?Chapter 157:


    Worried that mentioning Benjamin and Cecily might upset Elena, Holley chose her words carefully.


    Holley had noticed that Elena’s loyalty to She was far stronger than her bond with Benjamin and Cecily. Over the years, Elena never missed a monthly visit to She.


    Benjamin and Cecily, however, only sent money for upkeep and never came themselves. This time, unexpectedly, Cecily hade in person to take She away.


    Elena lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the turmoil inside her. Without showing emotion, she said steadily, “Oh, I must have forgotten. Holley, I need to get something from She’s ce.


    I’ll see youter.”


    Without another word, Elena headed up to the second floor.


    The moment she disappeared inside, the elders beneath the tree began murmuring among themselves.


    “That poor girl. I heard the Reed family cast her aside. Her real parents are from some backwater vige. Such a pity.”


    Holley pressed a hand to her lips. “Oh my… No wonder she had no idea She was gone. The Reeds are so cold-hearted. She grew up with them, and she’s such a kind soul.”


    Elena didn’t hear their quiet conversation. She pushed open the door and found the roompletely empty, her expression hardening. Cecily wasn’t bluffing. Cecily had actually stooped to using She as leverage against her.


    Elena pulled out her phone and dialed Lydia. “I need you to track someone down.”


    Lydia, who had been loungingzily on a couch, immediately sat upright. “What’s going on?”


    Elena gave no details, simply saying, “I need an investigation into the Reed family. She has disappeared.”


    Given Cecily’s strained rtionship with She, Elena doubted Cecily had taken She home.


    “Consider it done,” Lydia replied, pounding her chest with confidence. The Reeds were making a grave mistake—of all people, they had chosen to target She.


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    As Elena’s closest friend, Lydia understood just how much She meant to her. There were two people Elena would never allow anyone to harm—her mentor and She.


    Lydia figured that while she had failed to track down Elena’s mentor, locating She was within reach.


    Without wasting another second, Lydia flipped open her sleek ckptop.


    Meanwhile, after ending the call, Elena’s expression remained unreadable. A cold intensity radiated from her as sheposed an email. She sent it to five recipients—the key business partners of the Reed family. The message was brief, containing only a handful of words: “Terminate the partnership with the Reed Group.”


    The recipients of Elena’s emails were alliances formed in the early days of the Reed Group’s business, with contracts negotiated by her. They ranged from suppliers of raw materials upstream to construction firms handling joint projects and sales organizations downstream. Their loyalty was solely to Elena.


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