Chapter 11:
Afraid to admit to Benjamin that she had angered Jolie during their mall encounter, Cecily swiftly turned the blame toward Elena.
I never imagined Elena could stoop this low. We gave her a good match with Locke Powell, even though he was divorced. He agreed, yet she turned him down. Now look at her—running around as a mistress. Benjamin, if you show Mr. and Mrs. Harper her true nature, I’m sure the deal can still be salvaged!
The longer Cecily talked, the more certain she grew of her argument.
Benjamin couldn’t stomach accepting this defeat either. Losing the deal wasn’t just about money—it meant the company’s entire future was hanging by a thread. Elena’s beauty was undeniable. Why else would he have considered marrying her to a divorced businessman?
Being a man himself, Benjamin could easily guess what other men saw in Elena. It wasn’t hard to imagine Alexander developing feelings for her.
Benjamin’s features grew stormy. “We cannot afford to lose this deal. If Elena truly crossed this line…”
Alexander had the Reed family escorted out of the mansion forcefully. Jolie embraced Elena, her voice tinged with regret and sorrow. “I’m sorry for not being there to protect you earlier, making you suffer so much.”
Elena harbored no resentment. In reality, she hadn’t suffered greatly over the years. The wealth of the Reed family was insignificant to her. Though still getting accustomed to such displays of affection, Elena softly patted Jolie’s back. “I haven’t really suffered.”
Elena then presented the gifts she had prepared for Alexander and Jolie. They had given her gifts the day before, and she wanted to reciprocate. Alexander opened his box to discover a translucent sapphire ring, elegantly carved with exquisite patterns, while Jolie received a similarly styled ring but with a different design. These rings were beautiful, radiating a subtle warmth when held. Engraved on the back of each was Helena’s distinctive signature.
Alexander was astonished. “These are the first creations by the renowned jeweler Helena, which brought two hundred million at auction. How did you come by them?”
Jolie, accustomed to seeing valuable items, also recognized the rings’ significant value.
Elena nonchalantly responded, “They were a gift from someone.” In truth, they were her initial creations, sold at auction, and then returned to her five years later by someone who had sought her help.
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Alexander began to see that his daughter was far from ordinary. Items of such exclusivity usually denoted a high social standing. Yet, she had given them away so effortlessly.
Just then, Jolie’s phone rang. It was a call from her eldest son, Jeffry Harper.
At the same moment, Elena felt her phone vibrate in her pocket—it was an alert from her hacker organization. She checked it and saw a new assignment. A company was offering thirty million to secure their firewall.
Her subordinate inquired, “EI, there’s a thirty million job. Are you on it?” Elena paused, considering the request. Fixing a firewall was straightforward and hardly a challenge. She preferred to spend this time with her parents and wasn’t looking to take on work.
Elena texted back. “Pass it to someone else. I’ve reconnected with my biological parents here in Klathe and am not taking any jobs.”
“I can’t, El. The client insisted on you. Why else would they offer thirty million just for a firewall fix?”
