Chapter 101: You came between us.
Chapter 101: You came between us.
"What are you doing here?" Elena asked before she could stop herself.
Vivian smiled arrogantly. "What do you think?"
She had followed them all the way here. Her purpose couldn’t have been more obvious.
Standing proudly before Elena, she folded her arms. "I’m a Sterling. Our family has close ties with the Rowans. We are not only longtime friends but also business partners."
A smug smile curved her lips. "I’m here to represent my company at tomorrow’s business seminar."
Elena frowned, seemingly clueless.
Tilting her head, Vivian added mockingly, "What? You didn’t know? Elias came here specifically for the seminar. Didn’t he tell you?"
Elena paused briefly.
He hadn’t mentioned the seminar. Perhaps he had simply planned to tell her later.
Vivian let out a sarcastic laugh. "How embarrassing. You are traveling with your husband, yet you don’t even know why he is here."
She smiled triumphantly. "Looks like he doesn’t trust you after all."
Elena immediately recognized what Vivian was trying to do. She refused to fall into the trap.
"How do you know I didn’t know already?" Elena replied calmly. "My husband doesn’t hide things from me."
Vivian’s smug expression instantly froze. Her hands clenched into fists.
"He doesn’t love you," she blurted out. "He is only attracted to you. Once the excitement fades, he’ll get tired of you. A man like Elias would never spend the rest of his life with someone as ordinary as you."
The words poured out in desperation.
Elena simply smiled. "Are you finished? If yes, I’m leaving."
Without waiting for an answer, she walked past her.
Vivian’s face twisted with fury. She couldn’t believe that Elena didn’t fight back.
"Don’t pretend you don’t care," she shouted. "I know you are jealous of me."
Elena stopped and looked back with a faint smile. "Why would I be?"
Vivian searched her face desperately for even the slightest trace of insecurity. She found none. That only infuriated her more.
"Because you should be," she yelled. "I’m the woman who belongs beside him. We’ve known each other since childhood. We grew up together. You came between us."
She stepped closer, her voice becoming increasingly hysterical.
"He is only grateful because you once stood up for him. That’s not love. One day, he will realize that. When he does, he’ll leave you, and he’ll come back to me."
Elena remained perfectly composed.
"If Elias truly loved you," she said evenly, "he would have dated you long ago. He would have proposed to you already."
She took one calm step closer.
"But he never did."
Her gaze remained unwavering. "The truth is simple. He never loved you. Accept the reality. Whether you like it or not, I am his wife now. And I won’t allow anyone to ruin my marriage."
"You..." Vivian trembled with fury. "Who do you think you are? You are nothing but a gold digger. First, you trapped Noah Sinclair, and now you’ve set your sights on Elias. You approached him with ulterior motives, and I’ll expose you for what you really are."
Without warning, she lunged at Elena, raising her hand to slap her.
Elena caught her wrist midair.
Vivian’s eyes widened. She struggled to pull free, but Elena’s grip only tightened.
"What are you doing?" Vivian snapped. "Let go of me."
Elena didn’t move. She held Vivian’s wrist firmly, meeting her eyes with a cold, unwavering stare.
For the first time, Vivian felt a chill creep down her spine.
The woman standing before her no longer resembled the gentle, submissive Elena she had thought.
"Let go," she demanded again.
Elena didn’t release her. "That’s exactly what you should do, Vivian."
Her voice was calm but carried unmistakable authority. "Let go of your obsession with my husband. He has absolutely no interest in you. The only person you are humiliating is yourself. Frankly, I’m tired of you showing up wherever we go, acting as though you have a place in our marriage."
She loosened her grip and gave Vivian a firm shove. "Before you completely lose your dignity, stop chasing a man who will never choose you."
Caught off balance, Vivian stumbled backward. Her heel slipped off the edge of the stone pathway.
"Ah..." She twisted her ankle and tumbled into a bed of blooming rose bushes.
Sharp thorns scratched her arms and legs. She cried out in pain.
Humiliation, rage, and hatred—all crashed over her at once.
Yet Elena didn’t spare her a single glance. She turned around and walked away.
"Elena," Vivian screamed hysterically. "You bitch. I’ll kill you."
Breathing heavily, she fumbled for her phone and dialed a number.
The call connected.
"I want her dead," Vivian spat through clenched teeth. "Do you hear me? Get rid of her."
A brief silence followed.
"Miss," the man said cautiously, "please calm down. That’s not a wise decision. We can’t offend the Rowans."
"Don’t tell me what to do," Vivian shouted. "I want her gone."
Her rage had completely consumed her.
Fortunately, the man on the other end was far more rational. "Attacking Mrs. Rowan directly is too risky," he replied. "The Rowans won’t let it go."
Vivian forced herself to take a deep breath. "Then what do you suggest?"
"I have a better plan."
She narrowed her eyes. "What plan?"
"If we target her directly, we’ll expose ourselves. But if we destroy her reputation in front of Mr. Rowan, he’ll lose trust in her himself."
Vivian’s eyes slowly lit up.
"And once that happens," the man continued, "their marriage will fall apart without us lifting another finger."
A malicious smile spread across Vivian’s face.
"I like that."
Her anger gradually transformed into anticipation. "When will you do it?"
"Give me some time. I’ll contact you once everything is ready."
She ended the call, unable to hide her excitement.
"Elena..." she muttered with a sinister smile. "This time, Elias will abandon you himself."
Her eyes gleamed with hatred. "I can’t wait to watch you lose everything."
Her smile grew colder.
She slowly rose to her feet despite the pain in her ankle. "But until then, I won’t just sit back and do nothing."