"Harvey, take out your phone."Leonard issued the command, and no matter how reluctant Harvey was, he had no choice but to comply.One of Leonard's subordinates stood beside him, ensuring that Harvey opened the group chat named Capitol Brotherhood.Harvey lifted his phone mechanically, aiming the camera directly at Niamh. His chiseled features that were usually striking were now as cold and sharp as a blade.Striking a snake at its weak spot would render it powerless—Elara had seized Niamh by the throat with a single move."Ahhh!"There was another smack and Niamh immediately shrieked while clutching her face in pain.No! They couldn't film her like this!If a video of her in this pathetic state was sent to the Capitol Brotherhood group, everything she had painstakingly built—her carefully crafted image among the city's elite—would be utterly destroyed.Leonard's subordinate issued the command, "Ms. Niamh, apologize to Ms. Elara and Mr. Xavier."Niamh's fingers clawed at the
Harvey could try to not send it. Try—and he'd be finished.Harvey drew in a sharp breath, and he said in a cold voice, "Niamh already knows she was wrong. She's still your sister, so don't take it too far."Zachary, who was standing off to the side, snatched Harvey's phone straight from his hands. "Why the hell are you dragging out sending a damn video?"Zachary knew exactly what was going on. If this continued any longer, Leonard would make Harvey suffer another round of punishment.And if both of Harvey's hands ended up useless, how the hell was he supposed to face the board tomorrow?Since Leonard had spoken, Zachary had to follow through. He tapped the send button without hesitation."Mr. Fisher Senior! Please don't send it!" Niamh's desperate, weak cry rang out.Elara's tone was light, but her words cut deep. "Mr. Fisher, do you really think that look in Niamh's eyes says she knows she was wrong? Damn, I didn't realize your eyesight was this bad."Harvey turned to Niamh, a
Harvey took back his phone without checking the chat history in the Capitol Brotherhood group chat. Whatever those people had said after seeing the video of Niamh's brutal punishment didn't matter to him.His right hand gripped the phone tightly, while the palm of his left hand that was lashed 30 times by the bamboo stick throbbed with pain. His skin was raw, and fresh blood pooled in his palm. The medical staff stood nearby, but none dared step forward to treat his wounds.His voice was cold as he asked Elara, "Are you satisfied now?"Before she could answer, he sneered. "You're bullying the weak just because you have power."Elara chuckled. "I have power to wield—do you?"Her eyes curved with amusement, and the smile on her radiant face deepened. "Mr. Fisher, I'd advise you to keep your tail tucked from now on."She inhaled deeply, letting the crisp air fill her lungs, refreshing her entire being.Harvey's expression darkened. Just as he was about to retort, Elara sighed and s
"Ahhh!" Niamh screamed all the way down as she tumbled down the slope, her mouth filling with dust and sand.She landed in the bushes below while suspended mid-air by the ropes. Leonard's subordinates secured the rope, ensuring that with her hands restrained, she wouldn't be able to climb back up.Then, they handed a pair of safety harnesses—one large, one small—to Harvey and Beau, instructing them to put them on themselves."Prof. Fisher said that only by making the perpetrators experience exactly what their victims went through can they truly understand what should and shouldn't be done."He also said, since you failed to educate your child properly, he will personally teach both of you how to behave."Harvey's expression darkened. Grabbing the back of Beau's collar, he slid down the slope with him."Wah! Daddy, I'm scared!" Beau clung to him while wailing.Harvey scolded him sharply, "Be a man! Toughen up! Just stop crying!"…On the way back to camp, Elara noticed that Fin
Elara's face burned instantly. Through the phone, she heard the sound of body wash being squeezed out, and her mind spiraled out of control. Just what part of himself was Theodore washing now?His voice, deep and rich, echoed through the bathroom, making it even more seductive. "Why'd you call?"Elara pressed a hand to her feverish forehead. Her brain felt like it had been tossed into a boiling pot. Clinging to the last shred of her rationality, she quickly explained why she had called."It's like this—my friend is coming back next week. You know her too, Mr. Snapp—my navigator, Lesley Lupone. So, I wanted to borrow Corona. Would that be okay?"Theodore agreed without hesitation. "Sure. Then, as a former owner of the Moonchaser Racing Club, can I apply to pick her up myself?"Elara chuckled. "Of course."Just then, she suddenly heard a soft hiss from Theodore. She froze for a moment and glanced at her phone—only to see Theodore's damp face appear on the screen.It was a man fres
Finnegan stood stiffly, like a Doberman on high alert.Elara climbed into the car, her voice soft and sweet as she asked, "Xav, can I carry you?"Still half-asleep, Xavier instinctively leaned toward her. He nestled into Elara's embrace, and she gently lifted him out of the car.As he rested against her shoulder, he inhaled the light, comforting scent clinging to her. His half-lidded eyes fluttered, and he instinctively wrapped his small arms around her neck, seeking warmth.The household staff arrived to greet them, but when they saw Elara carrying Xavier, their eyes widened in shock. Xavier avoided people and refused physical contact with anyone. Even with Leonard, the person closest to him, he often remained unresponsive.Seeing how he was willing to be held by Elara, could this mean his autism was improving?"Is Mr. Xavier asleep? Would you like me to carry him?" one of the staff offered.Elara shook her head. "No need. He's awake, but his body hasn't fully caught up yet."
