Niamh sighed dramatically and said, "But unfortunately, as long as Leonard keeps Xavier in the Fisher residence, you will never be the only golden grandson."Hearing this, Beau suddenly recalled how his grandfather and great-grandfather always seemed to pay more attention to Xavier.Many of his private tutoring sessions were strictly off-limits to Merida, but somehow, Xavier was allowed to join him. Being forced to study alongside a mute should be an absolute insult to him!The more Beau thought about it, the angrier he became. His little fists clenched tightly, and he shouted, "I hate Xavier!"…After lunch, the teachers assigned a new task. The fathers would stay behind to set up the tents, while the mothers took the children into the small forest to search for different types of mushrooms and hidden gold coins.Of course, these so-called mushrooms had been placed in the grass and bushes by the event staff beforehand.At the starting point, the children had to memorize the nam
In the next second, Niamh's smug expression vanished. Elara had yanked her scarf, and the force of the pull dragged Niamh down with her."Shit!" Niamh wanted to scream, but the sound barely escaped her throat.She caught sight of the sheer determination in Elara's eyes, and in an instant, every hair on her body stood on end. Elara wanted to drag her down with her!"Ahhh!" Niamh's shriek was muffled as the tightening scarf choked her, cutting off her breath.She tumbled down the slope, losing all control as she rolled over and over before her body slammed into the rough terrain. Pain shot through her from every angle as the friction between her clothes and the ground scraped her skin raw.But the worst part wasn't the impact—it was the scarf around her neck that was twisting tighter and tighter, threatening to strangle her. Her mouth gaped open, and her entire face flushed an alarming shade of purple.Finally, Elara's grip on the scarf slipped. The fabric slid through her palm, le
After that, Niamh had Beau lure Xavier over.Xavier was already struggling with autism and had been undergoing psychological therapy. Today was a rare breakthrough as he had finally taken a step forward, willingly venturing outdoors to participate in activities with other children and parents.But if something happened to him today, it would be enough to scare him into never setting foot outside again. A Xavier too terrified to leave his home would no longer be a threat to Beau's status in the Fishers.Niamh glanced downward and saw Elara beginning to climb up with Xavier. Her fingers then curled around a nearby rock."Niamh, what are you doing?" Beau's voice trembled with alarm.Elara looked up and saw Niamh sneering at her with cold, malicious intent. She had already fallen—did Niamh really need to kick her while she was down?Niamh raised the rock and hurled it straight at Elara's head. Elara swiftly dodged with Xavier in her arms.She caught a glimpse of a clearing hidden be
Elara's chest rose and fell violently with each breath. There was a sharp pain slicing through her nasal passages as if a blade were cutting her from the inside. The metallic taste of blood spread through her nose and throat as she steadied herself on a slightly wider patch of the dirt slope.She pressed her lips together, staying silent to prevent Niamh from tracking her position and throwing more stones.She then carefully lowered Xavier to the ground. Her arms were numb and shaking from exhaustion, and they could barely hold on any longer.Now that Xavier had a stable foothold on the steep incline, he reached out and pressed the emergency call button on his smartwatch.Then, like a little old man, he gently patted the back of Elara's hand. He was reassuring her in his silent way to not worry as help would come soon.…Five minutes later, a teacher arrived with four medical staff members.Beau spotted the one stretcher in the medics' hands. His heart pounded, but he quickly re
Once Niamh was sent to the medical room, Beau planned to tell his dad that his pretentious mother was still at the bottom of the slope.Unwilling to argue with an injured person, Bridget simply said, "Ms. Jones, the school will conduct a proper investigation into your fall.""You really think I'm lying, don't you?" Niamh sat up and slapped Bridget across the face without warning.Bridget, who was crouched beside her, was completely stunned. She gaped at Niamh in shock. This woman had absolutely no class!"Niamh!" Harvey's voice came low and sharp.Sitting on the ground, Niamh tilted her head back and snapped. "Why are you yelling at me? Do you not see me as your brother anymore?"Bridget opened her mouth, but she immediately shut it again after hearing Niamh's absurd words. There was no point arguing with an idiot—idiots were experts at dragging others down to their level.Fuming, Niamh punched Harvey's leg. "Your best friend is being falsely accused here, and you're just standi
