Chapter 215

Chapter 215

As Elowen spoke, her voice grew more and more choked, making her look utterly aggrieved.

"That assistant—she worked for me for three years. I trusted her completely. Who would have thought she'd do something like this behind my back? I only learned the truth yesterday. I was so furious that I scolded her and fired her immediately!"

She reached out, trying to grab Alaric's sleeve.

Alaric stepped back to keep his distance, his voice steady. "Are you done?"

Elowen froze.

Alaric walked to his desk, picked up the phone, and pressed a button. "Send someone up."

Elowen's expression changed.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and a woman in crisp business attire stepped inside.

It was Elowen's assistant, Pearl Parker.

The moment Elowen saw her, her face drained of color. "You… what are you doing here?"

Pearl glanced at her, her eyes void of anger, filled only with disappointment.

Alaric gestured to the sofa. "Sit. Tell us everything you know."

Pearl nodded, sat down, and looked at Elowen. "Ms. Forbes, I'm very disappointed in you."

Elowen's lips began to tremble. "You... don't talk nonsense!"

Pearl ignored her, turning to Alaric. "Mr. Stuart, all those things... Elowen made me do them. She drafted the chat logs for me to send, signed the transfers herself, and personally went to sign the contract with that management company."

She retrieved a document from her bag and set it firmly on the desk. "This is evidence she told me to destroy. I kept a copy. Inside is a plan written in her own hand—timeline, steps, budget—all clearly detailed."

Elowen's face drained of all color.

"You're lying!" She shrieked. "You're framing me! Did Harper buy you off?"

Pearl looked at her, a flicker of pity in her eyes. "Ms. Forbes, I worked for you for three years. In those three years, which of the things you asked me to do did I not do? Help you suppress new designers, help you steal others' partnerships, help you smear competitors... I did it all. But this time, you really went too far."

She stood up. "Fabricating plagiarism evidence, bribing media—this would destroy someone's entire career. My conscience couldn't take it, so I kept the evidence. If you insist on pinning this on me, I'll have no choice but to release everything."

Elowen sank onto the sofa, trembling violently.

Alaric picked up the plan, opening it for a glance.

The plan was in Elowen's handwriting, clearly outlining how she framed Harper.

Alaric closed the document and looked at Elowen. "Now, do you have anything else to say?"

Her lips quivered, tears streaming unchecked down her face.

This time, she was completely speechless.

Alaric rose and moved to the window, his back turned to her.

"Elowen, I gave you a chance," he said. "That night, if you'd told the truth, if you'd admitted your mistakes, I might have helped you out for the sake of our families' friendship."

He turned to look at her, his gaze devoid of warmth. "But you didn't. You're still lying to me now. Not only are you lying to me, but you’re also trying to shift the blame onto an employee who served you for three years."

Elowen fell to her knees with a thud. "Alaric, I was wrong! I was truly wrong! Please forgive me this once, okay? I'll never dare again! I promise, I'll stay far away from you both and never bother you again!"

Alaric’s gaze remained cold, devoid of any sympathy.

"You're begging the wrong person," he said. "The one you should be begging is Harper."

Elowen sat paralyzed on the floor, unable to say a word.

Beg Harper? She'd rather die.

"Security, escort Ms. Forbes out. Don’t let her in again without my permission."

Elowen was dragged out.

She stood on the street, watching the glass door closing slowly. Her nails dug deep into her palms.

It hurt—but compared to the hatred burning in her heart, what was this pain?

People nearby recognized her, pointing and whispering among themselves.

She couldn't hear their words, but she knew it couldn't be anything good.

Harper.

Elowen repeated the name in her mind, each syllable pierced her mind like a poisoned needle.

Why? A divorced woman, a castoff thrown out by the Getty family—why could she win Alaric? Why could she beat her?

She, Elowen, had family background, talent, beauty—which aspect wasn't better than that piece of trash?

Harper didn't deserve it!

Elowen took a deep breath, the madness in her eyes slowly gave way to cold calculation.

If Alaric wouldn't help her, fine—she had other options.

The Stuart family.

As long as the Stuart family stood on her side, as long as Alaric's father, Xander Stuart and mother Raina accepted her as their daughter-in-law, no matter how stubborn Alaric was, could he defy his parents? Could he disregard decades of family friendship?

Early the next morning, Elowen dressed carefully.

This time she wore something even plainer—a cream-colored knit sweater, a dark gray long skirt, her hair pinned up neatly, with only the faintest touch of makeup on her face.

In the mirror, she looked every bit the well-bred young lady—gentle, sensible, and proper.

She practiced her smile in the mirror until it looked gentle and appropriate, then picked up the prepared gifts and headed out.

The gifts were carefully selected—Raina's favorite coffee, Xander's preferred wine, and a limited-edition scarf she'd brought back from Sylvanor.

This was an expense she could easily afford.

The Stuart Villa, a century-old mansion, stood in the western part of the city.

Roses twined around the wrought-iron gate.

Elowen had often come here to play as a child and knew this road all too well.

Every time she visited back then, Raina would smile and pat her head, saying, "Elowen is such a good girl."

Back then, she'd thought that someday she'd become the mistress of this place.

When she pressed the doorbell, Elowen's hand trembled slightly.

The door was opened by the Stuart family's old butler, Ollie. He froze, startled at the sight of her. "Ms. Forbes?"

"Ollie," Elowen said with a warm, measured smile, "long time no see. I’ve come to visit Mrs. Stuart. Is she in?"

Ollie hesitated, his gaze lingering on her face for several seconds.

That look unsettled Elowen, though she quickly composed herself.

"She is. Please come in."

Elowen entered the living room and immediately spotted Raina.

She sat on the sofa, sipping tea and holding a photo album, seemingly absorbed in the old photographs.

Sunlight slanted through the window, casting a gentle halo over her white hair.

"Mrs. Stuart," Elowen called softly, her voice soft and gentle.

Raina looked up. When she realized it was Elowen, her smile faltered slightly.

The change was subtle, but Elowen caught it.

A pang of dread hit her, yet she kept her smile and walked over.

"Elowen? What brings you here?"