Leonard's gaze had already shifted away from Finnegan. He simply said, "As you wish."Then, he looked at Elara with a calm, distant expression. "Thank you for saving Xavier."Elara, however, dismissed it lightly. "It was Xav who saved me."Xavier grasped Elara's hand, patted his own chest, and then pointed at his smartwatch. Elara quickly understood what he meant. He was saying that as long as he was there, he would always protect her.Elara smiled warmly and praised him. "Xav, you were so brave today!""Xav! Can I kiss you?" Merida hugged Xavier, and when he didn't resist, she planted a kiss on his cheek.Elara crouched down and gently kissed the top of Xavier's head. His cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, and his dark eyes shimmered like a sky full of stars.On the way back to the camp, Elara had already told Merida about what had happened when she and Xavier went searching for mushrooms. After hearing the story, Merida had been furious, and she was eager to confront Beau rig
In the drawing, only the queen's expression was sorrowful. Xavier pushed out another picture.This time, he had used crayons to sketch the queen in a pink dress holding her daughter's hand as they left the castle. But in this picture, the queen's face was bright with happiness.Elara then picked up the third drawing Xavier handed her.In this one, the queen and her daughter encountered another king. The king stood beside a young boy and was holding out a diamond ring, proposing to the queen.A soft rustling sound came from behind the door as Xavier slid out a fifth drawing. This time, the queen had formed a new family with the king, along with their children. However, her face was blank, lost in confusion.Xavier had a gift for drawing. With just a few simple strokes, he captured expressions so vividly that they felt deeply real.Elara sat on the floor, leaning against the door. In her hands were Xavier's five drawings, along with the note that read: "I don't want you to be my mo
Harvey lifted his gaze and double-checked the apartment number. It was correct. This was the place Elara rented with Merida.Standing in front of him was Lesley, dressed in gray plaid pajamas that leaned toward a more androgynous style. She had even thrown on a loose-fitting loungewear jacket over them.She had just been about to start her skincare routine, so her bangs were pushed up with a sports headband, making her look even more like a fresh-faced, youthful young man."Harvey Fisher!" Lesley's expression turned instantly cold.She had never formally met Harvey face-to-face. Five years ago, there had been a few times she spotted him from a distance, but that was it.However, she had done her research. The moment she found out about Elara's divorce, Harvey's photo became her personal dartboard.Harvey's sharp, oppressive gaze swept over Lesley's face. The suffocating pressure he exuded burst out like a wave, filling the narrow space. "Lesley Lupone, is it?"Like a monarch iss
Theodore paced back and forth by the sofa twice before dialing Finnegan's number."Hello?" Finnegan answered in an irritated tone, but before he could say anything more, Theodore's anxious voice shot through the receiver."My dearest brother-in-law, hurry up and take Merida away! Elara finally reunited with an old flame, so no one should disturb them! She has a big race next week, and I only care about her physical condition!"After whatever happens between her and Lesley tonight, she can't afford to fool around anymore!" As he said this, a sharp pain twisted in Theodore's chest.Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Finnegan was in the middle of a workout at the gym. His deep blue quick-dry shirt had darkened with sweat, clinging to his broad chest and sculpted muscles. Beads of moisture dripped from his closely cropped hair, each strand standing on end like a porcupine's quills.Finnegan pressed his lips together, his breath steady but heavy. The damp fabric of his shirt outl
It was Elara who had pulled her up and brought her to Capitol. Compared to Elara, her own abilities seemed mediocre.During Lesley's first year in Capitol, it was Elara who supported her, using her own scholarship money to cover her expenses. When Elara was recruited into the Moonchaser Racing Club, she recommended Lesley to her agent as her navigator.Meanwhile, Vincent and the others had been hired as highly paid international engineers. In the beginning, Lesley had no way of communicating with them. It was Elara who always held her hand and helped her run forward.When they parted ways, Elara had poured most of her money into Lesley, sending her abroad for further studies."When I was 14, Mr. Leonard Fisher brought me to the Capitol. He dressed me in the finest clothes, gave me the most expensive imported stationery, provided me with a car, and let me live in a private apartment."He did all this not to spoil me, but to free me from unnecessary labor and pointless social intera
