Chapter 116: More chaos at the office.
"What? You met Amber? When? Where?" Sarah asked anxiously.
"After all these years..." Her expression darkened with anger. "What does she want now?"
Seeing the agitation on her aunt’s face, Elena immediately grew worried that the anxiety would worsen her condition.
"Calm down, Aunt," she said hurriedly. "She didn’t recognize me."
Sarah frowned in confusion. "You met her, and she didn’t recognize you? Tell me everything."
"I met her at Grandpa’s birthday party," Elena explained. "She is married to Mr. Sterling now."
"Mr. Sterling?" Sarah repeated in disbelief. "You mean the billionaire Cedric Sterling?"
"Exactly." Elena nodded. "And they have a daughter together."
Sarah’s expression instantly turned cold. "She married Cedric?" she scoffed. "How pathetic."
Elena stared at her in surprise. "You know him?"
Sarah gave a slow nod. "Your father worked for Cedric before he joined the Sinclair Group."
The revelation stunned Elena.
"What?" she exclaimed. "Dad worked for Cedric?"
Sarah’s eyes clouded with painful memories.
"Cedric was arrogant and demanding. He never treated his employees with respect. To him, they were nothing more than tools. He forced them to work endless hours without caring about their families or health."
Her gaze drifted into the distance as memories resurfaced.
"Thomas was under tremendous pressure back then. Every day he came home exhausted. And Amber..."
Sarah let out a bitter snort. "Instead of comforting him, she constantly argued with him."
Fragments of childhood memories surfaced in Elena’s mind.
She vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of her parents arguing. Terrified, she would run to her aunt’s room, where Sarah would hold her close and gently lull her back to sleep.
A tear silently rolled down Elena’s cheek.
"Amber always complained that Thomas never spent enough time with her," Sarah continued. "But he gave her everything he could. He worked himself to exhaustion just to provide a good life for his family."
She sighed bitterly.
"I thought she was simply lonely. I even persuaded Thomas to leave work early whenever he could and spend more time with his wife. I truly believed their marriage would improve."
Her fingers tightened around the blanket.
"But I never imagined she had already set her sights on her husband’s boss."
Sarah closed her eyes briefly.
"Now I finally understand why Thomas resigned so suddenly and moved away. At the time, I thought it was because of the unbearable workload. But in reality..." Her voice trembled. "He was trying to save his marriage."
Elena looked down silently.
Deep inside her mind, she still remembered their old house—the little swing in the backyard, where her father used to push her while she laughed.
It was one of the few happy memories she still possessed.
"Unfortunately," Sarah continued, "even that wasn’t enough."
Her eyes filled with resentment. "It was all because of Cedric. Amber ran away with him and disappeared overnight."
That day was forever etched into Elena’s memory.
Her mother had taken her out for ice cream. She remembered Amber crying as she knelt before her.
’Mommy has to leave.’
Little Elena had burst into tears. ’Take me with you...’
But Amber had simply stroked her hair. ’Stay with your father. He’ll love you, protect you, and keep you safe.’
Five-year-old Elena hadn’t understood those words. She had believed her mother would return in a few days. But she never did.
Closing her eyes, Elena could no longer stop the tears sliding down her cheeks.
"She is selfish, ambitious, and blinded by wealth," Sarah said fiercely. "She shattered my brother’s heart and abandoned her own daughter just to chase a luxurious life."
She suddenly grabbed Elena’s hands tightly. "Elena... promise me something."
Elena looked at her.
"Don’t go near her. Don’t acknowledge her. Since she doesn’t recognize you, don’t tell her who you are."
Sarah’s voice was firm. "She stopped being your mother the day she abandoned you. She means nothing to us anymore."
Elena wiped away her tears and nodded. "I won’t. I don’t care about her anymore."
Sarah gently pulled Elena into her embrace. "My poor child." She stroked her hair lovingly. "You are not alone. I’ll always be here for you."
Elena hugged her tightly. "I don’t regret losing a mother like her."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile...
As Elias stepped out of the doctor’s office, his phone rang.
The caller ID showed Owen.
He answered immediately.
"Sir," Owen’s anxious voice came through the speaker. "Things are getting worse. Clients have been calling nonstop. They all want to speak with you."
Elias remained composed, as though the crisis concerned someone else entirely.
"You need to come back," Owen urged. "Your silence is making people believe Noah’s accusations. The PR team is trying their best, but public opinion is getting worse by the hour. People are criticizing you everywhere. If this continues—"
"Calm down." Elias’s steady voice cut him off. "There is no need to panic. Let the PR team handle it for now."
"But, sir—"
"Start preparing for the charity gala."
Owen fell silent.
Every year, on the anniversary of his parents’ death, Elias hosted a grand charity gala. It had become a tradition.
Still, Owen had expected his boss to focus on the company’s crisis first. Yet Elias sounded completely unconcerned.
"I’ll arrange everything," Owen replied cautiously. "But—"
"Start sending out the invitations," Elias interrupted again. "And send one to Noah Sinclair."
Owen blinked in disbelief. "What? You want to invite him?"
He couldn’t understand what Elias was planning. ’The man has been attacking us relentlessly. Why invite him?’
"Yes," Elias replied calmly. "He must attend."
A faint, calculating smile appeared on his lips. Although Owen couldn’t see it, he instantly understood.
His boss had already prepared his next move.
Relief washed over him. "Understood, sir. I’ll send the invitations immediately."
After a brief pause, he asked, "When will you be back?"
"Soon."
Elias ended the call and headed toward Sarah’s room.
As he walked down the quiet corridor, he saw Elena stepping out of the VIP suite.
Her head was lowered, and sadness lingered in her eyes.
His pace quickened. "What’s wrong?"
Without saying a word, Elena walked straight into his arms.
Elias instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender frame. At first, he assumed she was worried about Sarah, and his expression softened.
"I spoke with the doctor," he said gently. "Your aunt is responding well to the treatment. There is a very good chance she’ll make a full recovery."
Elena let out a quiet sigh. She truly was relieved. But the heaviness in her heart wasn’t because of Sarah anymore.
It was because of Amber. Still, she chose not to tell him. Forcing a smile onto her face, she looked up at him.
"Can we stay here for a few more days?" she asked hopefully.
Elias smiled warmly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Of course." His answer came without the slightest hesitation. "We’ll stay as long as you want."
A genuine smile finally appeared on Elena’s face. "Thank you."
She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
Elias hugged her back just as firmly, silently wishing he could take away every sadness she still carried in her heart.