?Chapter 1026:


    One eyelid fluttered open. Elena gave him a deadpan look, making it clear she wasn’t going to indulge him.


    Not bothered by her silence, Wesley continued, “Just imagine it for a second—marriage doesn’t sound so scary. Would you rather have a boy or a girl?”


    Fed up, Elena reached over and covered his mouth with her palm. She knew that if she let him keep talking, he’d start picking out baby names and researching kindergarten tuition next.


    “Let’s keep our heads on straight and deal with what’s in front of us,” Elena said, her voice steady. “Scarface is still out there, and we have to bring him down.”


    Raising an eyebrow, Wesley pressed his lips to her palm,pletely at ease. “But I’ve got you by my side. No need to worry.”


    He tossed those words out like it was the most obvious thing in the world, utterly unbothered by the whole assassination attempt against him.


    If Malcolm and the others caught wind of that, they would burst outughing so hard they might never stop. For the powerful Spencer family head and the Spencer Group’s CEO to say something so outrageous, the whole idea went far past ridiculous andnded firmly in the realm of the absurd.


    Narrowing her eyes, Elena shot him a re. “Scarface’s after you, not me.” She pulled her hand away.


    A small, knowing smile yed at the corner of Wesley’s mouth. He arched a brow but didn’t bother to argue. He was perfectly aware of the kind of woman Elena really was—a mouth full of sharp retorts, but beneath it all, soft and protective. No matter how much she pretended not to care, he knew the truth. She had secretly shelled out eighty billion just to hire Nightshade for his protection. And if he hadn’t been Nightshade all along, he never would have realized the lengths she had gone to just to keep him safe.


    Warmth glimmered in Wesley’s gaze as he watched her.


    Uneasy under his gaze, Elena got to her feet. “I’m not going back to the base tonight. Go if you want, but don’t wait around for me.”


    A touch of concern slipped into Wesley’s tone. “So where are you off to?”


    “Heading home,” Elena replied and then slipped out the front door of the Spencer mansion. Since both families lived just down the road from each other, her walk to the Harper house didn’t take long.


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    Inside the foyer, Jeffry’s familiar silhouette caught her attention immediately. A nce at the clock made her pause. It was three in the afternoon. Why would Jeffry be home at this hour? Wasn’t he supposed to be working?


    She asked, baffled, “Jeffry, you didn’t go to work today?”


    Surprise flickered across his face. “Elena? Weren’t you supposed to be at the Azure Dragon Unit Base? I only stopped by to pick up a document I forgot.”


    “Had to deal with a few things outside the base,” Elena answered, ying it off lightly. “Thought I’d stop in and check on the family while I was nearby.”


    Jeffry looked up from his papers. “Are you staying in tonight?”


    “Yeah, I’ll be here,” Elena confirmed, ncing around the living room for any sign of Jolie. “Where’s Mom gotten off to?”


    “She went out to look at some mansions for sale,” Jeffry exined.


    Brows knitting together, Elena probed, “Is she nning on moving, or is this for someone else?”


    “She’s house-hunting for Ellis. He’s thinking about getting married,” Jeffry said with a nod.


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