Chapter 144

Word of Eleanor's arrest by the police raced through high society in no time at all.

At the Benton family's villa, Lainey was in the middle of a pampering session, a face mask in place, when the news reached her. She couldn't help but burst into laughter, thoroughly pleased with herself.

She snatched up her phone, her tone giddy with praise. "Horace,you absolute genius! Two birds with one stone-this is better than l imagined!"

Darleen had made the mistake of crossing her and paid the ultimate price.

Eleanor was locked up and facing charges.

Now behind the bars, she would never get in her way.

But Lainey's celebration came to a screeching halt. A new update hit her phone-Eleanor had already been cleared and let go.

Nolan had acted fast, sending his team to collect every scrap of surveillance footage from Eleanor's whereabouts yesterday. The evidence proved she could not have possibly been involved.

With a furious crash, Lainey hurled her phone to the floor,her eyes burning with rage.

That woman had gotten away again.

No matter-she knew the Faulkner family wouldn't let this slide.

With them stirring up trouble, Eleanor's problems were only just beginning.

Eleanor barely made it home from the police station before a barrage of fists on her door shattered her short-lived peace.

A quick glance through the peephole revealed half the Faulkner family gathered outside, their anger barely contained.

No one was sure how they managed to slip past the neighborhood's tight security, but here they were,causing a scene.

"Open up, Eleanor! Murderer! Show your face!"

"How dare you rest easy while my daughter's fighting for her life in a hospital bed?"

"Someone like you-who tramples the law-shouldn't get away with it!"

With a weary sigh, Eleanor pressed her fingers to her temples before swinging open the door.She lounged in the doorway, her eyes cold.

"If you're looking for justice, y/ou should talk to the police. They let me go. That should tell you everything. Stop wasting your breath here and find out who actually hurt Darleen."

But reason fell on deaf ears. Rosita Faulkner,Darleen's mother, had no patience left for

explanations.

The doctors had already painted a grim picture-Darleen might never recover, her life and any hopes of family alliances destroyed. Nothing Eleanor could say would change her mind now.

Since Darleen was still unconscious, Eleanor became the only one the Faulkner family could blame.

Letting her go was never an option for them.

Rosita had already decided-she would wring every ounce of compensation she could.

Fueled by anger, Rosita's voice cut through the air,rising with every word. "I don't care what the police say! My daughter's life is ruined because of you. You owe us an explanation,right now!"

Darleen's brother, impatient and hotheaded, rolled his shoulders and stepped forward. "Forget talking,Mom. Let's grab her. Nolan will cough up a fortune to keep her safe."

Eleanor tried to interject, her tone warning, but one of them lunged at her before she could finish.

Her eyes flashed with icy resolve as she sidestepped the grab, but the crowd pressed in. In the struggle,her arm scraped along the wall, a sharp burn marking her skin.

Before Eleanor could fight back, a familiar figure burst into the fray.

Erick planted himself squarely between her and the Faulkner family, his voice calm but authoritative. "I'l remind you all-creating chaos in someone's home is against the law. Disturbing the peace like this can land you five to ten days in detention, plus a five-hundred-dollar fine."

That threat was enough to make most of them back away, their anger suddenly cooled.

But Darleen's brother was too stubborn to quit. He raised his voice, full of confidence. "She's the one who hurt my sister! We're here for justice, not trouble. Why should you threaten us?" Erick, ever the skilled problem-solver at Nolan's side,couldn't help but let out a dry, mocking laugh.

"Do you honestly believe Mr. Stewart's girlfriend is responsible for your sister's injuries? The authorities have already cleared her. Yet here you are, looking to cause trouble. Tell me, are you here for justice-or for something else entirely?"

He made a point of calling Eleanor Nolan's girlfriend,letting everyone know exactly where she stood.

A few members of the Faulkner family glanced nervously at Nolan, who stood silent behind Erick.With no support and no hope of winning, they muttered curses, traded uneasy looks, and slunk away in frustration.