Finnegan was in charge of keeping the rhythm with a pair of drumsticks. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his tanned skin glistened with sweat under the bright white lights, giving off a metallic sheen.The muscles on his arms were layered and defined, and his biceps were as solid as iron when flexed.Theodore narrowed his fox-like eyes and couldn't help but smirk. "Is your brother planning to perform on stage with Merida?"Elara nodded. "There's going to be some choreographed interaction between them. The routine Merida's preparing requires teamwork with my brother."Theodore let out a soft snort. It seemed Finnegan had put in a lot of effort for Merida this time. He teased, "Once your brother steps on stage, he's definitely going to gain a lot of admirers."Elara smiled. At that moment, Finnegan turned and began guiding Merida through a complex tap sequence on the raised platforms.Merida's feet tapped rapidly, but she stumbled slightly, losing her balance. Finnegan quickly steadi
Less than half a minute into the practice session—"Ugh!"Harvey was forced back a step by Merida as a low groan escaped his throat. He felt like his ribs were about to break!Every muscle, connected to his nerves, throbbed with pain. Harvey quickly felt a metallic taste rise in his throat, and he choked, coughing violently.Merida, standing on the raised platform, immediately asked, "Mr. Harvey, are you okay?"Harvey clutched his chest, surprised that after taking a kick from Merida, he could barely straighten up.Before he could respond, a cool, mocking voice cut in. "Mr. Harvey, are you sure you can handle this?"Harvey turned sharply to see Theodore leaning against the wall. His posture was casual as he smirked at Harvey. His lips were curled into a grin, and his eyes filled with mischief.Everyone knew what Harvey's intentions were when he suddenly showed up to practice with Merida. But neither Elara nor Finnegan stopped him because they were well aware of the consequences
Harvey practiced with Merida for over an hour. By the end of it, his chest heaved violently, and his breathing was heavy and labored. The sound of it was echoing clearly in the empty basketball gym.Sweat poured from his head like a flood, drenching his dark hair, which clung to his forehead. It even softens his usually sharp features. It looked like he was standing in the rain as sweat streamed down his cheeks.Harvey had already taken off his jacket and the sweater vest he'd been wearing underneath. His navy-blue moisture-wicking shirt was soaked through, and the fabric was darkened by sweat.He bent slightly at the waist, relying on sheer willpower to keep himself from collapsing. But his legs felt like they were made of cement, and he could barely lift them to walk.Merida jumped down from the raised platforms. She was still in her performance outfit, her cheeks flushed and tiny strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead.She ran over to Elara, who handed her Merida's per
Beau opened his mouth wide, his wails echoing through the empty basketball gym. He clutched the container of oranges Elara had given him, but he looked like a small, abandoned animal."Mr. Beau!" The bodyguard hurriedly tried to comfort him, but had no idea how to stop Beau's crying.Harvey walked over. "Beau Fisher, why are you crying?"He was annoyed by his son's sudden emotional breakdown. "You're five years old. What's there to cry about?"Earlier, Harvey had seen Elara give Beau the container of oranges. As soon as Elara left, Beau started crying. Harvey now reached out to take the takeout box from Beau's lap."No!" Beau shouted.He immediately leaned forward to shield the oranges with his body, as if they were his most precious treasure.Harvey's expression turned cold as he warned, "Stop crying!"He didn't know how to comfort a child; he was just frustrated that Beau was crying in front of so many people.Afraid that Harvey would take the oranges away, Beau quickly grab
"Mr. Snapp, congratulations on acquiring Jones Group.""Mr. Snapp, does this acquisition mean that things are getting serious between you and Ms. Jones?"The moment news broke of Theodore and Elara's relationship, it caused a stir across all of Capitol's elite circles. Many business figures attended the event not just for appearances, but in hopes of catching some firsthand gossip.Theodore stood with one hand in his slacks pocket, the hem of his suit jacket creased slightly from the gesture."If Elara and I have any good news to share in the future, we'll be sure to inform you all right away."At that moment, the crowd immediately sensed how close he and Elara must be. They clearly really were dating!"Fantastic! We'll be waiting for your announcement!""Ah, Ms. Jones and her luck in love! Anyone who sees it can't help but say—what a blessed life she leads!"As the crowd buzzed with teasing remarks about Theodore and Elara, a portion of the chatter suddenly fell silent. The pe
Elara had pinned her dark hair into a sleek bun at the back of her head. A crescent-moon-shaped enamel hairpiece held it in place, secured further by a hairpin with black tassels that blended seamlessly into her hair.She wore a light gray tailored suit with a cinched waist, paired with loose, comfortable trousers. Her black low-heeled shoes clicked steadily against the floor with every step—each one firm, and assured.The employees of Joss Tech were already used to seeing Elara in her sharp, capable form."Morning, Ms. Jones," they greeted her warmly as she passed.However, for many of the other guests—figures from the business world invited to the event—it was their first time encountering the woman who now sat at the helm of Joss Tech. Quite a few stood at a distance, scrutinizing her with appraising eyes."Who would've thought someone who got married before even finishing college could become a company's vice president? She spent seven years as a pampered wife in the Fisher fa
Yet at some point, Harvey stopped needing Elara to do those things for him. He began to reject any affectionate gesture she made toward him.The disappointment and loneliness in Elara's eyes had been plain to see, but he ignored it completely. The woman he once dismissed so casually—he could never have her again.The love he had personally discarded was now given to someone else without hesitation. He simply watched as Theodore lowered his head and flashed Elara a brilliant smile.In that moment, Harvey felt an unbearable emptiness crack open in his chest, a black hole that no feeling could ever fill.He forced himself to look away and kept repeating to himself that it's just a brooch. Elara had given him more than one brooch in the past. He wasn't jealous of Theodore—not at all.After all, he had received so many gifts from Elara before: brooches, ties, watches. But now, he couldn't even remember where he had put any of them. He couldn't recall a single design she had chosen.We
Elara sensed something was wrong. She lifted her head and looked toward Theodore. His smile had turned razor-sharp, unreadable. No one could tell what he was thinking at that moment.Then, Theodore raised the speech folder in his hand and showed everyone the blank pages inside."I have no idea which bastard handed me an empty speech folder," he said coolly.Gasps rippled through the guests seated below."How could the folder be blank?""Who would pull something like that?""This is Joss Tech's turf. Could someone from Joss Tech have done something this childish, hoping to provoke Mr. Snapp?"Several people shifted their gaze toward Elara, their expressions now laced with suspicion.Theodore placed both hands firmly on the table and leaned forward, casting his gaze downward toward Harvey, who sat in the first row."Whoever tried to trip me up during this signing ceremony clearly doesn't want Snapp Group to successfully acquire Joss Tech," he declared.Elara reached for the bla
Elara looked under the desk. What on earth was going on?Meanwhile, Harvey observed Elara in her formal women's suit on the computer screen—an attire he'd never seen her wear before.Her hair was pulled back into a bun secured by a simple ebony hairpin. A few strands, gilded by sunlight, curled against her porcelain cheeks.Though she appeared to be looking down at something, Harvey's gaze and thoughts remained completely captivated by her face. Only months had passed since their divorce, yet seeing her now felt like encountering someone from another lifetime.Had time stretched endlessly during his days at Atkina Church?"El—" Harvey's throat tightened as if stuffed with paper.But he quickly regained his usual composed tone. "Elara—no, I should address you as Ms. Jones now. Had Sam not called me, I wouldn't have known you'd assumed Quantum Tech's CEO position."His voice carried that innate condescension of the privileged, laced with unmistakable mockery."Why are you hiding
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