"Let's all congratulate this man! He's now free from his shackles, and celebrating his new single life—happy divorce!"Niamh led the group in holding up a massive banner that read "Congratulations on Your Divorce, Harvey Fisher!" while confetti cannons fired off and air horns blared."Mommy, what is Aunt Niamh doing?" Merida asked, thoroughly confused.Elara squeezed her daughter's hand and sighed. "She's making a fool of herself… And dragging Mr. Harvey down with her."Elara took a detour around the crowd to avoid the spectacle. Meanwhile, Niamh smirked triumphantly as she watched Elara slink away.Harvey forced himself to approach her. "What the hell are you doing?"Niamh stood on her tiptoes to throw an arm around his shoulders. "Dude, I'm throwing you a divorce party!"Harvey pulled away, looking somewhat disgusted. "Keep your voice down. Do you think this is something to be proud of?"But Niamh wasn't fazed. If anything, she looked downright delighted now that Harvey and E
That white dress had been the best outfit Elara could wear out at the time.Niamh called out cheerfully, "Hey, sweetheart, come over and have a drink with us."The woman looked terrified, and she was frantically shaking her head. "I-I don't drink."A sneer pressed against the back of Niamh's throat. She glanced at the men in the room and asked, "So, this is your type, huh? All innocent and harmless? Even I feel like taking pity on her.""This little white rabbit is definitely appealing!""If Harvey's interested, we won't compete with him for her."Niamh's grin widened. "Don't be scared, sweetheart. Sit next to me. I won't bully you."The woman slightly lowered her guard upon hearing that and hesitantly walked toward Niamh.Niamh shoved a glass of liquor into her hand. "Come on, give Mr. Fisher a toast."Then, pushing against the woman's back, she forcefully guided her in front of Harvey. The woman then looked at the man's cold and distant profile.She called out trembling as
As soon as Niamh finished speaking, Wendy flinched like a startled bird. Her entire body was now trembling.Niamh was very pleased with her reaction. So, she simply turned and left.About ten minutes later, Wendy staggered out of the restroom, hunched over in pain. She was barely able to stand straight, and she looked like a walking corpse.Theodore stood outside, dressed in a crisp suit with an unreadable expression.Wendy handed him the memory card clutched in her palm."She didn't recognize me." Despite her bruised and swollen face, Wendy grinned. "I'm counting on you. I want her to rot in hell! I want justice for Dawn!"Theodore took the memory card, his fingers turning it over indifferently before he turned to leave.Wendy called out to him. "I just want to know, Mr. Snapp, why are you suddenly willing to help me seek justice? No matter how much I begged before, you didn't even look at this case."Theodore idly toyed with the tiny memory card between his fingers. "Because
Niamh flinched at the icy aura radiating from Harvey. She could see the murderous expression on his face."What happened? Did Elara say something to upset you again?"Harvey clenched his jaw and spat out two words through gritted teeth. "Theodore! Snapp!"Niamh was just as stunned."Hmm?" In the dead of night, Theodore's mocking laughter nearly burst Harvey's eardrums."You're in Elara's room?" Harvey's voice dropped several octaves.Niamh's jaw fell open in shock, unable to utter a single word."We just got divorced this morning, and you're already spending the night with her at a hotel?"At this moment, Harvey was like an enraged lion.Theodore, on the other hand, spoke in an unhurried, relaxed tone. "Elara is staying in a hotel under my name. It's late—I couldn't possibly allow my guest to be disturbed. Besides…"He paused deliberately. "Does getting divorced mean she's supposed to mourn you for a couple of years first?"The sneer on Harvey's handsome face grew even colde
Harvey let out a cold, dismissive snort. He felt surprisingly light when he got out of bed today. After taking a shower, he walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe.As soon as he looked up, he saw Niamh leaning against the sliding door, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She stretched lazily like a cat, just enough to reveal the defined lines of her toned waist."Harvey, you're up early."Harvey was stunned. The towel he had been using to dry his hair slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. He didn't even bother changing his wet slippers before striding into Elara's bedroom.He yanked the blanket off the bed, then turned his head, scanning the room as if convinced Elara was hiding somewhere.With a sharp flick, he pulled open the wardrobe. Inside, rows of high-end custom-made outfits hung neatly.When Elara left the Fisher family with Merida, she only took one suitcase. Most of the clothes inside weren't even hers but the ones she had bought for Merida.Everyone in the Fisher fam
