Chapter 41: Chapter 41
A burst of laughter rang through the phone.
"Looks like I still hold a place in your heart, Elise."
Steven sounded thoroughly pleased with himself.
"We haven’t spoken in years, yet you recognized my voice immediately. I have to admit, that’s surprisingly touching."
Disgust flickered across Elise’s eyes. Her expression immediately cooled.
"Steven, we’re not that close." Her voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "So spare me the sentimental nonsense. If you have something to say, say it."
Instead of being offended, Steven chuckled.
"I’ve always liked how direct you are." His tone carried the familiar arrogance she remembered all too well. "Although, when you think about it, it’s a real shame."
He made a rather dramatic pause.
"If Dylan hadn’t stepped in back then, you would’ve been the one marrying me."
The last shred of Elise’s patience finally evaporated.
"If that’s all you called to say, I’m hanging up."
"Wait, wait!" Steven hurriedly stopped her. "I’m serious. I really do have something important to discuss."
Elise pressed two fingers against her temple. A headache was already beginning to form.
"Then get to the point."
The teasing amusement disappeared from Steven’s voice right away.
"I’ve heard everything about Dylan and Quinn." His tone suddenly shifted into one of sympathy. "Honestly, Elise, I feel sorry for you."
He then sighed dramatically.
"You sacrificed so much for Dylan over the years. You stood by him through every challenge. You supported him when he had nothing. And what happened in the end?"
His voice lowered.
"He betrayed you with the very woman you helped. The same girl you protected and supported. That ungrateful little snake climbed over your back and stole your husband."
Even through the phone, Elise could almost picture the self-righteous expression on his face.
"Elise, even I feel angry for you."
"Steven." Her voice turned noticeably colder. "I don’t need your pity."
She leaned back in her chair, brushing away her hair.
"You’ve spent several minutes circling around the point. What exactly are you trying to say?"
A brief silence followed. Then Steven lowered his voice conspiratorially.
"I think you already know." His tone became increasingly persuasive.
"Tell me honestly. Can you really swallow this humiliation?"
Elise remained silent and Steven mistook her silence for interest and immediately continued.
"Dylan wouldn’t be sitting where he is today without you. Everyone knows that."
His voice grew more animated.
"Who was it that helped him build connections? Who was it that stood beside him during the toughest years?"
You. Let’s be honest... You’re the biggest reason he became who he is today."
A faint smile appeared on Elise’s lips. Not because she agreed, but because she had finally figured out where this conversation was heading.
"And now?" Steven continued. "After everything you’ve done for him, he turns around and humiliates you like this."
His voice became increasingly excited. "Don’t you want revenge?"
Elise quietly listened until he finished speaking. Then she let out a soft laugh. The sound carried unmistakable mockery.
"Are you done?"
Steven hesitated. Then, realizing there was no point hiding his intentions any longer, he finally revealed them.
"Elise, I’m serious. If you join forces with me, Dylan won’t stand a chance."
His ambition was no longer concealed.
"Together, we can force him out of Bennett Group. Once I become CEO, everything changes."
His voice brimmed with confidence. "Anything you want, I can give you. Power. Money. Status. You deserve far better than what Dylan gave you."
"Steven––" Elise interrupted him calmly. Her voice instantly cut through his fantasy. "Do you know what your best quality is?"
The sudden question caught him off guard. For a second, he sounded genuinely pleased.
"What is it?"
A trace of amusement appeared in Elise’s eyes. "You’re incredibly stupid."
Silence. The line went completely dead. Even breathing seemed to stop.
Then Elise added thoughtfully, "But at least you’re optimistic."
Several seconds passed. Steven failed to produce a single response, and his silence only made the insult more devastating.
Elise leaned back in her chair once more, relaxing her body completely.
"I recorded everything you just said." Her voice became colder with every word. "If you don’t want that recording forwarded to Dylan, I suggest you stop contacting me immediately."
