?Chapter 861:


    “Elena, you stubborn little thing, don’t make me dig around to find what makes you tick,” Earle seethed in his mind.


    The cigarette between Earle’s nicotine-stained fingers burned down to the filter, a slow, deliberate burn mirroring the simmering rage in his gut. He fixed his gaze on the direction of the, his thoughts a swirling vortex of dark schemes and cold calctions.


    The sun had kissed the horizon goodbye, painting the vast expanse of the sky in a breathtaking disy of fiery golds melting into softer hues, with the pale ghost of the moon already hanging high above. As darkness crept in, the streetlights in the flickered to life, casting a warm glow over the city’s surface.


    Wesley, his desire already sated and his attention span short, casually wiped the sticky evidence of their intimate encounter from his skin with a dismissive swipe of a tissue and zipped up his fly. “So what if that prick knows? If he’s dumb enough to set one foot in Houis, he won’t be leaving in one piece.”


    Elena’s brow furrowed with a knot of unease. While it was true that Earle wouldn’t be stupid enough to waltz into the, his spies were probably crawling all over the ce, and a nasty feeling settled in her gut. Unable to get to her directly, Earle would likely target the people she cared about.


    The Harper family had enough bodyguards to make a small army, and the national security agency had their eyes glued to them, so her immediate family was probably safe from Earle’s hands. Lydia, who worked for national intelligence, moved in the shadows, her operations so deep undercover that neither Elena nor Earle stood a chance of tracking her.


    So, aside from her family and Lydia, there was no one Earle could grab to use as a pawn in his sick little game against Elena.


    Just then, Wesley’s phone buzzed insistently. It was Felix calling.


    The second Wesley answered, Felix’s crisp voice crackled through the speaker. “Mr. Spencer, good news from the ind. The hospital and the school are finally done. When would you like us to ship out the doctors and teachers?”


    Elena froze, her ears perking up at the mention of the ind. Building that hospital and school had been her brainchild, a project close to her heart, and she had even personally sketched out the initial blueprints. Could it really be finished already? The Spencer Group’s efficiency was honestly mind-blowing.


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    Noticing the flicker of interest in her eyes, Wesley casually nodded. “Send them over tomorrow.”


    After snapping his phone shut, Wesley turned to her. “Wanna go take a look?”


    Elena chewed on her lip for a moment before finally nodding. “Yeah, alright.”


    The next morning, Wesley pulled up to the Harper estate to pick up Elena.


    As Alexander and Jeffry were heading out for work, they noticed a car parked by the entrance and froze.


    Wesley got out of the car and, to their surprise, greeted Alexander with surprising politeness. “Good morning, Mr. Harper.”


    Alexander was caught off guard. He knew Wesley and Jeffry were friends, but Wesley usually kept his distance and barely showed respect—usually just a quick nod when greeting anyone older. This was the first time Wesley had been so respectful, making Alexander curious. “Mr. Spencer, what brings you here?”


    Alexander nced at Jeffry, who looked nk and didn’t offer any exnation for Wesley’s strange behavior.


    Wesley answered without missing a beat, “I’m here for Elena.”


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