Lesley remained speechless in the face of Theodore's threat.That night, Elara prepared a full table of home-cooked dishes. When Lesley saw that they were all the foods she used to love, her eyes instantly grew warm with emotion.She sat beside Elara, eating her creamy garlic pork chops while savoring every bite as if she could swallow her own tongue.Lesley devoured her food like a starving tiger, taking huge mouthfuls. When she noticed Merida staring at her in awe, her face turned red with embarrassment."Sorry, Merida."Merida shook her head. "So, it's not just me who thinks Mommy's cooking is amazing! Lesley, eat as much as you want!"Back when Elara lived with the Fishers, Ethel had made her responsible for preparing meals for Harvey and the children. Yet every time she cooked, Harvey and Beau would nitpick and find faults.Beau had grown accustomed to Elara's cooking, but he always acted as if he were eating it begrudgingly."Beau, if you really don't want to eat it, then
Harvey had thought Luna was deliberately toying with him. He had seen plenty of women play this kind of hard-to-get game.But even after he put up the race cars Luna supposedly wanted for auction, she never showed up. That made him wonder—was the race at Mount Clockwork just a high-speed fantasy he had conjured up?And now, Luna was about to reappear. Harvey sent a voice message to Cyrus, "Keep a close eye on Luna the moment she shows up at the International Racing Championship!"A powerful urge surged inside him—he had to remove Luna's helmet. He had to see her real face.…The sleek black Corona hugged the road, speeding along effortlessly. Lesley sat in the passenger seat, turning to look at Elara behind the wheel as her face glowed with happiness.It felt as if they had traveled back in time to five years ago, or maybe even further.Despite their five-year separation, there wasn't even a hint of awkwardness between them. The moment they reunited, it was as if they had never
"Luna is also participating in the exhibition race?" This was Cyrus' first time hearing this.He looked at Elara with suspicion. "How do you know that?"But he quickly figured it out on his own. It had to be Lesley who told her.Given how close Elara and Lesley were, even if Elara only had a surface-level understanding of racing, she would still hear news about Luna from Lesley.Vincent's fighting spirit ignited the moment he learned Luna would be in the race."Luna's making a comeback?" He immediately relayed the news to his colleagues."I'll make sure she realizes that her success was all because of us! Without our support, Luna is nothing!"He turned to Lesley in an agitated manner. "Unless Luna can get Moonchaser Racing Club's big boss to back her up and form a stronger team than ours, she won't stand a chance of getting a good result in this race."Another engineer chimed in, "There's no team in the world stronger than ours right now! We're going to use an amateur driver t
Before Cyrus could finish speaking, Lesley interrupted, "I hate Fisher Corp. None of my companies will ever work with them!"Cyrus frowned in confusion. "Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about Fisher Corp?"He glanced at Elara and suddenly seemed to realize something. Turning back to Lesley, he asked, "Did Ms. Jones say something to you? Something bad about us?"Mr. Lupone, please don't misunderstand. Ms. Jones knows nothing about Fisher Corp, and she has a terrible relationship with my boss. Mr. Fisher has always hoped to hire you with a generous offer to coach Ms. Niamh in racing. Please reconsider...""Not interested." Lesley's expression grew wary as she watched Cyrus. She pressed closer to Elara, resting her chin on Elara's shoulder. "I only serve Luna.""Lesley, why would you turn down such easy money?" A middle-aged man approached. It was Vincent Frazier, one of Moonchaser Racing Club's engineers.Lesley's face darkened. "Harvey Fisher expects you all to train a n
Theodore felt a chill spread through his entire body, his hands and feet turning cold as blood rushed to his head.Was the world really this unfair?Elara's bed was big enough, so why couldn't it fit a third person? His throat tightened, and his Adam's apple bobbed painfully.Elara noticed that Theodore's eyes were red. "Mr. Snapp, what's wrong?"The man shook his head, his voice damp with emotion. "Nothing... As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."A series of question marks popped up over Elara's head.Lesley's arms tightened around Elara's waist, and she rested her chin on Elara's shoulder, whispering, "He's acting really weird!"Theodore's fists clenched tightly. He had never suffered such humiliation before!That little lap dog was taking full advantage of Elara's affection, and he was twisting the knife deeper at every opportunity!Just as Theodore was about to snap back, Elara gently cupped Lesley's face and said affectionately, "Let's go home first. You just
Lesley met Theodore's dagger-like gaze, and her heart trembled a few times. Who was this guy? He looked a little familiar.She had just gotten off the plane—why did it feel like she had already run into an enemy? Meanwhile, Merida effortlessly pushed the luggage cart, racing across the smooth tile floor.Startled by Theodore's stare, Lesley instinctively hid behind Elara. She had always been shy around strangers, disliked physical contact, and was particularly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of men.After cutting her hair short and adopting a more androgynous style, she had rarely drawn the attention of the opposite sex. Even when people did look at her, it was usually because of her striking features, and their gazes were more admiring than intrusive.Finnegan greeted her with a nod and said in an indifferent tone, "Long time no see."Lesley nodded back, considering that enough of a greeting. To her, Elara's older brother wasn't particularly memorable—aside from being absurdly t