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 suggestion was tempting, but Beau hesitated. "But if I turn in such a simple project, I'll never get a star.""I can order tons of stars online and give them to you! Then you'll have plenty of stars!"Beau looked at Niamh as if she were an idiot. "Niamh, do you usually wear fake stuff when you go out?"Niamh immediately denied it. "I never wear fake things!"Beau raised his voice. "If I take those stars you bought to kindergarten, won't I just get laughed at by the other kids? Only the stars the teacher gives out are real stars! Haven't you heard of the story called The Emperor's New Clothes?"He huffed angrily before saying, "You're just fooling yourself!"Being reprimanded by a five-year-old left Niamh's expression a chaotic swirl of embarrassment and frustration. "Fine, fine! I'll help you finish building the space fortress."If Elara could build a space fortress out of plastic straws, there was no way she couldn't.Ten minutes later, Niamh accidentally crushed the n
Bambi protested, "The space fortress was something Mommy stayed up all night making for you!""Mommy's space fortress was junk! It already fell apart! Niamh made me a new one, and it's the best!" Beau boasted as his face brimmed with pride.Bambi clenched her little fists at his words.She and Beau had both seen how Elara stayed up late working on their craft projects. Why did Beau treat their mother's hard work like it was nothing?The truth was, Elara didn't want to push herself so hard either.She had once paid the household staff overtime to help finish Beau and Bambi's craft projects. However, the staff had reported her to Ethel."The reason we allowed a Hawke University genius like you to marry into this family wasn't so you could shirk your duties, Elara. Your only job is to dedicate yourself fully to raising the Fisher family's heir. "Beau's future is your life's work. How dare you delegate his homework to the staff?" That was what Ethel had said to her.While the hous
The craft enthusiast who helped Niamh assemble the space fortress had warned her that the large structure could easily collapse once the box was opened.They specifically told Niamh to handle it with extreme care, as any damage would be her responsibility.Beau nodded earnestly, placing his trust in Niamh.Bridget, however, spoke sternly. "Ms. Jones, you can't do this! Beau's craft project hasn't been displayed or voted on yet, so giving him a spot on stage is unfair to the other children!"Niamh responded with a carefree laugh. "Do you know Madam Fisher is a board member of this kindergarten? Or that Beau's father is coming to the auditorium today to hear Beau's speech?"Beau's eyes lit up instantly. "Daddy is coming to school?"Bambi could hear Beau's excited voice while sitting in her seat, and her heart skipped a beat. Her own eyes brightened as well."Daddy's so busy with work—why would he come to school?" Beau asked in disbelief.Niamh grinned smugly. "If I tell him to co
Elara's gaze froze as she looked at Harvey.It was unbelievable. It was as if the sun had risen in the west. She had tried countless times to get Harvey to attend the kindergarten's parent-child activities, yet Harvey always said he was too busy.Even Ethel had scolded her, telling her not to bother Harvey with such trivial school events. She told Elara that raising and managing everything related to the children was her duty as Mrs. Fisher.Yet now, Niamh and Harvey were standing in front of her."Elara, I brought Harvey with me!" Niamh declared brightly.Harvey noticed the unfocused look in Elara's eyes as she stared at him, and he found it amusing.How could she not love him? The way she looked at him still showed love—he was sure of it.Harvey sat down next to Elara, with Niamh taking the seat on his other side.The other wealthy mothers in the room turned their attention to them, already buzzing with interest as though they were watching a drama unfold."When Beau showcas
"Beau, hurry up and take out the space fortress!" Niamh said.She reached for the box, but Beau immediately closed it while shaking his head frantically. "No! We can't take it out.""Take it out!" Niamh barked in a low voice. "I worked so hard to make this space fortress for you, and now you're hiding it? This is embarrassing!"Beau threw himself on top of the box, pressing his body against it to stop Niamh from opening it. Niamh tried to pull Beau away, but he clung to the box with all his strength.Suddenly, the box toppled over.Plastic straws spilled out in all directions, scattering across the stage. Among the straws was a pink sticky note that fluttered to the floor.The words on the note were caught by the camera, and it was projected onto the large screen for everyone to see.It wrote, "You think 200 bucks is enough to make someone stay up all night building a space fortress? Dream on!"Beau collapsed onto the stage floor, staring in shock as the straws rolled across th
Niamh quickly covered Beau's mouth. "What's the point of calling your mom now? Do you think she can make you win first place?"Beau choked back tears, and his blurred gaze shifted toward where Bambi stood.Bambi's craft project was already labeled as an Outstanding Work. She was standing in line at the edge of the stage, waiting for her turn to present."Mommy can definitely help Bambi win first place!"Niamh scoffed with a sneer. "Bambi won't win first place!"Beau's tearful eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at Niamh."You don't believe me?"Niamh smirked and gently squeezed Beau's shoulder. "Just watch me!"Nearby, Bambi had a large plastic bag beside her, containing her craft project. With a sly smile, Niamh walked over and casually pressed her foot onto the bag.Bambi noticed Niamh's movement out of the corner of her eye. Though she was much shorter than Niamh, Bambi was quick.She grabbed Niamh's ankle and flipped her over completely with a strong tug."Ack!"
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
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