Chapter 260

On the hospital hallway bench, the smell of disinfectant hung in the air.

Elena clutched her phone. After a moment's hesitation, she finally called Felix.

The call connected, and Felix's warm, concerned voice came through:

"Elena, everything online has been taken care of."

If Elena was calling him now, she obviously knew what had happened.

A brief silence filled the line.

Then came Felix's helpless, bitter laugh:

"I turned the public opinion around."

Over the years, Felix and Elena had drifted apart.

But he'd never stopped keeping tabs on her.

Even though Felix knew Elena was now more than capable of handling problems on her own, he still wanted to do what little he could to help.

When she returned to Harmony City, Felix's first thought was that Elena had come back for Kian.

Especially now that she was running the Lancaster Group.

"I know you've always been independent, that you don't want me interfering in your business. But watching you get slandered like that—I couldn't just sit by."

He paused, his voice heavy with barely concealed bitterness.

"Over the years, there hasn't been much I could do for you. You've fought your battles alone, suffered so much, and I couldn't help with the big things. I can only lend a hand in small ways like this, hoping it might spare you some pain. Maybe... make you resent me a little less."

Because of Susan and Tatum, a chasm still stretched between them.

Hearing his words, Elena's eyes stung. She said softly:

"I've never resented you. On the contrary, I've always been grateful. You'll always be my mentor."

Those words landed like stones in Felix's chest, weighing him down with even more bitterness.

He'd never wanted to be just her 'mentor.' He didn't want gratitude. He wanted to stand beside her, to protect her for the rest of her life.

After a long silence, he couldn't help himself. His voice came out careful, tentative:

"Elena, let me ask you something. Have you decided to remarry Kian? Do you still love him?"

Elena's grip on the phone tightened. Kian's unconscious, injured form flashed through her mind. Her stomach churned, but she couldn't force out an answer.

It wasn't that she didn't want to say. She honestly didn't know herself whether what she felt for Kian was more hatred, or some unacknowledged feeling she hadn't let herself examine.

Right now, she had no mental space for matters of the heart.

"Felix, I don't have the bandwidth to think about this right now."

Exhaustion crept into Elena's voice.

"Kian's still unconscious. The Lancaster Group is a mess. Howard and Indigo are coming at me from all sides. I don't have the energy for anything else."

After hanging up, Elena leaned against the cold wall and closed her eyes, her mind racing.

Howard and Indigo had tried to use Eleanor to set her up this time. It hadn't worked—in fact, she'd gained the upper hand. But they were ruthless. They wouldn't let this go.

This time it was Eleanor. Next time, they'd come up with something even more vicious. Each attempt would be worse than the last. They might even go after Nora—and that was something she could never allow.

She'd only agreed to Arthur's request to temporarily stabilize the Lancaster Group until Kian woke up. Then she'd hand over control.

Cleaning out the parasites inside the Lancaster family wasn't her job. It wasn't something she could handle alone.

But after seeing what Howard and Indigo were capable of, Elena knew she couldn't wait any longer.

They'd been entrenched in the Lancaster Group for years. They had connections, leverage. To get rid of them permanently, she'd need Arthur's help.

After all, experience counted for something. Arthur had controlled the Lancaster family for years. He had to be holding something that could keep them in check.

With that thought, Elena pulled out her phone and called Arthur.

When he picked up, she didn't hold back. She told him everything—how Howard and Indigo had manipulated Eleanor, how they'd set her up, and how the online narrative had been reversed.

Her tone was grave:

"Grandpa, you've seen Howard and Indigo's ambitions yourself. They don't just want to take over the Lancaster Group—they'll use any means necessary to come after me. They failed this time, but next time they'll come back harder."

"I can't keep this up alone. I had to tell you all this. I need you to make a call."

On the other end of the line, Arthur said nothing for a long time. Only his heavy breathing came through.

Elena knew he must be furious.

After a lengthy silence, Arthur's voice finally came through, heavy with rage:

"They dared to do this?"

"For power, they'd use their own spouses, drag the Lancaster family's name through the mud—they're completely out of control!"

Elena could picture Arthur shaking with anger.

She spoke gently, trying to calm him:

"Grandpa, don't get upset. They're not worth damaging your health over."

"I know you've held back because of family ties, that you've been lenient with them. But you've seen for yourself—they don't know gratitude. They just keep pushing for more."

"If you keep indulging them, not only will Kian's life's work be destroyed, but the entire Lancaster family will be torn apart."

She paused, then continued:

"Grandpa, I know you must have evidence of Howard and Indigo's illegal activities."

"Years ago, they came after you, tried to force you to hand over control. And that resort project—Kian was the one who negotiated it, but somehow it ended up in their hands. You can't tell me you don't know what happened there."

Her words struck like a blade, hitting Arthur's most vulnerable spot.

Another long silence fell. When Arthur finally spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion, thick with regret and helplessness:

"Elena, you're right. I've been a fool. I turned a blind eye for too long, and I raised these ungrateful wolves. What a disgrace to the family!"

Arthur had lived through decades of storms. How could he not know about Howard and Indigo's schemes?

He'd just always believed blood was thicker than water. He hadn't wanted to go too far. But he'd never imagined that his leniency would only encourage them to push harder.

Arthur's voice cracked, and bitter tears slipped down his face.

"All these years, I thought Kian was too cold, not understanding enough with family. But in the end, the most filial, the most responsible one—it's him."

"Meanwhile, the ones I protected became the parasites eating away at the Lancaster family."

The bitterness in Arthur's voice made Elena's chest ache.

"Elena, don't worry. This time I won't let them get away with it. I do have evidence of their crimes. It's time they paid the price. I can't let them keep destroying the Lancaster family, destroying Kian's legacy!"

Arthur's promise was firm.

Elena opened her mouth, then closed it again without saying more.

She knew Howard and Indigo's good days were over.