Niamh's voice reached Harvey's ears.Bound and restrained, his cold, piercing eyes were locked onto the television screen. He knew Niamh was referring to Elara.What kind of dirt had she dug up on her?The only truly outrageous thing Elara had done—something that could bring catastrophic consequences to the Jones family—was imprisoning him here. But how could Niamh possibly know about that?Harvey felt a nerve in his brain throbbing violently.No! Niamh couldn't expose the fact that he was being held captive!In the next second, Harvey's pupils dilated in shock. The large screen lit up, displaying explicit footage.It was Abel's face which turned dark, almost purple with rage."Ahhh!" Daphne instinctively raised her hands but forgot to cover her mouth, letting out a piercing scream.The other members of the Jones family, as well as the shareholders, gasped in unison. Everyone in the room looked horrified, and some even wore expressions of fear.Niamh stood on the stage, takin
Elara Jones was carrying her daughter as she rushed to the hotel. At this moment, her son's fifth birthday party had already begun.Meanwhile, Harvey Fisher stood beside their son as the warm glow of the candles illuminated the child's tender face.Beau Fisher clasped his hands together and made a wish. "I wish Ms. Niamh could be my new mom."Elara was shivering from the cold as it was raining heavily outside. She had gotten herself soaked trying to keep her daughter and the birthday cake dry.Her clothes clung to her body like a thin layer of ice, wrapping her in cold discomfort.Niamh Jones burst into hearty laughter. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me Ms. Niamh! Call me Niamh! Your dad and I are more like brothers, so I can only be your second dad or something."Her laughter echoed through the private room. The guests, who were all Niamh's close buddies, joined in the laughter. Only Niamh would dare to tease Harvey this way in front of so many people.Beau b
Niamh turned to Harvey and made a playful face. "Elara misunderstood us again. I'll go explain everything to her.""There's nothing to explain. She's just too sensitive."Harvey's expression remained indifferent as his gaze shifted to the half-eaten birthday cake Elara had left behind. His brows were knit.With Harvey's final word on the matter, the tension in the room eased. Elara storming out wasn't a big deal anyway.The others chimed in agreement. "Elara's just upset. Harvey can calm her down when he gets home.""Exactly. There's no way she'd actually divorce Harvey. Everyone knows Elara almost gave her life to have his kids.""Who knows, she might already regret walking out the door!""Come on, let's eat the cake! By the time Harvey gets home, Elara will probably be standing at the door like a loyal wife waiting for her husband!"Harvey's brows relaxed as he imagined Elara timidly standing by the door, cautiously trying to please him.Meanwhile, Beau savored the cake Niam
Harvey's suggestion to have Scotch eggs was, in truth, a ploy to get Mary to contact Elara. He thought he was already offering her a way back into the fold."Mrs. Fisher said she isn't coming back," said Mary.Harvey choked on his coffee, unable to suppress a coughing fit.Mary sensed something was amiss. "Did you and Mrs. Fisher have an argument, Mr. Fisher?""Mind your own business!" Harvey's sharp tone chilled the air in the dining room.Mary shrank back, not daring to say another word while Harvey tightened his grip on the mug in his hand.How could Elara possibly not come back? By now, she should already be preparing the homemade lunch she always sent to his office.Whenever Elara upset him in the past, she would personally deliver lunch to the office as a reconciliation gesture.…Bambi sat at the dining table, and her eyes lit up when she saw the breakfast. "Wow! Chicken noodle soup!"Bambi loved chicken noodle soup, but Beau would gag at the sight of it. At the Fisher
Harvey had already hung up on the other end of the line.Elara got back into her car, pressed the accelerator, and sped out of the parking space. She didn't notice the black sports car trailing her like a shadow.…The scenery on both sides of the road blurred into streaks as the car raced past. The silver Volvo streaked across the asphalt like lightning.Elara's dark eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. It had been a long time since she had driven this fast. The rush of adrenaline surged in sync with the speedometer needle climbing to its peak.She overtook three flashy sports cars in quick succession, leaving their drivers shouting in surprise."Whoa! Who the hell was that?"Someone in another car instructed while speaking through a Bluetooth earpiece, "Get me the details on that license plate."The modified sports cars were left far behind one at a time. Elara didn't ease off the accelerator even on the winding curves of the mountain road.The group of young thrill-seekers
Meanwhile, Niamh stepped off her modified motorcycle while carrying a paper bag. The security guard stared wide-eyed at the woman in skintight yoga pants.Niamh casually tossed her loose hair over her shoulder. She then greeted the guard with a carefree smile, and entered the kindergarten.She already knew which class Beau was in, and she walked over with a grin upon spotting Bridget."Hi there, I brought more wax bottle candies for Beau. I heard the ones he brought were a big hit with the other kids."Bridget eyed Niamh critically. "So, you're the one who allowed Beau to bring those candies to school?"Niamh's face lit up with excitement. "Yes! These wax bottle candies were made by a friend of mine using premium beeswax…""So, it was you who nearly caused my son to choke to death!"The furious shout exploded behind Niamh. A resounding slap landed squarely across her face as she turned, leaving her seeing stars."Why the hell are you hitting me?" Niamh yelled."It's because yo
