?Chapter 706:

    “I understand, Ruben,” Elliana said softly.

    Ruben sighed again. “Now that Cole and Wanda’s engagement is official, it probably won’t change.”

    The message was clear—there was no future between Elliana and Cole.

    Elliana gave a faint smile but said nothing.

    “Elliana, you haven’t seen how dangerous the Campbell family can be. If theye for you, even I won’t be able to stop them. I want you to be with Cole… but more than that, I want you safe,” Ruben said gently.

    He paused again and then added in a quiet voice, “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

    “Ruben, I get it,” Elliana murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. And she meant her words. Ruben had shown her nothing but kindness, both before and after she married into the Evans family. For that alone, she was grateful.

    Relieved by the absence of bitterness in her tone, Ruben exhaled slowly. “Elliana, there’s something I need to tell you. I just hope you won’t take it too hard.”

    He paused, choosing his words with care. “For your own protection, the Evans family will have to sever all ties with you publicly. The more the Campbells believe you’ve beenpletely cast out, the safer you’ll be. Do you understand?”

    A brittle smile tugged at her lips, hollow and tinged with irony. She understood. But that didn’t soften the blow. Once, she had stood tall as the matriarch of the Evans family—respected, admired, untouchable. And now, she was being erased, her name quietly scrubbed from their history like an inconvenient footnote. She had done nothing wrong, and yet, she was the one to pay the price.

    Ruben continued gently, “Elliana, let me give you some money. Enough to start over somewhere far from Ublento.”

    Elliana’s chest tightened, but she could still sense the sincerity in his tone. “I don’t need it,” she replied, her voice low but steady.

    Ruben gave a quiet, weary sigh. “I know you don’t. You’re Rosa—an internationally celebrated designer. Your work sells for billions. This isn’t about whether you need help… It’s just the only way I know how to live with this decision.”

    “You don’t owe me anything,” Elliana said, her tone calm, unwavering. “None of this is your fault—or mine. I understand what you’re doing, and I’m grateful for your concern. But I’ll manage things on my own. You don’t need to carry this. From this moment on, I have no ties to the Evans family.”

    At that exact moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the staircase. Adah came rushing down, her expression drawn tight with urgency. She paused when she saw Elliana still on the phone.

    hosts great stories

    With a small, almost imperceptible nod to Adah, Elliana brought the phone conversation to a close. “Goodbye, Ruben,” she said softly and then ended the call.

    Adah immediately stepped forward, breathless. “The CEO of the Rosa brand just rang me. He couldn’t reach you—your line was busy—so they called me instead.”

    Elliana’s brow furrowed. “What happened?”

    Adah’s voice snapped with restrained anger. “It’s the Campbells. They’ve struck the Rosa brand. All our supply chains have been dismantled. Our sales channels? Gone. Everything’s copsed. Thepany’s frozen.”

    For all its prestige, the Rosa brand had always been boutique—a creative powerhouse, yes, but still a minnow swimming in an ocean patrolled by corporate sharks. Against a behemoth like the Sun Group, it didn’t stand a chance. It could produce masterpieces—works of art that turned heads and set trends—but without materials to craft them or channels to sell them, those designs were just beautiful, useless sketches. And a business that bled money eventually died.

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