Beau might have been better off staying silent, but the moment he spoke, Niamh covered her face in frustration.That idiot! She barely stopped herself from cursing aloud.His hasty denial was as obvious as a guilty thief declaring innocence before being accused. Finnegan stepped toward Beau as his towering presence cast a shadow over the small boy. Beau looked up and felt as if a mountain was about to crush him."Why are you so sure there's no one down there?"He couldn't meet Finnegan's gaze, and his frail shoulders trembled uncontrollably. He stood frozen like a tiny shrimp caught in a beam of light. His mind was blank, unable to form a single word."What are you hiding?" Finnegan's sharp instincts immediately sensed something was off."Daddy!" Beau wailed in terror and darted behind Harvey, seeking refuge.Harvey's face remained ice-cold. He, too, realized his son was lying. Meanwhile, the plainclothes security team had already secured the safety ropes and swiftly descended t
Harvey had no patience to let Elara finish. The moment he realized she had fallen down the slope as well, he actually felt nothing but frustration.Casting a cold glance at Niamh, he turned to Elara and asked, "Are you saying Niamh pushed you and Xavier down?""Exactly!" Elara answered firmly."You and Xavier aren't hurt, are you?" Harvey's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.Since they weren't injured, what was the point of holding Niamh accountable? Since no harm was done, wouldn't it be easier to pretend this never happened?Elara looked at the man in front of her. The sunlight fell just right, casting sharp shadows on them. Though he stood only a step away, the distance between them felt like an endless chasm.Among all these people, only she and Niamh appeared disheveled. Fortunately, Finnegan had taught her defensive techniques. As she tumbled down the slope with Xavier, she had done everything she could to shield him and herself from serious harm.Meanwhile, Niamh look
Later, when Elara's foster father passed away, Harvey had accompanied her to the cemetery. He had placed her hand inside the pocket of his down jacket, and wrapped his large, warm palm around hers.She had looked up and seen snowflakes falling onto both of their shoulders. At that moment, she had foolishly believed that sharing snow together that day meant they would grow old together for a lifetime.Harvey had once warmed her heart, but after marriage, she finally understood that coldness and indifference were his true nature.Finnegan's voice broke through her thoughts. "What did Niamh do to you?"He wanted Elara to confirm it on the spot."She pushed me and Xavier down the slope!""I didn't!" Niamh immediately denied it."Ugh!" Xavier let out a sharp sound, his brows furrowing in anger as he pointed at Niamh.He held up the chanterelle in his hands and then pointed at Beau.Beau immediately threw a fit. "What! This has nothing to do with me!"Xavier puffed out his cheeks a
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
The mayor, Craig Strickland, was both surprised and delighted by Elara's words. "So, Quantum Tech has made such rapid progress on the digital project under Ms. Jones' leadership!"He turned to his secretary and ordered, "Clear my schedule for the next two hours. I'll be accompanying Ms. Jones to inspect Quantum Tech."Elara's voice drifted to Leonard's ear. "Would Mr. Fisher like to join us as well?"Leonard let out a soft scoff. "You do enjoy making trouble for people."Elara volunteered eagerly, "I can push your wheelchair!"Only after she had wheeled Leonard onto the MPV did he speak again. "Do you plan to use me as your shield at Quantum Tech too?""Mr. Fisher, I need you." Her voice, that was soft yet earnes,t sent a ripple of something unnameable through Leonard's chest."I need your guidance. I want you to watch over me a little longer."She settled into the seat beside him as the MPV door slid shut. Leonard's expression tightened imperceptibly, his right index finger re