The threat landed precisely where she intended.
Steven’s breathing became somewhat frantic.
"As far as I’m concerned..." Elise’s gaze drifted toward the window. "...every member of the Bennett family can fuck out of my life."
Before Steven could react, she ended the call. The screen instantly went dark. Then she blocked the number without hesitation. The entire exchange had wasted less than ten minutes of her day.
Setting the phone aside, Elise shook her head. A man with Steven’s intelligence actually believed he could become the next CEO of Bennett Group.
The thought was laughable.
Even if Dylan disappeared tomorrow, the position would never fall into his hands.
For all her disappointment, resentment, and anger toward Dylan, nobody understood his capabilities better than she did.
After all, she had witnessed his rise firsthand. She had watched him climb from the bottom, overcoming obstacle after obstacle. She knew exactly how ruthless he could be when necessary. How calculating. How patient.
And how terrifyingly capable.
At present, there wasn’t a single person in the Bennett family who could genuinely threaten his position.
If Steven continued pursuing that fantasy, the only thing waiting for him would be humiliation.
Perhaps even destruction.
Fortunately, none of that concerned her anymore.
Soon, the divorce would be finalized. Once everything was settled, she would leave the country.
She would assume a new identity. Begin a new life.
And the people she was leaving behind—their schemes, betrayals, ambitions, and conflicts—would become nothing more than distant memories.
***
The following morning, after sitting through a lengthy executive meeting, Elise finally returned to her office.
She had barely taken her seat when her phone began vibrating. The caller ID displayed a familiar name.
Leah Harper. Her mother.
Elise stared at the screen for several seconds, hesitant.
Ever since their disastrous confrontation, Leah had not contacted her once.
Not a single call. Not a single message.
Not that Elise had expected anything different. Whatever hope she once carried regarding her mother had long since been worn away.
Without hesitation, she switched the phone to silent and returned her attention to the documents on her desk.
The calls kept coming, one after another. The screen lit up again and again. Elise ignored every single one.
In truth, she had already prepared herself for the possibility that Leah might appear at the company and create a scene.
That would have been entirely in character.
Surprisingly, it never happened.
By five o’clock that afternoon, the calls finally stopped. Leah neither appeared nor attempted to contact her again.
A quiet sense of relief settled over Elise.
At least for today... there was some semblance of peace.
***
After work, Elise left the office alongside Zoey.
"Going back to Bennett Manor tonight?" Zoey asked as they headed toward the underground parking garage.
Elise took a moment to think about it.
"Probably not."
She rested a hand lightly against her stomach. The nausea had been growing worse lately, especially in the mornings, and occasionally during the evenings as well.
"The morning sickness has been getting harder to hide."
Her expression softened with concern.
"If I keep staying there, it’s only a matter of time before someone notices."
Zoey immediately brightened. "Then let’s do something else tonight."
She started the car. "How about a movie? Consider it a friend date."
She shot Elise a grin.
"Maybe it’ll even help distract you from the nausea."
A faint smile finally appeared on Elise’s face. For the first time all day, she felt slightly lighter.
"That actually sounds nice."
She checked the time.
"We still have plenty of time before the evening shows start."
The white Porsche Panamera slowly rolled out of the underground parking garage.
The city streets were crowded with rush-hour traffic.
Golden sunlight painted the skyline in warm hues as the day gradually gave way to evening.
Zoey focused on the road ahead. She activated her turn signal and patiently waited for an opening to merge into the main lane.
A gap finally appeared. She began steering the Porsche forward.
At that exact moment—
A black Maybach suddenly shot out from behind. The luxury sedan accelerated with terrifying speed.
Its engine roared. The distance between the two vehicles vanished in an instant.
Like a bullet tearing through the evening traffic, the Maybach barreled directly toward them.
Too fast. Far too fast.
Zoey’s eyes widened in shock.
"Shit—!"
The Maybach was already almost on top of them.
