?Chapter 983:


    Charlette had seen firsthand what Elena was capable of and trusted her without question.


    Watching the situation unfold silently, N frowned and disliked how Elena’s reputation hadn’t been dragged through the mud.


    “This is going too far, Miss Patel,” N said, her tone cutting through the tension. “Lucinda has every right to call the police after what happened. That ring didn’t just vanish. It was stolen.”


    Lucindatched onto N’s words. “That’s what I’ve been saying! Thank you, N. Finally, someone gets it.”


    N’s eyes flicked to Wesley, who stood off to the side, his face unreadable. He made no move to intervene, no sign he would step in for Elena. It seemed Wesley’s interest in Elena was fading fast. Really, it made perfect sense. A man like Wesley, wealthy, powerful…


    It was impossible to reach someone like Wesley, and N knew that he would never settle for someone like Elena, whose charm seemed limited to her looks. In N’s eyes, only someone with true substance, like herself, deserved to stand beside Wesley.


    With a hint of self-satisfaction, N assumed a stern front. “Miss Harper, I know you’re trying to appear noble in front of Mr. Spencer and Major General Garrett. But now is not the time for empty gestures. The boy made a mistake—if he isn’t held ountable, he’ll never learn. Letting him walk away from this only makes things worse for him and everyone else.”


    By twisting the narrative, N painted Elena as nothing more than a self-righteous poser.


    The effect was immediate. The crowd began to murmur, siding with N.


    “Someone needs to teach kids like that a lesson. If nobody does, we’ll all pay for itter.”


    “Stop excusing your mistake by protecting the thief here.”


    “If you want to y the hero, why not give us money instead?”


    Elena stayed silent throughout, her expression unreadable. But beside her, Ellis’s patience finally snapped—his eyes turned cold.


    “That’s enough, Miss Vance,” Ellis said, his voice icy. “My sister doesn’t need to y the hero here.”


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    As the top researcher on base, Ellis was someone N never wanted to cross. Unfortunately for her, he was Elena’s brother.


    Mixed emotions flickered across N’s face for a brief moment. Ellis had always stood out—sharp-minded, polished, and undeniably handsome. There had even been a time when she considered whether he or Kason would make a better match for her.


    But with Wesley now in the picture, N found herself uninterested in anyone else. Wesley came from a family whose influence ran deep. His grandfather had established the renowned Azure Dragon Unit, and the Spencer family now sat at the top of the’s social and financialdder,manding both respect and fortune. Marrying Wesley would mean a clean break from her old life, and a future where she answered to no one.


    Most days, N wore a mask of kindness, pretending to be warm and empathetic. But today, her true colors bled through. “It’s in as day that the boy’s a thief. Yet Miss Harper goes out of her way to protect him. What is she hoping to gain here?”


    A chill settled in Elena’s gaze. She had uttered only one sentence, yet N had gone off on a full tirade. The way N scrambled to make herself look good in front of Wesley was almost pitiful. It was obvious to everyone what N was trying to do.


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