?Chapter 787:


    The troll responded, “Lena routinely steals her ideas. She pilfers from the renowned foreign author Helena. It’s tragic how she deceives her ignorant followers. Educate yourself!”


    Quick to defend, Louis replied, “Does spewing bitter criticism online fill a void in your life? I asked for evidence, not your ramblings.”


    The troll continued his tirade, deeply insulting Lena. “Defending Lena, are you? Quite the loyal fan, aren’t you? Does she even appreciate your devotion? Ever wonder why Lena stays out of the public eye? It’s because she’s a giarist, hiding in shame, living off Helena’s brilliance. A faceless thief, that’s what she is!”


    Louis chuckled disdainfully as he typed his response. “Seems like you’re off your leash, snapping at everyone in sight. Think a celebrated author like her cares about your opinion? She stays hidden precisely to avoid dealing with jealous, petty people like you.”


    While Louis wasn’t entirely sure if Elena was Lena, he had grown to convince himself so, and he stood ready to defend her honor against any attack.


    After a relentless exchange of over a hundred barbs, the troll threatened to gather proof against Lena and abruptly signed off.


    Louis managed to fend off the troll, but the confrontation left him feeling disturbed. He had pored through Lena’s works and could confidently assert their originality. Moreover, the thought still lingered in his mind: Lena might actually be his sister…


    usations of giarism against Lena were bing increasingly noticeable beneath the barrage of hatefulments.


    Louis’s brow creased with unease as the online debate grew heated.


    The following morning, Louis sat at the dining table, anticipating Elena’s arrival downstairs. He greeted her with a wave when she appeared. “Elena, sit here.”


    Caught off guard by his eagerness, Elena seated herself beside him.


    With caution in his tone, Louis asked, “Did you sleep wellst night?”


    Elena, slightly confused, nodded. “Pretty well, why?” It was clear she hadn’t yet seen the disparaging remarks. Louis breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “There was some thunderst night.”


    Elena was puzzled. Had there been? She hadn’t noticed. She began to eat, picking up her utensils.


    Find what’s next on g al no ve ls


    As she leaned forward, a small red mark on the back of her neck came into view.


    Observant as ever, Louis asked, “What’s that on your neck? A bug bite?”


    The question made Elena tense, recalling Wesley’s kisses there the night before. That exined the mark.


    “Uh-huh,” she hesitated briefly before subtly adjusting her posture to conceal the mark.


    Just then, Ellis was descending the stairs and caught a snippet of the conversation about the neck mark. However, Elena managed to cover it up before he could see anything.


    Ellis frowned slightly. Considering the season, what type of insect could have caused such a mark? He seemed to have a guess but chose to keep it to himself.


    Louis, noticing Ellis’s presence, said, “Ellis, have you been home this whole time? I haven’t seen you around.”


    Louis had thought Ellis had already returned to the research institute.


    Given Ellis’s usual pattern of brief home visits followed by quick departures, the family had grown ustomed to his fleeting presence. So when Ellis hadn’t been…


    Ellis hadn’t been seen for several days, so Louis had simply assumed he had returned to his research work. Finding Ellis at home was unexpected.


    Ellis looked somewhat disheveled in casual gray loungewear and sses, his hair loosely hanging over his forehead, and he appeared tired. “Just trying to get some sleep,” he replied as he sat down and reached for a ss of water.


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