?Chapter 396:


    Elena’s face remained impassive, her gaze faintly distant. “I returned to Foiclens.”


    Familiar with Elena’s ways after all these years, Lydia sensed something was wrong.


    Though Elena spoke little, Lydia could feel the storm beneath her calm.


    “Foiclens?” Lydia’s tone darkened. “Did the Reed family cause trouble again?”


    Elena recounted the previous day’s events briefly and detachedly.


    While Elena stayedposed, Lydia’s fury grew with every word. With clenched lips and fiery eyes, she snapped, “If not for your leniency just because of She, the Reeds would be finished by now. Yet, they dared to drug you? Reckless fools. And She conspiring with them against you? Elena, it’s time to stop holding back.”


    Lydia raised her hand, offering coldly, “Do you want me to take care of them permanently?”


    Elena understood exactly what Lydia meant—a clean, ruthless solution to erase their presence from this world.


    Lydia added, “Rx. I won’t take matters into my own hands, but idents do happen. No one would ever trace it back.”


    Elena lifted her gaze. “No need. They’re not worth your effort.”


    The Reeds didn’t need to die to pay their price. Benjamin would rot behind bars until old age imed him. Cecily, stripped of her fortune, would be swallowed by a life far beneath what she once knew. And Sylvia, after losing Darren, would forever bear the shame back in Foiclens.


    Lydia likely understood it all. She suddenly slung an arm around Elena’s shoulders. “They deserved ruin long ago. Without you, they’d be nothing. They turned on you because they couldn’t see your worth. And sure, you’ve found your real family now, but I still want to tell you…”


    Lydia tightened her grip, her expression sincere. “We’re friends forever. I will always be there for you.”


    Words like these weren’t typical for Lydia. Neither she nor Elena were prone to sentimental exchanges. Usually, things went unspoken—they just understood each other. They had left Foiclens behind together and built a life in the.


    Lydia knew Elena’s stoicism masked a heart full of feeling. Just like when Lydia was wounded deep in Avaloria’s jungles—she knew Elena woulde for her.


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    In Lydia’s mind, the Reeds earned every ounce of their downfall. It was their rightful retribution. Elena deserved none of their poison. She understood the depth of Lydia’s loyalty and nodded gently. “I know.”


    Lydia immediately felt a pang of embarrassment at her own tenderness. Such heartfelt derations weren’t her style. ncing at the clock, she quickly tried to shift gears. “Alright, time for you to head out.”


    Elena raised an eyebrow. Jeffry would be home soon.


    Elena teased, “Ah, Jeffry’s almost back, isn’t he?” Just like that, the mood lightened.


    Lydia’s face flushed, but this time she let her grin show.


    By the time the clock struck seven, Jeffry stepped into the apartment. Elena had long since left, but on the table sat two cups, their rims still faintly warm—a quiet testament to her recent visit.


    As Jeffry shrugged off his coat, his gaze swept the room. “Did Elena stop by?”


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