<h4>Chapter 291: Under Control</h4>


    Eric carefully blow-dried E’s hair, taking a small section at a time between his fingers before moving on to the next. His meticulous care made her smile, and the cloud of gloom that had hung over her all day finally lifted, revealing a sense of peace and happiness.


    "Honey, you’re so good to me!" E said sweetly. "I feel like I really hit the jackpot marrying you! Most women who marry into rich families have to sign contracts or something, like they’re being tested to make sure they’re not just after the money. But you’ve never doubted me, not even once."


    Eric chuckled softly. "You’re already wealthy yourself. Why would you care about my money?"


    E’s heart warmed even more, her eyes filled with affection as the gentle breeze from the hair dryer brushed her ears, causing them to flush a light red.


    Once Eric had dried her hair to about ny percent, he set the hairdryer down and, with a yful grin, rolled onto the bed next to her.


    E reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Are you hungry? Should I cook something for you?"


    "No need," Eric replied, squeezing her nose affectionately. "Mrs. Harris will be back tomorrow, so you won’t need to makete-night snacks for me anymore. You can keep being my pampereddy who doesn’t lift a finger."


    E pouted yfully. "But I enjoy cooking for you."


    Some people say that cooking is a woman’s essential skill. While E didn’t necessarily agree, she did believe that asionally cooking for the man she loved added a bit of fun and intimacy to their rtionship.


    "Thank you, sweetheart," Eric said with a soft smile, gently kissing her earlobe.


    E shivered slightly, like a shy girl experiencing her first love, and buried her face in his chest.


    Eric chuckled. "Want to go for another round...?"


    "Nope!" E quickly shook her head, giggling as she gave him a yful kiss on the cheek. "You’re tired too. Let’s just sleep."


    Eric simply smiled, taking her hand in his. It had be a habit for them to fall asleep holding hands, as if only then could they truly rest peacefully.


    The room fell into afortable silence, the distant sound of waves crashing against rocks could be faintly heard, and the soft glow of moonlight streamed in, casting a delicate shimmer throughout the bedroom.


    E gazed at the bright moonlight, her lips curling into a soft smile. Staring at the moon, she felt like she could see a bright future ahead.


    ...


    The next morning.


    The video of E "abusing" Sean spread like wildfire online. Although the footage only showed E walking out of the room, Sean’s fall to the ground afterward was clearly captured.


    The video’s quality was high, and when Leah helped Sean out, his injuries—bruised face and swollen eyes—were visible to everyone.


    The forums were aze with hate.


    People were condemning E, calling her heartless and cruel, someone who could viciously attack an elderly man without remorse,beling her worse than an animal.


    E watched the hatefulments with calmposure, though a cold gleam flickered in her eyes.


    Good, the situation was escting just as expected.


    Despite being in the eye of the storm, E didn’t rush to clear her name.


    At school, many of her ssmates eyed her warily, though those who were close to her, like Lauren, continued to believe in her innocence.


    "E, people have been trashing you on the forums for two days now. Why haven’t youe forward to exin yourself?" Lauren asked, clearly worried. As soon as ss ended, she pulled E aside, urging her to let Eric step in.


    "Yeah, E, we know you wouldn’t do something like that. Why don’t you just get the footage from the Imperial Crown Club to prove your innocence?" Damien asked, equally frustrated.


    A group of friends who had always been close to E gathered around, their eyes full of concern as they waited for her response.


    "Not in a hurry, I have my own way of handling this. Let them keep cursing for one more day," E said, her eyes sparkling with confidence, showing no signs of distress or defeat.


    "But... every time I hear people say those awful things about you when I’m out, it really bothers me," Lauren muttered, pursing her lips. "E, the Carter Group is really up to no good. Remember when Sean called you the child of a murdererst time? What a joke. That old man is heartless, nowhere near your level of character."


    E gazed calmly out the window at a nearby tree. "Don’t worry. Old Mr. Carter is so clever, it would be a waste if I didn’t let him enjoy the fruits of his scheme a bit longer."


    Damien and the others were helpless but, seeing E’s calm demeanor, they figured she had things under control.


    For three days, neither E nor Eric made any attempt to clear the air. In the meantime, television hosts, eager to curry favor with Sean, began discussing the incident publicly.


    Now, everyone was convinced that E had assaulted an elderly man in a private room and was getting away with it because of powerful connections.


    Sean’s family was overjoyed at the spectacle. The more people cursed E, the more delighted they became.


    That evening, the Carter family gathered around the dinner table, beaming as they enjoyed their meal.


    "Grandfather, this n really worked out. But it’s a shame you had to suffer through it," Leah said with a satisfied grin.


    The whole scheme had actually been suggested by Rachel, and though Sean hesitated for a while, he eventually went along with it.


    More importantly, the Imperial Crown Club was owned by the Carter Group, so when the club’s surveince conveniently "malfunctioned," there was no footage to help E, and her phone had been confiscated. No matter how smart or resourceful she was, this time, it seemed impossible for her to turn things around.


    "This little pain is nothing. If it ruins that girl’s reputation, then it’s worth every bit of it!" Seanughed heartily, pleased with how things were unfolding.


    Julia, worried for Sean, gave him a disapproving look and piled several pieces of his favorite ribs onto his te. "You should take care of yourself. This trick might have worked once, but don’t use it again," she said, her voice carrying a hint of reproach.


    "Don’t worry, Grandma. We won’t let Grandfather resort to such underhanded methods again!" Leah quickly reassured her.


    After a few days of rest, Leah’s face had healed, and the bruises were now barely visible.


    "Leah, you never told us who hit you. Was it that wild girl, E?" Frank asked gruffly, clearly upset. Leah was his precious daughter, and he rarely even scolded her. To think someone daredy a hand on her—it was infuriating!


    Leah gave an awkward smile. "No, Dad, you don’t have to worry about it. What we really need to focus on is figuring out how to get Mr. Nelson to divorce that girl, so we can make our next move."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, eager to see E out of the picture.


    Just then, Sean’s phone rang.


    "George, what is it? I’m in the middle of dinner," Sean said.


    "Sir, Miss E has just announced to the media that she will be holding a press conference tomorrow at ten o’clock to address the assault allegations," George reported.