Chapter 193: You made her just like you.
"Shut up, you idiot," Cedric roared.
Rage erupted inside him, fierce and scorching.
"You know nothing. The Rowans have spent years suppressing me! I have been forced to live under their shadow."
His breathing grew heavier. "Do you know what people say about me in the business world? They say I’m nothing without the Rowans. They mock me behind my back."
His eyes burned with pain, humiliation, and hatred. "But they are wrong."
He struck his chest. "I am Cedric Sterling. I don’t need anyone. I can rise to the top without them."
"So you chose to betray your partner," Amber grumbled. "You are insane, Cedric. Because of you, my daughter is suffering."
She stared at him through her tears. "She was innocent once. But you poisoned her mind. You made her just like you."
Her expression turned cold.
"You gave her a dream of becoming Elias’s wife when she was still a child. You made her believe that one day she would have him. You made her obsessed with Elias."
She could feel the fury clawing at the edges of her control, demanding release.
"She could have chosen any man from one of the elite families, but she remained fixated on him. Even after Elias got married, she refused to stop pursuing him."
Her eyes flashed.
"And you... You used her obsession with Elias to further your own ambitions. Don’t tell me I don’t know what happened."
"Enough of all this." Cedric’s temples throbbed. The dangerous darkness in his eyes betrayed the storm raging inside him.
"You are making my headache worse. I’m going to sleep."
He turned to leave.
"How can you sleep when your daughter is locked behind bars?" Amber shouted after him. "Are you even human? Don’t you care about your own daughter?"
"Yes, I don’t care," he spat. "I don’t care about anyone of you. Happy?"
Amber’s heart sank. For a moment, she stared at him speechlessly. Then a violent fury surged through her.
"I never thought you would become a cold-hearted man. You don’t even care about your family anymore. I regret marrying you."
Cedric threw her a hot glare. Then his mouth curled into a bitter smile.
"Really? Have you forgotten how you abandoned your first husband and married me?"
His voice dripped with contempt.
"You didn’t even care about your own little daughter back then."
The mention of the daughter she had abandoned years ago struck her like a knife. Her blood ran cold.
Cedric didn’t stop. "All you cared about was my wealth. You wanted a luxurious life, so you abandoned your family and came to me."
His eyes were merciless. "We are the same, Amber—heartless, selfish, and hungry for power."
Amber gritted her teeth as helpless tears continued streaming down her face.
"If you are so desperate to bring your daughter out of prison," Cedric said coldly, "go beg Elias. Try to melt his heart if you can. Don’t trouble me."
Dropping those words, he stormed away.
Amber remained on the floor, staring after him. Her fingers curled tightly against the cold surface. Slowly, she lifted her hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
Determination replaced despair in her heart.
"I’ll do whatever it takes. But I’m taking my daughter out of that hell."
At Elias’s place...
After Evelyn left, Elias and Elena returned to their bedroom.
Exhausted, Elena sank onto the bed and rubbed her calves.
Elias immediately knelt in front of her. "Is it hurting?"
Elena shook her head. "It’s okay. I just need to rest. I’ll be fine."
"Let me massage you."
"There is no need." She stopped him. "You must be tired too. You should rest."
"I am not tired." Without giving her a chance to protest, he began massaging her legs.
Elena watched him quietly. A warm smile appeared on her lips.
"You knew everything," she started slowly.
Elias looked up at her.
"You knew about those encrypted emails. Why didn’t you tell me anything?"
"I didn’t want to worry you," he replied. "I could have handled it myself."
"I know you are capable." She paused. "But those emails were enough to raise suspicions in anyone’s mind."
Her lips pursed as she recalled how confidently Vivian had presented everything. She looked into his eyes.
"Did you suspect me? Even for a moment?"
He had, indeed, suspected her.
For a brief moment, the evidence had made him question what was happening. But deep down, he had never been able to believe that Elena could betray him.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I’d never let anyone manipulate me," he replied. "I’ll never believe anything presented in front of me without verification."
Elena’s eyes turned misty.
Back then, Noah had never believed her. He had accused her of hurting Tessa without even bothering to verify the truth.
And Elias...
He hadn’t allowed anyone to manipulate him. He hadn’t lost his faith in her.
Seeing the tears gathering in her eyes, Elias immediately panicked.
"Why are you crying?" He leaned closer. "Are you uncomfortable?"
His gaze dropped to her stomach. "Is your stomach hurting? Should I call the doctor?"
Elena giggled softly at his panic. "Nothing happened to me. I am fine."
She took his hand in hers. "The babies are fine too."
But Elias still looked unconvinced. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
The doubt still lingered in his eyes. "Why were you crying? Are you hiding your pain?"
"No..." She smiled even wider. "Elias, you are adorable."
She caressed his cheek, her eyes full of love. "I cried because I got emotional. It wasn’t because I was in pain."
Some of the tension finally left his body, though he still looked slightly worried. He sat beside her on the bed and pulled her into his embrace.
"You scared me."
Elena leaned against his chest, a warm smile curling her lips.
For a few moments, they remained wrapped in each other’s arms. Then Elias spoke.
"I never trusted Vivian. In fact, I always suspected the Sterlings and their intentions. "Now they’ve exposed themselves. I won’t spare them."
Elena lifted her head and looked up at him.
"And Victor Kane..." His face remained impassive, but the tension in his body told a different story. "This time, he is not getting away. I’ll make him pay for what he did."
Elena knew nothing about the conspiracy Victor Kane had been involved in. She didn’t know the depth of Elias’s hatred toward Victor and Cedric.
As far as she knew, Orion Holdings was simply their rival company, and Victor had stolen their project. She assumed that was the reason for Elias’s anger.
She gently placed a hand against his chest.
"Calm down," she said softly. "Don’t work yourself up. Let me handle this."
"No... This is my fight. You stay out of it. You are pregnant now. You should take care of yourself and our babies."
"This is my fight too," she pressed. "They stole my project, tried to frame me, and accused me of things I never did. I can’t just sit quietly and do nothing."
She clasped his hands. "Trust me. I can do this."
"Elena..."
"Hold a press conference," she interrupted him. "I’ll address the press. I’ll expose Victor."
Elias hesitated. He couldn’t accept her proposal.
"Elias, please." She squeezed his hands. "Let me do this."
After a moment of consideration, he nodded. "Fine. I’ll arrange the press conference."
He interlaced his fingers with hers. "But I’ll be there with you."
Elena smiled.
Elias watched her for a moment, his gaze softening. Then he leaned forward and claimed her lips in a tender kiss.