Elara's mind went blank. It was as if a tidal wave had crashed over her, tearing at her body and fueling a storm of anger and humiliation.Her expression remained calm as she reached out and picked up the necklace, while Niamh's eyes lit up with a mocking gleam.Harvey leaned against the sofa, and looked away. He was convinced that Elara was like a dog—neglected one moment but wagging her tail the next the moment he beckoned her.Elara hooked a finger under the necklace around Niamh's neck, pulling it forward. She then held the two necklaces side by side."Niamh, the mother-of-pearl on your necklace is of much better quality. How about we trade?"She didn't call out the fake necklace directly as Niamh would have no shortage of excuses to dodge responsibility. Elara wanted Niamh to silently swallow the loss.The delicate chain tightened against the back of Niamh's neck, and she froze awkwardly. Her earlier anticipation of Elara foolishly wearing the fake necklace out in public and
Elara handed Harvey the pen.Niamh widened her eyes at that moment, unable to hide the glimmer of hope shining within them. When she saw Harvey sign the divorce agreement, a secret sense of triumph lit up her face."Elara, you're being so dramatic! I'd wake up laughing in the middle of the night if I had a husband like Harvey!"Elara shot Niamh a faintly mocking glance. "Do you hear how desperate you sound?"Harvey tossed the signed divorce papers at Elara. "You can throw your tantrum, but don't vent your frustrations at Niamh."Uninterested in arguing further, Harvey lowered his voice and spoke to Bambi. "If you ever want to come home, you can always call Daddy."Bambi tilted her head up and looked at Harvey. She didn't say a word and only tightened her grip on Elara's hand.His gaze toward Elara was cold and indifferent. "Bambi is my daughter, so she's welcome to come back anytime, but you… It won't be so easy for you to return."Harvey seemed like a god perched high above as
Niamh's voice reached Harvey's ears.Bound and restrained, his cold, piercing eyes were locked onto the television screen. He knew Niamh was referring to Elara.What kind of dirt had she dug up on her?The only truly outrageous thing Elara had done—something that could bring catastrophic consequences to the Jones family—was imprisoning him here. But how could Niamh possibly know about that?Harvey felt a nerve in his brain throbbing violently.No! Niamh couldn't expose the fact that he was being held captive!In the next second, Harvey's pupils dilated in shock. The large screen lit up, displaying explicit footage.It was Abel's face which turned dark, almost purple with rage."Ahhh!" Daphne instinctively raised her hands but forgot to cover her mouth, letting out a piercing scream.The other members of the Jones family, as well as the shareholders, gasped in unison. Everyone in the room looked horrified, and some even wore expressions of fear.Niamh stood on the stage, takin
Niamh clicked on Elara's Instagram profile, only to find that the video Elara had previously posted in her stories was gone. She looked up, her eyes dark and venomous as they locked onto Elara.Did Elara really think deleting the video would erase the fact that she had provoked her? Niamh had already saved the video of Elara and Harvey!Seeing the faint smile curling at the corner of Elara's lips, Niamh became even more convinced that Elara had posted that story specifically for her to see.Elara was just furious that Harvey had signed a settlement agreement, leaving Beau still hospitalized while Niamh didn't have to pay a single cent in compensation.That's why, after refollowing Niamh, Elara had deliberately posted a story visible only to her, as a warning. Elara probably thought Niamh still had feelings for Harvey and would never spread the video, fearing it would damage Harvey's reputation.But Niamh was determined to show Elara that she had plenty of ways to fight back!Afte
After steadying her breath, Niamh strode confidently toward Elara. Since her release from detention, she had visited a hair salon to dye her hair a chestnut brown and style it into loose, bouncy curls tied into a sleek ponytail that swayed as she walked.She had also treated herself to a facial at a beauty salon, knowing she wouldn't have the courage to face so many people otherwise.Dressed in a tailored men's suit and polished black leather shoes, Niamh felt she looked effortlessly cool. However, to many of the older executives and shareholders present, her outfit seemed awkward and out of place."Congratulations, Elara, on finding your second match so quickly." Niamh approached, her gaze lingering on Theodore as she suppressed the envy and bitterness in her eyes."Mr. Snapp, I'm curious—how did you end up with my sister?"She wore an innocent, gossip-loving expression, but Theodore responded with a cold, dismissive glance."Impressive," he remarked dryly.Niamh grinned, her e
