Chapter 107

Elena's POV

I felt anger rising from deep within me.

"Little Bear, You managed to escape, why did you come back to be with him? What exactly is your relationship now?"

He leaned forward, his face full of excitement and indignation.

I was taken aback.

Our relationship?

I opened my mouth to answer, but when I saw the fire in his eyes, something suddenly became clear. My throat felt blocked, unable to speak.

"Answer me!"

"We... we don't have any relationship," I finally said, all color draining from my face. "I'm staying here to look after the children."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the shears dropped to the ground with a clatter, as if that sentence had drained all my strength.

Jason didn't notice my pain. But hearing we had no relationship, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"That's good. You've finally become smarter. If you're just a nanny, then it's normal you don't know these things."

"N-nanny?"

"Aren't you? Someone hired specifically to take care of his children. So you don't need to hesitate anymore. It's better he didn't tell you—he has his plans, we have ours. What do you say, Little Bear? Come with me that day?"

He laughed carelessly.

I couldn't describe the feeling that welled up inside me. I only knew that anger and heartbreak filled my heart.

Yes, he had told me that while we maintained our marriage, he wouldn't marry any other woman. But he never said he wouldn't be with another woman.

Hadn't Victoria been with him for a full six years?

I sat in the garden for a long time, immersed in my thoughts, not even noticing when Anna came to find me.

"Ms. Winter, Mr. Cooper has left. He asked me to tell you that he'll send over the dress and jewelry on the day of the party. Did you agree to attend the party with him?"

I looked up at her, blinking as if waking from a dream.

"Yes," I answered absently, my fingers tracing the edge of a rose petal. "Gerald asked me to go too."

Anna nodded. "Should I inform Mr. Blackwood about your plans?"

My head snapped up. The last thing I needed was for Richard to hear about my attendance from someone else. "No," I said firmly. "I'll tell him myself."

"Alright," she said before retreating back toward the house.

I remained in the garden as twilight deepened into night, the stars appearing one by one above me.

Richard's POV

It was past nine when I finally left Blackwood Tower. I hadn't worked this late in a long time.

Highland Estate was quiet when I arrived. The main living room sat empty, no sign of Elena or the children. Their scents lingered in the air.

Anna appeared from the kitchen. "Good evening, Mr. Blackwood. The children are already in bed. Ms. Winter took them up about an hour ago."

"Has she come back down?" I asked, loosening my tie.

"No, sir. She's still upstairs."

My eyes drifted to the dining room where dinner was clearly waiting. "I won't be eating tonight."

Without waiting for her response, I headed for the stairs.

My daughter's room was dimly lit by her night light. I approached her bed silently, studying her peaceful sleeping face. Despite the blanket wrapped around her, I could sense she was slightly cold. Kathy had always been sensitive to temperature drops.

I carefully pulled the comforter higher, tucking it gently around her shoulders. Reaching out, I placed my palm against her forehead, checking if she was normal.

Satisfied with her condition, I adjusted the thermostat to raise the room temperature by two degrees. After checking on all three children, I finally turned toward Elena's room.

I moved silently down the hallway toward Elena's room.

Elena's POV

I was scrolling through messages from Jason on my phone when my body suddenly tensed. I could feel that he was back.

Sensing his approach. As he touched the door handle, I quickly switched off my phone screen, placing it face down on the nightstand. I pulled the covers up and closed my eyes, my heart racing betrayingly fast.

The door opened without a knock. Of course. In Richard's mind, he could do whatever he wanted in his territory.

I kept my breathing steady, feigning sleep, though I knew I would likely be discovered. His footsteps approached my bed, then stopped. I could feel his gaze on me, assessing, analyzing.

"I know you're awake, Elena." His voice was low. "Your heartbeat gives you away."

Damn. I opened my eyes to find him looming over me, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

"What are you doing, Richard?" I asked, sitting up against the headboard.

His eyes flickered to my phone on the nightstand. "Hand me your phone."

"Excuse me?" I stared at him in disbelief.

"Your phone, Elena. Now." There was a command in his voice.

I felt a pull to comply but resisted it. "That's private."

His jaw tightened. "Nothing in my house is private from me."

"This is ridiculous—"

In a flash, he moved, snatching the phone from the nightstand before I could react. I lunged for it, but he easily stepped back, holding it out of reach.

"Password," he demanded.

"Go to hell."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't test me tonight, Elena. My patience is already thin."

The tension in the room thickened. I could sense his wolf close to the surface. Fighting him on this would only make things worse.

"5-2-9-3," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.

He entered the code and began scrolling through my phone, his expression intensely focused. I watched his face, looking for any reaction, but his mask remained firmly in place.

After several minutes of tense silence, he looked up, slight confusion in his eyes. "It's all photos and messages about the children."

"What did you expect to find?" I asked, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice.

He didn't answer, continuing to scroll through my phone.