Chapter 112:
Sylvia felt a thrill of joy but feigned shyness, lowering her head. “How did you sense my presence? You startled me!”
Darren cherished her delicate, bashful demeanor, savoring the admiration that gleamed in her eyes. She was unlike Elena, who remained perpetually indifferent and never spoke sweetly, lacking any feminine grace, always overshadowing him.
He believed a woman should embody gentleness and virtue, just as Sylvia did. A woman like Elena would never capture any man’s heart.
Darren caressed Sylvia’s waist thoughtfully, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. “Still so charmingly timid.”
Sylvia had hoped for more, but Darren’s kiss was fleeting before he quickly turned away. As he did, the mask of shyness vanished from her face. She was determined to share his bed soon.
Sylvia poured a bowl of soup for Darren. “Darren, drink it while it’s warm.”
With each spoonful he consumed, her plan fell further into place. She had meticulously added a special ingredient to the soup. Darren downed two bowls in quick succession, a wave of heat spreading through his body like wildfire.
Sylvia leaned forward with calculated innocence. “Why is your face so red? Let me help you take off your jacket.”
As her delicate fingers grazed his skin, Darren’s restraint crumbled entirely, and he pressed her beneath him.
“What are you up to?” Sylvia whispered.
Darren felt a stirring in his lower body. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I want you.”
Sylvia offered token resistance. Soon, the room echoed with the symphony of their passion. Darren surrendered completely to desire, blind to the connection between the online news and Elena.
Meanwhile, Elena had unearthed the source of the malicious rumors before her father and brothers could. She arranged to meet her target at a quaint café directly across from Leopardex.
When Elena glided into the café, Ruby was already there. Elena claimed the seat opposite her.
Ruby’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup, her brow furrowed with apprehension. “Why did you want to see me?”
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“You know the answer,” Elena replied with deceptive lightness, her casual tone masking the steel beneath.
Ruby’s gaze darted anxiously, and she stammered, “I—I already resigned from Leopardex. How would I know why you’re looking for me?”
Only hours earlier, after scrolling through the online headlines, had Ruby discovered Elena’s true identity as the daughter of the formidable Harper family. She now bitterly regretted selling those defamatory articles to the media in a moment of vindictive weakness. But regret was a luxury she could no longer afford.
She clung desperately to the hope that Elena lacked concrete evidence to tie her to the smear campaign.
Witnessing Ruby’s transparent charade, Elena shattered her illusions with clinical precision, reciting an address from memory.
“Did you think sending an anonymous email would keep you hidden? This is the IP address used to send the defamatory articles to the media, and it’s from your home. What else do you have to say?”