Abel wanted to seize the opportunity to impress the reporters, showcasing his eloquence and demeanor. However, Faye felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment."We've already done our research on Joss Tech," she said politely.Abel chuckled. "Then let me test your knowledge!"The overwhelming "dad energy" emanating from him made Faye instinctively hold her breath."Lara, why didn't you tell us earlier that you invited the media to film this?" Daphne exclaimed, her hands covering her flushed cheeks.The sight of so many professional cameras and photographers was like a shot of adrenaline to her, making her heart race.Many of the executives on the scene quickly adjusted their ties and suits, transforming into their most polished selves under the gaze of the cameras.Faye addressed the crowd, "My team and I are here to gather material for a feature report on Ms. Jones. Please act naturally and carry on with your conversations as usual. There's no need to pay too much attention to the
Niamh cast a teasing glance at Abel and said, "Dad, you really didn't need to make Elara bring Mr. Snapp. Aren't you just setting her up for failure?"When Niamh first heard that Theodore had become Elara's boyfriend, she thought it was either a joke from Abel or a lie concocted by Elara herself.After all, Theodore Snapp was the dream man and ideal partner for countless wealthy heiresses—the pinnacle of eligible bachelors. Even if Elara had won the lottery, there was no way she could ever catch Theodore's eye.Niamh knew Theodore had exceptionally high standards. Unlike other unmarried heirs from wealthy families, he had never been involved in any scandals since he was a teen.There was even a period when rumors circulated in their social circle that Theodore Snapp was rooting for the other team. However, it didn't take long for those rumor-mongers to receive cease-and-desist letters from his lawyers.So, when Abel claimed that Elara and Theodore were together, Niamh's first reac
Harvey glanced at the monitors surrounding him and shouted toward the voice receiver nearby, "Once I finish this bowl of soup, you'll let my mother go, right?"After he spoke, he waited for a long time, but there was no response from Elara.Harvey slowly bent down, his back arching as he lowered his head closer to the bowl of soup. He knew how undignified his posture must look, but he tried not to think about the humiliation of being recorded in high definition by the cameras.He then stuck out his tongue and tasted the soup. As he swallowed the bits of noodles, his mind began to lose control.He practically buried half his face in the plastic bowl, and the soup was nearly gone within moments. At this point, was there any difference between him and Beau, who had once fought with stray cats over scraps of food?Harvey buried his face in the plastic container, not wanting to lift it. He had been starved all day, and Elara had been merciless.The small amount of soup was enough to k
Harvey's shocked gaze slowly went to the bowl of chicken noodle soup on the floor. If he wanted to eat it, he would have to bend down to do so. It wouldn't make him much different than a dog.He was livid. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with anger. "You're doing this on purpose, Elara! Do you hate me that much?"He was like an agitated caged beast that rammed against its cage. The steel lock and chains clanged loudly. However, he suddenly fell silent the next second. He saw Elara smiling at him. That smile was like a night bloom."You had Abel shove Niamh into Joss Tech as my assistant. Since you disgust me that much, why can't I disgust you in return?"Upon hearing this, Harvey let out a cold laugh. She was taking revenge on him, but what right did she have to do so?"You killed Dawn!"The moment these words left his mouth, it was as if he had uttered a curse upon himself. Elara didn't argue with him. She couldn't be bothered to deal with his crazy words.She opened the d
In a certain room, the glow of the TV illuminated Harvey's face. He would never have imagined that he would be locked in a room in such a humiliating position to watch a news broadcast.The TV showed the time, so he knew he had been locked in here for a day and a night. Because he went without food or water for so long, his physical needs were minimal. However, he had sweated earlier and also soiled his pants. He could feel that his whole body stank.Never in his recollection had he ever worn the same suit until the next day. Even if he was pulling an all-nighter at the company, he would spend at least ten minutes showering and changing into clean clothes.He recalled the year Dawn died, there were a few times when he drank himself into unconsciousness. When he lay on the couch, Elara would remove his tie, change his socks, and wipe his face with a warm towel.She would even carry him to bed. Once he woke up the next morning, he would find himself in clean pajamas, feeling refres
Elara posted a clip of her stepping on Harvey. This particular clip, when viewed in isolation, easily made people's minds wander.In the video, she and Harvey each occupied half of the frame. His hands were suspended, but the handcuffs weren't shown. This made others think that he was sitting on the floor voluntarily, allowing Elara to trample on his body.Elara had also deliberately removed the audio, forcing the viewer to focus entirely on the side of Harvey's face and the spot where she had stepped on him. It was easiest for people to imagine intimate sounds in a silent video.His eyes were dazed, and his mouth was open. The kind of noises he would make were up for imagination.Niamh sent over a message she had prepared long in advance. "Elara, I didn't want to appear before you, but Harvey insisted on forcing me into Joss Tech. You know how I am—I'm used to being free and unrestrained. Now that I'm your assistant, you have to take good care of me!"After sending the message,