Chapter 29

Everyone knew where Tristan could be found, though no one said it aloud.

It didn't take Seth long to uncover that he was living in the Maples Villa.

"That place used to be owned by a foreigner," Seth informed her. "When he died, his kids put it up for auction, and it sold for an outrageous price. Tristan's the one living there now."

"I'll pay him a visit tomorrow," said Eliana without hesitation.

"That place doesn't welcome strangers. Security there is a nightmare to get past," Seth warned.

Eliana acknowledged, "I'm aware. I'll reach out to him first. If he's open to meeting me, I won't have to set foot there."

Once their call ended, Seth turned to deal with his pending work, but a subordinate rushed in with news."Seth, there's a problem. Someone just stole surveillance footage from Glory Hotel." Seth's expression hardened instantly.

That hotel was under their control.

Not long ago, a traitor from the Onyx Syndicate had tampered with the private bath Eliana often used,drugging it and causing her to lose her virginity.

That single act had pushed her into a spiral of despair and nearly ripped the Onyx Syndicate apart with infighting

To pull Eliana back from the brink, Seth had brought in a hypnotist to erase the memory, allowing her to move on and giving the Onyx Syndicate a chance to recover.

Even so, the wounds to them had not fully healed.

Seth had made it clear to everyone involved that the matter was never to be spoken of again and had even pushed for relocating the syndicate to Qidence so nothing would trigger her memories.

The moment Seth heard about the stolen footage,every instinct went on high alert. "Do we know who's behind it?" he asked.

"The hacker's on another level. We're working on it,but we'll need at least two more days to track their IP and figure out who they are," the subordinate answered.

In short, the thief was still a ghost.

Seth shot to his feet, his jaw set. "Throw everything we've got at their firewall. I wvant them exposed."

They had erased that footage more than once.

Chances were slim the other side could recover it, but the thought still gnawed at him.

This was about Eliana, and he would never allow anyone else to dig up her past.

"Got it!" the subordinate answered without hesitation.

In an instant, the syndicate buzzed with activity,each member rushing to their assigned tasks.

Far removed from the chaos, Eliana remained completely unaware.

After taking a short rest in her room,she made her way downstairs for dinner.

All four family members gathered around the dining table.

Sean kept his eyes lowered, not uttering a single word,the weight of guilt pressing heavily on him.

Carl and Stella, on the other hand,busied themselves with serving Eliana, piling her plate with food.

Even then, Stella seemed dissatisfied. "I'll make you some nourishing soup later. You're far too slim, and you should be eating more," she said firmly.

Eliana's figure was naturally slender, her beauty elegant yet healthy, not frail.

Still, Stella had always preferred seeing her child with a little more softness around the edges.

Not wanting to reject their care, Eliana ended up eating far more than she intended, her stomach so full it left her sluggish.

Only then did Stella's expression ease. "Much better.I'll see to it that you grow healthy and strong."

There was a quiet determination in Stella's heart to make up for the years she had missed in caring for her daughter.

"Since I'm still recovering and can't go out, I'll have Carl take you to the mall to pick out some clothes you like," she added.

"My closet is already packed to bursting..." Eliana protested quickly.

"If that's the case, then get yourself a few handbags instead. Your welcome party's in a few days, so add some jewelry to the list too," Stella replied.

"For now, I'd rather not spend on things like that,especially with how things are for us," Eliana answered.

"There's no need to worry about the cost. We might not be what we once were, but we're nowhere near so poor that we can't afford such things. Just go and enjoy yourself," Stella reassured her.

Something in Stella's certainty made Eliana pause, her curiosity quietly stirring.

From whispers exchanged by the household staff,Eliana had gathered that the family's finances were in a dangerous state.

Earlier that very day, they had nearly lost their home altogether.

Why, then, was Stella suddenly so intent on sending her shopping with Carl? Could there be another reason buried beneath the family's decline?

The longer she dwelled on it, the more it gnawed at her.

Ever since her return, Stella hadn't once busied herself with anything related to Louis's detention.Every bit of her attention had been fixed on Eliana.

It was easy enough to believe that Stella's affection came from guilt or maternal instinct. But what about Louis, her husband? How could she not seem worried for him at all? The thought unsettled Eliana.

Even so, Stella's persistence left her wvith no graceful way to refuse, and she eventually gave a reluctant nod.

Carl's cheerful personality spared him from overthinking any of it. All he cared about was the chance to take Eliana out and spoil her.

For years, he had quietly wished he could reunite with her and give her everything she deserved.

Now his wish was finally within reach.

Unable to contain his excitement, he turned to Eliana with an eager grin and asked when they should get going.

"Anytime works for me," Eliana replied lightly.

"In that case, let's leave right now!" Carl declared,then glanced at Sean. "Hey, Sean,want to tag along?"

Sean's eyes flickered toward Eliana, uncertainty clouding his expression. Part of him wanted to choose something special for her, yet the memory of how he had doubted her earlier made him afraid she might reject the gesture.

Sensing his hesitation, Eliana's voice stayed even as she said, "If you're free, then come with us."

A spark of relief and happiness lit up in Sean's gaze."Alright."

Carl's smile widened, pleased by the small truce forming between them.

Putting an arm around Sean's shoulder, he laughed."Perfect! You've got deeper pockets than I do, so you can pick up the tab today!"

Sean's only reply was a simple, "Alright."

Speaking his feelings had never been his strength,especially when it came to showing care for Eliana.

In his mind, paying for everything was the clearest way to express it.

Back when Leyla had wanted something,he never hesitated to buy it for her. Lavish presents always brought a smile to her face.

Because of that, he naturally assumed that expensive gifts would have the same effect on Eliana.

Before long, the three of them stepped into Qidence's most exclusive mall, a place lined with high -end boutiques and gleaming luxury storefronts.

Passing by a designer jewelry shop, Sean slowed his pace and said to the other two, "I'm going to the restroom. You two can keep looking around."

"Okay," answered Eliana and Carl in unison, continuing down the row of stores.

Using the moment to slip away, Sean stepped into the jewelry store without another word.

Meanwhile, Carl turned to Eliana. "Lia, what brand of bag catches your eye?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, it struck him that she'd spent most of her life in the countryside and probably wasn't familiar with luxury brands.

To spare her any discomfort, he quickly changed his approach. "What about color? Or size-do you prefer something big or small?"

Eliana wasn't picky at all. "I'm fine with anything,as long as it's practical."

She gestured toward a nearby sports shop. "Those backpacks over there look nice."

Back in Eighvale, she had an entire room lined with luxury handbags, yet she favored sturdy canvas ones for carrying medical tools and other essentials.

Hearing her words, Carl felt very distressed for her. In their world, a woman's handbag was more than storage-it was a symbol of standing and identity

To him, her lack of pretense made her all the more remarkable. In that moment, he decided he would shower her with all the love and care in the world.

"Come on, let's look at these," Carl said, pointing toward the row of luxury brand boutiques and steering her in that direction.

Across the mall, Neal was inside a Chanel store,carefully selecting a gift for Khloe.