"Doctor, I just hope when the time comes, his wife is as sensible as you are."

Leaving this inexplicable, highly provocative remark, the anonymous client went offline.

Eleanora stared at the screen, a strong wave of nausea washing over her. If she weren't bound by patient confidentiality, she would have exposed this shameless homewrecker right then and there to warn that poor, oblivious wife.

Before she could calm her emotions, her phone rang.

She answered it. "Ellie, are you okay? Did you see the news?" Chloe's anxious voice came through the speaker. She was Eleanora's best friend from medical school and now a top media correspondent.

Eleanora frowned. "What news?"

Chloe's tone grew heavy. "Krystal Powell. She flew back from Europe... and she's holding a baby!"

Eleanora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes instinctively darting to the grayed-out avatar on her computer screen.

But she quickly shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought.

"So she's back. What does that have to do with me?" Eleanora replied calmly.

"Are you crazy? Have you forgotten what she did back then?" Chloe said frantically.

Of course Eleanora hadn't forgotten. Three years ago, to ruin her engagement to Edward, Krystal had actually drugged Eleanora's drink, trying to have her assaulted by other men.

Fortunately, Edward found out in time. In a fit of absolute fury, he pinned Krystal against the wall, his hands wrapped tightly around her throat.

That was the first time Eleanora had ever seen Edward lose control like that. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead and neck, his entire body exuding a terrifying, murderous aura. If Edward's mother hadn't rushed in to pull him away, he truly might have strangled Krystal to death on the spot.

After that, Edward forcibly exiled Krystal to Europe. He even paid an astronomical penalty fee just to unilaterally sever all business ties with the Powell family. The incident sent shockwaves through high society.

To this day, a saying still circulated among the elite: You can mess with anyone, but never mess with the CEO's wife, because no one can survive Edward's wrath.

"She even has a child now, Chloe. That means she's started a new life," Eleanora chuckled softly. "Besides, Edward protects me so well; he'd never let that woman come anywhere near us."

"That's true. Edward is an absolute wife-doting maniac..." Chloe muttered, then suddenly hung up, likely rushing to chase the breaking news.

That afternoon, Eleanora got off work on time. As she walked to the hospital entrance, she immediately spotted Edward standing by his car, talking on the phone.

The man was dressed in a bespoke silver-white suit, his tall, lean figure and sharp jawline looking like a masterpiece in the setting sun.

Eleanora couldn't help but recall a winter night three years ago.

It was a freezing night with a raging blizzard. She was huddled in her medical school dorm, texting Edward, casually mentioning she was craving piping hot, crispy fried chicken from the south side of the city.

Edward had simply replied: Wait a moment.

She thought he was busy, but half an hour later, he called and told her to come downstairs.

She ran down to find Edward covered in snow. With a doting smile, he pulled a tightly wrapped, still-steaming fried chicken from inside his coat. "The fried chicken you wanted."

When she took it, it was still burning hot. Heartbroken, she lifted his coat, only to see his pale chest burned bright red from the heat.

At that moment, with red eyes, she called him an idiot—but in her heart, she firmly resolved to marry this man.

"What are you thinking about, spacing out like that?"

The familiar, gentle voice pulled her back. Eleanora snapped out of her daze, realizing Edward had already walked up to her.

She shook her head with a smile. "Nothing. Why did you come to pick me up today? Where's Ron Hicks?"

"I booked a table at your favorite French restaurant. Taking you out for a good meal today."

Chatting and laughing, the two walked to the car. Edward considerately opened the passenger door for her.

Just as Eleanora was about to get in, a faint, cloying scent of gardenia perfume drifted into her nose.

This scent...

She felt like she had smelled it somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it at the moment.

Eleanora turned to look at the man helping her into the car. "Why is there women's perfume in your car?"

A fleeting flash of panic crossed Edward's eyes, but he masked it flawlessly in an instant. "I had a meeting with a female client today. Her car was sent for maintenance, so I gave her a ride back to her office after we signed the contract."

Without much suspicion, Eleanora nodded and got in.

However, just as they finished ordering at the restaurant, Edward's phone, resting on the table, suddenly lit up.

Edward glanced at the screen and immediately snatched it up, placing it face-down on the table.

This reflexive, secretive gesture made Eleanora's heart sink.

As if to cover it up, Edward quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I've hired a designer for the baby's room. They can start next week. Do you have a style you like?"

They discussed the details of the nursery, and the atmosphere seemed to warm up again. But Eleanora's peripheral vision remained coldly fixed on that overturned phone.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated violently again. Edward reached for it, and in the fraction of a second as he flipped it over, the screen illuminated, and two letters pierced clearly into Eleanora's line of sight.

K. P.

Eleanora's pupils contracted sharply. K. P.? Krystal Powell?

Edward snatched the phone as if it had burned him, his face finally showing a flicker of undisguised panic as he silenced the call. "A difficult partner. Don't worry about it."

He was lying. As a top-tier psychologist, Eleanora saw right through his facade. When he shoved the phone into his pocket, his fingertips were trembling slightly.

The romantic atmosphere of the restaurant evaporated. Eleanora didn't say a word; she simply took a sip of her lemon water, her eyes remarkably calm.

The phone vibrated again in his pocket.

Edward could no longer maintain his composure. His face was a mix of annoyance and apology. "I'm sorry, Ellie. I have to take this. It might be an urgent company matter."

He stood up and walked briskly to the restaurant's outdoor terrace, his retreating back looking almost frantic.

Eleanora sat alone at the table, elegantly slicing the steak on her plate, but her heart was growing colder by the second. She wasn't a fool. All the abnormal signs were ringing alarm bells in her mind.

Through the glass, she could clearly see Edward pacing back and forth on the terrace, gesturing animatedly as he spoke on the phone, his expression extremely anxious.

About five minutes later, he returned, his face filled with undisguised apology.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. An absolute emergency came up at the company. I have to go deal with it right now," he said, grabbing his coat.

"Right now?" Eleanora looked up, testing the waters with a sharp gaze. "Do you need me to go with you?"

Edward's eyes shifted, and he immediately refused, "No, it's too chaotic there. I'll have the driver take you home. Love you."

He leaned down and pressed a hurried kiss to her forehead. The moment he leaned close, Eleanora smelled it again—that cloying, sickening scent of gardenia.

Throwing those words behind him, Edward strode away without looking back.

Eleanora sat stiffly in her seat. The call from K. P., the gardenia perfume, the supposed "urgent matter," and the homewrecker showing off online today... All the clues frantically connected in her mind, piecing together a chilling truth.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Chloe.

Eleanora took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "Chloe?"

"Ellie! Where are you?" Chloe's voice was unusually rushed, even laced with a sob. "I just got into a car accident... at the intersection near the City Hospital! A Porsche ran a red light and smashed into my car!"

Eleanora stood up abruptly, her face pale. "Chloe! Are you hurt? I'm coming right now!"

"I'm fine, just a few scratches... But Ellie, listen to me!" Chloe cried out, breaking down over the phone. "The people in that Porsche... it was Krystal and her baby!"

Eleanora's body went rigid, blood rushing to her eardrums.