?Chapter 451:


    “Freddy, all the negative news about Carole is gone. Do you know why?” Ellie inquired.


    “Somebody cleaned up Carole’s mess,” Freddy confirmed.


    Ellie couldn’t believe Kaiden would intervene for Carole. She ventured, “I heard Carole has family backing her up…”


    “It’s not the Lambert family. They wouldn’t meddle in our affairs,” Freddy pondered. Then, he added, “I heard a woman named Zoey was involved.”


    What?


    Ellie’s mind raced. Zoey Sawyer, Kaiden’s secretary, came to her mind. She recalled a recent conversation at GT Group where Zoey was mentioned as having gone to Estoqua. It must have been Zoey, under Kaiden’s instruction, who cleared Carole’s name.


    As she was piecing things together, there was a knock on the bathroom door.


    Before Ellie could respond, the door clicked open. Kaiden, in a white shirt and ck trousers, walked in barefoot.


    “You’ve been in here for quite some time,” he said, his toneced with concern.


    He had been waiting outside, worried that she might have fallen asleep in the bath. He found her looking distressed as he entered. “What’s bothering you?” he asked gently.


    Ellie reclined in the bathtub, her naked form submerged in the water, her beautiful eyes fixated on Kaiden.


    At this moment, an unfamiliarity crept into her perception of him. Despite Kaiden providing the care and affection she had longed for since childhood, propelling her step by step toward him, she now sensed a shift.


    She realized Kaiden could also extend his favor to others, diminishing her special status.


    The Thorpe family’s transgressions against her had prompted Kaiden’s retribution, but he spared the young child. Kaiden’splexity,bining stubbornness, cruelty, and kindness, aimed at offering Ellie an exnation she deserved.


    When Demi mistreated Ellie, Kaidenpelled her to publicly apologize, preserving Ellie’s dignity.


    Yet, when Ellie allowed Carole to face the repercussions of her actions, Kaiden was capable of redirecting the me onto Ellie.


    Keep reading at .c○m


    Unconsciously, a wall arose in Ellie’s heart, meant to contain the warmth Kaiden had given her. But now… The biting wind dismantled the wallpletely, leaving emptiness in its wake.


    Ellie’s gaze toward Kaiden turned vacant.


    “What’s wrong with you, Ellie?”


    Kaiden, rmed by her distant look, rushed to her side, squatting beside the bathtub.


    Cupping her face, he gently stroked her cheek, questioning, “Are you feeling scared tonight?”


    “Kaiden, I need to ask you something.”


    “What is it?”


    “Demi imed Carole incited her actions tonight. What can you say about that?”


    Ellie scrutinized Kaiden’s face, capturing every subtle expression.


    “Carole doesn’t even know Demi,” Kaiden said, unwavering, dismissing Demi’s words.


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