Chapter 157:
Worried that mentioning Benjamin and Cecily might upset Elena, Holley chose her words carefully.
Holley had noticed that Elena’s loyalty to Sheila was far stronger than her bond with Benjamin and Cecily. Over the years, Elena never missed a monthly visit to Sheila.
Benjamin and Cecily, however, only sent money for upkeep and never came themselves. This time, unexpectedly, Cecily had come in person to take Sheila away.
Elena lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the turmoil inside her. Without showing emotion, she said steadily, “Oh, I must have forgotten. Holley, I need to get something from Sheila’s place.
I’ll see you later.”
Without another word, Elena headed up to the second floor.
The moment she disappeared inside, the elders beneath the tree began murmuring among themselves.
“That poor girl. I heard the Reed family cast her aside. Her real parents are from some backwater village. Such a pity.”
Holley pressed a hand to her lips. “Oh my… No wonder she had no idea Sheila was gone. The Reeds are so cold-hearted. She grew up with them, and she’s such a kind soul.”
Elena didn’t hear their quiet conversation. She pushed open the door and found the room completely empty, her expression hardening. Cecily wasn’t bluffing. Cecily had actually stooped to using Sheila as leverage against her.
Elena pulled out her phone and dialed Lydia. “I need you to track someone down.”
Lydia, who had been lounging lazily on a couch, immediately sat upright. “What’s going on?”
Elena gave no details, simply saying, “I need an investigation into the Reed family. Sheila has disappeared.”
Given Cecily’s strained relationship with Sheila, Elena doubted Cecily had taken Sheila home.
“Consider it done,” Lydia replied, pounding her chest with confidence. The Reeds were making a grave mistake—of all people, they had chosen to target Sheila.
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As Elena’s closest friend, Lydia understood just how much Sheila meant to her. There were two people Elena would never allow anyone to harm—her mentor and Sheila.
Lydia figured that while she had failed to track down Elena’s mentor, locating Sheila was within reach.
Without wasting another second, Lydia flipped open her sleek black laptop.
Meanwhile, after ending the call, Elena’s expression remained unreadable. A cold intensity radiated from her as she composed an email. She sent it to five recipients—the key business partners of the Reed family. The message was brief, containing only a handful of words: “Terminate the partnership with the Reed Group.”
The recipients of Elena’s emails were alliances formed in the early days of the Reed Group’s business, with contracts negotiated by her. They ranged from suppliers of raw materials upstream to construction firms handling joint projects and sales organizations downstream. Their loyalty was solely to Elena.
