Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 26

Elara nodded.

Although Julian technically had inheritance rights in the Beckett family, Maddox Beckett clearly favored his biological grandson.

Right after Sebastian Vance turned eighteen, the old man transferred the vast majority of his shares directly to him.

It was a massive display of favoritism, but it was also a calculated move to pressure the Vance family and force Samuel Vance to take a stand.

Samuel Vance had Sebastian, but he also had a ten-year-old daughter. If the Vance empire were handed over to Samuel now, there was no telling whether he'd ultimately pass it down to his son or his daughter.

To guarantee his grandson's rightful place in the Vance family hierarchy, Grandpa Beckett had to act.

Now that Sebastian was practically the new head of the Vance family and wielded the majority of Beckett Corp's shares, the company was undeniably his for the taking—unless he willingly gave it up.

Julian's chances of stealing the Beckett empire from him were practically zero.

Elara elaborated, "The woman Julian is cheating with is Vivian Winthrop, the heiress to Winthrop Global."

Sarah was intimately familiar with the complex dynamics between the Vance and Beckett families. The moment Elara mentioned the name, it clicked—Julian was trying to leverage the Winthrop fortune to go head-to-head with Sebastian.

Sarah found the sheer ruthlessness of it staggering. "So he's just going to sacrifice you and your daughter?"

Elara offered a bitter smile and shook her head. "Not entirely."

At the very least, from what she had observed, Julian genuinely had feelings for Vivian.

"But no matter the reason, cheating is cheating."

Elara set down her teacup and stood up. "Let's go. We can discuss the rest over lunch."

After lunch, Elara took a cab straight to The Downtown Loft.

The passcode hadn't changed, and the door clicked open. However, inside the shoe cabinet by the entrance, there was now a pair of women's slippers she had never seen before.

Elara found her own slippers, slipped them on, and did a quick sweep of the apartment.

The housekeeper had left the place spotless, making it look almost uninhabited.

However, stepping into the master bedroom, the signs of a woman's presence were undeniable.

The white silk duvet she had carefully chosen was gone, replaced by striking crimson sheets. In the master bathroom, the towels, toothbrushes, and rinse cups were all neatly paired in sets of two.

She hadn't stayed here in years. There was absolutely no chance any of this had been prepared for her.

By the time she had finished organizing the food in the fridge, the installation technician called from the lobby.

Aside from the front door, Elara had cameras installed in the living room, the master bedroom, and the hallway leading to the study.

To avoid drilling into the walls, the small cameras in the living room and hallway were discreetly hidden on the bookshelf and tucked behind a potted plant.

Once the technician left, Elara texted Julian: [I ran into the building cleaner, and she mentioned there were break-ins recently. I had someone come and install a few cameras. Just make sure you lock up properly when you stay here.]

She then attached a few photos of the freshly stocked fridge.

She didn't care if Julian knew about the cameras.

This was her property too, and as the owner, she had every right to secure it.

Moreover, even if she blatantly told Julian, there was a very high chance he wouldn't even read the message.

When she had dropped Melody off at school that morning, the little girl had begged for braised short ribs for dinner.

After picking Melody up, Elara took her to the supermarket to buy fresh meat.

While sitting in the cab surrounded by grocery bags, Elara snapped a quick selfie and sent it to Julian. She added a casual complaint about how inconvenient it was to get around without a driver, asking if she could borrow his chauffeur for a while.