<h4>Chapter 279: A Rival’s Provocation</h4>


    Eric nced at the stunned E, a sarcastic smirk ying at the corners of his lips. Clearly, someone was envious of his rtionship with her—otherwise, why would they send such a video to his inbox?


    He opened the video, and as the explicit footage yed, both E and Eric’s expressions grew darker and more grim.


    E quickly snatched his phone, stopping the video. Her body trembled with anger. "How shameless! What a despicable person! They... they actually photoshopped my face and Mason’s onto those people!"


    The video wasn’t the one from when Mason cornered E in the restroom, but instead, it was a video of a couple having sex. The faces of the man and woman had been altered to look like Mason and E, and it made her feel like she was about to explode from fury.


    Eric let out a coldugh, his face clouded with even deeper darkness. "I heard that when you were with Chloe, you fell into the pool, and Mason and Henry jumped in to rescue you?"


    E lowered her head quietly. "Yes, they thought I couldn’t swim. But, darling, I never gave them any reason to think they had a chance. Please don’t be upset."


    A trace of cold malice shed through Eric’s eyes. "I don’t me you, but this video..."


    "It’s not real! Someone edited me into it!" E fumed, her anger reaching a boiling point. She wanted nothing more than to rip Mason into pieces.


    Eric leaned backzily against the headboard, his fingers gentlybing through her long hair. "Of course, I believe you. But we’ll definitely find out who sent it. Whoever did this... their Photoshop skills are quite advanced."


    Wait... did he just say it looked *real*?


    "If this video gets out, it could seriously damage your reputation." Because the video was so convincing, many people would undoubtedly believe it if it were made public.


    E gasped in horror.


    "But don’t worry. I’ll have someone take care of it immediately." Eric’s voice was icy, the cold violence in his eyes chilling.


    E didn’t understand much about this kind of technology, but the thought of bringing someone in... meant they wouldn’t be able to have their intimate moment. Eric’s expression grew darker by the second.


    He made a call, summoning Larry Reed, a hacker he had personally trained, to handle the issue.


    "Honestly... even if it went online, I wouldn’t care that much," E said, trying to soothe Eric’s foul mood. "People will see the truth eventually. Haven’t you seen how many celebrities get attacked like this?"


    Eric shook his head. "If I let them get away with this, it would make me look weak and ipetent."


    E fell silent.


    By the time Larry arrived and took care of the situation, E had managed to cook Eric some egg noodles with tomatoes. When Larry left, Eric finally sat down to enjoy histe-night meal.


    As he quietly ate, E cautiously asked, "Did you figure out who sent it?"


    Eric looked up, his eyes sharp and cold. "It was someone from the Carter Group."


    The Carter Group.


    E’s face twisted into a bitter smile. So it was Sean’s family. These people really couldn’t leave her alone. Scheme after scheme—they really thought she was easy to push around?


    She had no desire to fight with a dying old man, nor with a man who had betrayed Grandma Carter.


    But apparently, they had never intended to leave her in peace.


    Fine. If that’s how they wanted to y, then so be it!


    E’s eyes gleamed with a cold sharpness, and the gentle contours of her face hardened. "If the whole Carter family can’t stay out of trouble, next time they won’t be so lucky."


    Eric chuckled lightly. "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it."


    "No! Some things I have to handle myself to make them truly fear me. Otherwise, they’ll always think you’re my crutch. Without you, they’ll just get bolder!"


    The Carter Group must have assumed Eric was still abroad, which is why they dared to be so brazen.


    Eric’s mood lifted at her words. He loved this side of E—the cunning, fierce side. This way, even when he wasn’t around, she wouldn’t be an easy target.


    A woman who acted like a pushover would never win his heart. As far as Eric was concerned, the stronger E became, the more she aligned with his desires.


    After finishing his noodles, E cheerfully gathered up the dishes to clean, and as she headed into the kitchen, her phone rang with an upbeat tone.


    Eric nced at it, seeing it was an unfamiliar number.


    Between him and E, they always answered each other’s phones without hesitation—no secrets, no reservations.


    So, casually, Eric picked up E’s phone and answered the call.


    "Hey, wildcat, are you asleep? Or maybe you’re thinking about that moment in the bathroom when we ran into each other? I know he’s not around, so I figured I’d keep youpany. You should be grateful."


    The voice on the other end was arrogant andced with suggestiveness.


    A rival in love?


    No, this was no rival. Eric’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he let out a cold chuckle. "Mason, your skin’s getting thicker, and your mouth filthier."


    There was a brief pause on the line, and it was clear Mason was caught off guard, not expecting Eric to be back so soon.


    ording to the information Mason had received, Eric was supposed to be flying back tomorrow!


    "I didn’t expect Mr. Nelson to return so quickly. Well, well... is Miss Davis there? Why don’t you let her take the call?" Mason repliedzily, a hint of provocation in his tone.


    He was clearly trying to stir up trouble between E and Eric.


    Only by doing that could Mason feel a twisted sense of satisfaction.


    "If you’ve got something to say, you can tell me. I’ll pass it along," Eric’s face grew darker, his voice colder.


    Mason had been introduced to him through foreign connections, and after a small coboration, they hadn’t worked together since. Eric had moved on to bigger alliances with the Anderson family.


    What he didn’t expect was for Mason to shamelessly chase after his woman.


    "Confessions are meant for the person themselves, not for someone else to hear," Mason said,ughing without shame.


    "If you want to make it back home in one piece, I suggest you shut your mouth," Eric replied calmly.


    "Mr. Nelson, don’t be so narrow-minded. Even if you two are married, I still have the right to pursue E! There’s now in any country that says a man can’t fall in love with a married woman, is there?" Mason taunted, his voiceced with amusement.


    Eric’s eyes narrowed sharply.


    It seemed Mason had done his homework—he knew about their marriage. That confirmed it: Mason hade prepared.


    But was his real goal E? Did he truly love her, or was there something else driving him?


    Eric’s eyes darkened with a cold gleam. "Me? Narrow-minded? I wouldn’t mind at all if E decided to rip your heart out and we all got to see if it’s ck or red."


    Mason let out augh. "Eric, we’ll see about that." And with that, he hung up, clearly pleased with the effect his words had had on Eric.