The kids in Beau's class were all envious of him.…Meanwhile, at Sunny Side Diner, Merida was devouring a stack of fluffy pancakes. She then picked up her glass and gulped down her orange juice.She ate with such enthusiasm that a nearby elementary schooler, wearing a bright red hoodie, grabbed another bite of his syrup-drenched toast and stuffed it into his mouth.Seeing that Merida had finished her breakfast, Elara handed her a wet wipe. "Come on, let's head to school."The brightness in Merida's eyes dimmed instantly at the mention of school. Elara, who was always sharp, immediately sensed the change in her daughter's mood."What's wrong?""Mommy, I don't really like school anymore."Elara asked, "Did something happen?"Merida shook her head. Lately, she just noticed that other kids didn't like playing with her as much. But she didn't want to worry Elara by telling her."It's nothing! Even though I don't like school that much anymore, I still have my good friends there. B
Beau kept a straight face and issued a stern warning to his group of friends. "None of you are allowed to play with Bambi!"The kids lined up in perfect formation and saluted him in unison. "Yes, sir!"Elara noticed Merida's expression shift as she looked toward the school gate."Merida?" she called softly.Merida tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack, forcing her voice to sound lighthearted as she said, "Mommy, I'm going to school now! Bye-bye!"She then spotted her usual playmate and ran over excitedly. "Shirley!"Shirley Moore glanced at her, then quickly looked away and sped up her pace.Merida caught up to her, eager to share the news. "Shirley, guess what? I changed my name! I'm not Bambi anymore—I'm Merida Jones now! I took my mom's last name.""Don't talk to me." Shirley veered to the side, putting distance between them.Merida stopped in her tracks, completely stunned. "Shirley, what's wrong?"Shirley hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. "Beau
"You ungrateful brat! Put me down!" Beau screamed.Merida was furious, and she shouted back, "What did you just call me?"Beau yelled at the top of his lungs, "Grandma said our family wasted all that effort raising you! We're not siblings anymore!"You and that pretentious, fake woman are just sewer rats! We don't want to share a classroom with a rat!"Behind him, his little followers pinched their noses dramatically."Bambi! Let go of Mr. Beau!""Bambi smells so bad! She's gross!""My mom told me not to talk to Bambi anymore. She doesn't belong in our class!"Merida gritted her teeth and raised her other hand. Realizing she was about to hit him, Beau panicked and shouted to his friends. "Help me!"Yet, not a single one dared to step forward.Niamh leaned casually against her motorcycle while holding up her phone, recording every second of Merida lifting Beau effortlessly.She saw Merida raise her hand, about to strike Beau, and a grin spread across her face."Do it! Hit hi
Theodore's eyes gleamed like sunlight shimmering over a lake. He looked like a large dog trapped in a cage, gazing at Elara with unwavering intensity. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly like a windmill spinning at full speed.Elara screamed internally. This had gone a little too far! Her eyes then dropped to the tip of her own shoe. The place she had kicked… had grown!"Oh!" She quickly jerked her foot back, only to feel her body tip backward uncontrollably.Just as she was about to fall, Theodore reached out and grabbed her ankle.The moment his fingers touched her skin, her heart skipped a beat. Theodore pulled her back toward the desk.Elara froze in place like a statue. Her entire body was tense, her eyes were wide, and her pupils were unfocused."Elara, what's wrong?"Harvey had seen her suddenly lose her balance and fall backward. It startled him so badly, he looked as if he wanted to jump through the screen.A wave of helplessness washed over him. Luckil
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