The next morning...

Elena was still asleep when someone yanked her upright violently.

"Uh," she gasped, startled, only to meet Noah’s furious eyes.

"How could you do this to her?" he shouted.

Elena stared at him blankly, unable to understand what was happening. She had never seen him this furious before.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

He scrunched up his face in rage. "Stop pretending to be clueless. You hurt Tessa at the party. But you didn’t stop there. You shamed her on social media?"

"What?" Elena’s stomach tightened.

Another accusation?

She wasn’t even aware of it. "You think I did that?"

"Who else would?" Noah barked. "I already explained why I’m taking care of Tessa. I thought you had learned your lesson. But you still went after her. You called her a homewrecker and posted photos of us online."

He shoved the phone in front of her face.

The photographs were from the party—Noah carrying Tessa in his arms as he rushed out of the banquet hall.

Elena’s eyes widened with disbelief. "I don’t even have those photos," she snapped back. "How could I possibly post them?"

"Really?" He pointed at the screen. "The pictures were uploaded from your profile. Because of you, Tessa is being humiliated online. Everyone is slandering her, calling her names."

Elena snatched the phone and checked carefully. The account looked exactly like hers, but she had not posted anything. In fact, she had not opened her social media account ever since she had the accident and lost her baby.

"No... This wasn’t me," she said, shaking her head. "I don’t know how this happened..."

"Enough with the lies." He was so furious that his hand rose.

The slap landed hard across her face. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Elena’s head snapped to the side. A sharp ringing filled her ears. For a moment, her mind went blank.

He had hit her.

This was the first time he had raised his hand against her. Slowly, she turned to look at him.

For a brief second, she caught a flicker of regret in his eyes. But it vanished quickly as if it had never existed.

"She was already traumatized after what happened at the party, and now this..."

He pointed at her accusingly.

"This time, you have gone too far," he muttered. "You will apologize to her in front of the whole media and clear her name. Tell everyone Tessa is just a friend and that the whole thing was just a misunderstanding."

Elena’s already wounded heart shattered completely.

’Just a friend? Why don’t you tell the world that she is your legal wife?’ she screamed in her mind.

But he never would. Because he was afraid of his parents, and they wouldn’t accept Tessa. So the only thing he could do was push all the blame on her.

He had made her apologize to Tessa the day before and even forced her to kneel. And this time, he wanted her to issue a public apology.

Tessa was clearly messing with her to ruin her image. And Noah – he blindly believed everything she had said.

"What if I refuse?" Elena grunted.

Noah’s gaze turned ruthless.

"Then your aunt won’t receive any treatment," he said decisively. "I’ll make sure no hospital in this city will take her."

Elena’s heart trembled at the mere thought. Horror paled her.

"You know how crucial that medicine is for her condition. If you don’t want her to suffer, come to the office and attend the press conference."

With that, he stormed out.

Silence fell heavily around Elena. Her chest hurt so badly that she could barely breathe. Although she had lost all hope in him, he still managed to wound her.

She snorted, "You didn’t listen to me. You never cared about the truth. Fine..."

Her expression hardened with resolve. "I’ll show everyone the truth. I want to see what you will do when the truth comes out."

She took her phone and dialed Owen.

The call was connected after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Owen, I need your help..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elena wore a red pencil gown that hugged her figure perfectly. Heavy makeup accentuated her sharp features, while her deep red lipstick matched her dress. Her hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, giving her a cold look.

Clutching her bag, she walked into the office building, her high heels clacking against the marble floor.

The employees paused and turned to her, whispering.

"Oh, my God. Is she Miss Hart? She looks different today," a woman gasped.

"She is gorgeous," someone whispered.

"I have never seen her wear makeup like this before," another one murmured. "She was always simple and gentle. But today, she looks so fierce. Is this because of the press conference?"

"I feel bad for her," another woman sighed. "She is so good to Mr. Sinclair. We thought they were a perfect couple."

"Exactly, and now another woman appeared."

"That homewrecker deserved to be exposed."

Their whisperers reached her ears. But Elena remained expressionless, as if none of it concerned her. She didn’t even glance at them. She strode straight into the elevator and went to the top floor.

As the elevator doors opened, a flicker of anxiety crossed Elena’s face. She had attended countless business meetings before, but it was the first time she would face the media directly. The reporters’ judging eyes, their sharp questions, and the endless flashes of cameras—everything seemed overwhelming.

Above all else, there was Noah’s anger and Tessa’s manipulation waiting for her.

Her confidence wavered for a brief moment. But Elena quickly steadied herself.

’No, I have nothing to fear,’ she told herself. ’I’m not wrong here.’

She stepped out of the elevator, holding her chin high. Her steps slowed a bit when she saw Noah and Tessa outside the conference hall.

Noah’s hands were on Tessa’s shoulders, and he was saying something gently, as if he were comforting her. Tessa lowered her head, looking fragile and helpless.

But Elena knew it was all an act.

She sneered in her mind and continued walking forward without breaking her stride.

The moment Noah saw her, he froze. Almost instinctively, he pulled his hands away from Tessa as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

His gaze slowly traveled over Elena from head to toe.

Elena looked incredibly dashing in that red dress. Her big eyes, lined finely with eyeliner, looked sharper than ever. And red, glossy lips seemed to draw attention, making her alluring.

Noah couldn’t take his eyes away from her. He had not seen her wearing red for a long time.

An old memory surfaced in his mind.

’Don’t ever wear red,’ he had once told her coldly.

Because she looked breathtaking in red, and he was insecure about other men being attracted to her.

’But red is my favorite,’ she had replied.

’Are you going to disobey me?’

Elena’s eyes had dimmed, and then she had relented. ’Fine, I’ll not wear it anymore.’

Noah still remembered it clearly. In the past five years, she obeyed him. There was not a single red dress in her wardrobe. But now, she was here with a bold red dress, dazzling enough to steal everyone’s attention.

While he was still lost in his thoughts, watching Elena unblinkingly, Tessa burned with jealousy beside him. She wanted his undivided attention. But his eyes were fixated on Elena.

"Noah." She tugged at his hand harder than necessary. That was enough to make him look back at her.

Tessa lowered her head, wiping her fake tears. "I am scared. I don’t know what the reporters will ask."

Noah’s expression softened. "Don’t worry. Elena is here. She will clear the air."

He turned to Elena and reached out to her.

But Elena dodged her hand and walked straight past them into the conference room without sparing him another glance.