Roderick looked down on him, his eyes showing no emotion-\u00a0<\/p>\n
neither pity nor satisfaction, only cold indifference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if he were just observing the reaction of an unimportant test\u00a0<\/p>\n
subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smoothed his collar where Edward had wrinkled it, his\u00a0<\/p>\n
movements still calm and unhurried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems Mr. Carroll needs a little time to cool down alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After speaking, he didn\u2019t spare another glance for Edward,\u00a0<\/p>\n
curled in agony on the floor as if he were a speck of dust, but simply turned, pulled open the restroom door, and calmly left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The heavy door clicked shut, cutting off the stifled gasps and\u00a0<\/p>\n
pained moans from inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the door, the party was still a swirl of light and cheerful\u00a0<\/p>\n
chatter, and no one knew what had just happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, Edward\u2019s world was turning upside down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The beliefs and pride he lived by were crumbling, on the verge\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 330\u00a0<\/p>\n
of collapse, from just a few cold words from Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A high\u2013end furniture design and business trend conference was\u00a0<\/p>\n
being held at the International Convention and Exhibition\u00a0<\/p>\n
Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The spotlight was on the main stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona was wearing a sharp white pantsuit, standing tall with\u00a0<\/p>\n
confidence and ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The large screen behind her displayed the Bell Corporation\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
latest collection of smart, eco\u2013friendly furniture, its detailed\u00a0<\/p>\n
and forward\u2013thinking designs drawing occasional whispers\u00a0<\/p>\n
admiration from the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona fluently explained her unique insights on how to integrate\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cModern Traditional Furniture into the smart home ecosystem,\u00a0<\/p>\n
her points sharp and her logic clear, completely overturning the\u00a0<\/p>\n
public\u2019s old impression of her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the audience, the murmuring almost drowned out the end\u00a0<\/p>\n
of her speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that really Fiona?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bell family\u2019s\u2026 heiress? I thought we only ever saw her at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 330\u00a0<\/p>\n
fashion parties and charity galas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnbelievable\u2026 That analysis was so professional. She has a\u00a0<\/p>\n
perfect grasp of market data and user psychology!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard she used to be all about her love life, always chasing after that Edward. How did she suddenly become a completely different person?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, at industry conferences like this, she used to just show\u00a0<\/p>\n
up as eye candy. But today, her presence, her content\u2026 it\u2019s all\u00a0<\/p>\n
at the level of a corporate leader!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a major shake\u2013up happening at the Bell family\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
company?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows\u2026 But based on her performance today, if the Bell\u00a0<\/p>\n
Corporation is in her hands, it has a bright future!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona heard the discussions clearly, but her expression didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
change. She even had a calm smile on her face as she finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
her speech and gave a slight bow to the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as she stepped off the stage, several industry tycoons\u00a0<\/p>\n
and investors, who had previously been merely polite to her,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 330\u00a0<\/p>\n
proactively surrounded her, handing over business cards,\u00a0<\/p>\n
striking up conversations, and expressing interest in\u00a0<\/p>\n
collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona handled them with ease, her demeanor proper and her\u00a0<\/p>\n
conversation impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had indeed changed a lot recently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She resisted the urge to see Edward, and when he came looking\u00a0<\/p>\n
for her, Fiona avoided him most of the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Slowly, she realized she hadn\u2019t focused on her work for a long\u00a0<\/p>\n
time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The old Fiona, the one who always had to be the best at\u00a0<\/p>\n
everything, seemed to have suddenly disappeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the conference was about to end, Fiona\u2019s assistant came\u00a0<\/p>\n
over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss, your phone was ringing nonstop just now. You instructed\u00a0<\/p>\n
me not to interrupt the conference for any reason, so I didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
come over.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she spoke, the assistant handed her the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 330\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona took it with a smile. \u201cGood job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walking to a quieter corner of the lounge area, her fingertips\u00a0<\/p>\n
tightened slightly as she saw Edward\u2019s name on the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That name, which once made her heart race and throw caution\u00a0<\/p>\n
to the wind, now seemed to carry a hint of complexity and\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
exhaustion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath and finally pressed the call\u2013back button.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The phone barely rang once before it was quickly answered, but the voice that came through wasn\u2019t Edward\u2019s usual confident, almost lazy tone. Instead, it was an anxious and respectful\u00a0<\/p>\n
male voice:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFiona!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thank goodness, you finally called back!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona paused for a moment, recognizing the voice as Edward\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
special assistant, Abraham Hayes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbraham?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What\u2019s wrong?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is Edward\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 330\u00a0<\/p>\n
She asked subconsciously, a flicker of tension she hadn\u2019t even\u00a0<\/p>\n
noticed herself passing through her heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFiona, Mr. Carroll\u2026 he\u2019s not doing well!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Abraham sounded worried and panicked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter he came back from The Dynasty Club this afternoon, he locked himself in his office and wouldn\u2019t see anyone. We heard noises from inside later, we got really worried and went in, and we found Mr. Carroll\u2026 he\u2026 he seems really sick, his head is hurting badly, he looks terrible, and\u2026 and he\u2019s breaking out in a\u00a0<\/p>\n
cold sweat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 330 Roderick looked down on him, his eyes showing no emotion-\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29627\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}