase so quickly after joining!""No wonder she's Aempleforth Street's most sought-after g
Samuel sneered. "I bet she's just clinging to Prof. Fisher by exploiting her past connection with Harvey."Harold pressed his lips together, silently agreeing with Samuel's words.As Angie finished her introduction of Quantum Tech, she took advantage of the officials' hushed discussions to glance at Elara. Remembering the photos Rosalie had sent her—showing Elara painstakingly building rapport with Xavier—Angie let out a cold, mocking laugh through her nose.She strode directly to Leonard's side to ask, "How's Xavier doing?"Elara was slightly surprised by the question. Angie bore some resemblance to Xavier, so she wondered what exactly their relationship was.Leonard ignored her inquiry and instead asked, "How long do you plan to stay at Quantum Tech?"Their exchange suggested familiarity."My goal is to join Dragonheart!" said Angie.She met Leonard's gaze with blazing confidence, but his expression remained as cold and detached as an eternal glacier.Craig interjected, "Pro