Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 279: A Rival’s Provocation

Chapter 279: A Rival’s Provocation

Eric glanced at the stunned Ella, a sarcastic smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Clearly, someone was envious of his relationship with her—otherwise, why would they send such a video to his inbox?

He opened the video, and as the explicit footage played, both Ella and Eric’s expressions grew darker and more grim.

Ella quickly snatched his phone, stopping the video. Her body trembled with anger. "How shameless! What a despicable person! They... they actually photoshopped my face and Mason’s onto those people!"

The video wasn’t the one from when Mason cornered Ella in the restroom, but instead, it was a video of a couple having sex. The faces of the man and woman had been altered to look like Mason and Ella, and it made her feel like she was about to explode from fury.

Eric let out a cold laugh, his face clouded with even deeper darkness. "I heard that when you were with Chloe, you fell into the pool, and Mason and Henry jumped in to rescue you?"

Ella lowered her head quietly. "Yes, they thought I couldn’t swim. But, darling, I never gave them any reason to think they had a chance. Please don’t be upset."

A trace of cold malice flashed through Eric’s eyes. "I don’t blame you, but this video..."

"It’s not real! Someone edited me into it!" Ella fumed, her anger reaching a boiling point. She wanted nothing more than to rip Mason into pieces.

Eric leaned back lazily against the headboard, his fingers gently combing through her long hair. "Of course, I believe you. But we’ll definitely find out who sent it. Whoever did this... their Photoshop skills are quite advanced."

Wait... did he just say it looked *real*?

"If this video gets out, it could seriously damage your reputation." Because the video was so convincing, many people would undoubtedly believe it if it were made public.

Ella gasped in horror.

"But don’t worry. I’ll have someone take care of it immediately." Eric’s voice was icy, the cold violence in his eyes chilling.

Ella didn’t understand much about this kind of technology, but the thought of bringing someone in... meant they wouldn’t be able to have their intimate moment. Eric’s expression grew darker by the second.

He made a call, summoning Larry Reed, a hacker he had personally trained, to handle the issue.

"Honestly... even if it went online, I wouldn’t care that much," Ella said, trying to soothe Eric’s foul mood. "People will see the truth eventually. Haven’t you seen how many celebrities get attacked like this?"

Eric shook his head. "If I let them get away with this, it would make me look weak and incompetent."

Ella fell silent.

By the time Larry arrived and took care of the situation, Ella had managed to cook Eric some egg noodles with tomatoes. When Larry left, Eric finally sat down to enjoy his late-night meal.

As he quietly ate, Ella cautiously asked, "Did you figure out who sent it?"

Eric looked up, his eyes sharp and cold. "It was someone from the Carter Group."

The Carter Group.

Ella’s face twisted into a bitter smile. So it was Sean’s family. These people really couldn’t leave her alone. Scheme after scheme—they really thought she was easy to push around?

She had no desire to fight with a dying old man, nor with a man who had betrayed Grandma Carter.

But apparently, they had never intended to leave her in peace.

Fine. If that’s how they wanted to play, then so be it!

Ella’s eyes gleamed with a cold sharpness, and the gentle contours of her face hardened. "If the whole Carter family can’t stay out of trouble, next time they won’t be so lucky."

Eric chuckled lightly. "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it."

"No! Some things I have to handle myself to make them truly fear me. Otherwise, they’ll always think you’re my crutch. Without you, they’ll just get bolder!"

The Carter Group must have assumed Eric was still abroad, which is why they dared to be so brazen.

Eric’s mood lifted at her words. He loved this side of Ella—the cunning, fierce side. This way, even when he wasn’t around, she wouldn’t be an easy target.

A woman who acted like a pushover would never win his heart. As far as Eric was concerned, the stronger Ella became, the more she aligned with his desires.

After finishing his noodles, Ella cheerfully gathered up the dishes to clean, and as she headed into the kitchen, her phone rang with an upbeat tone.

Eric glanced at it, seeing it was an unfamiliar number.

Between him and Ella, they always answered each other’s phones without hesitation—no secrets, no reservations.

So, casually, Eric picked up Ella’s phone and answered the call.

"Hey, wildcat, are you asleep? Or maybe you’re thinking about that moment in the bathroom when we ran into each other? I know he’s not around, so I figured I’d keep you company. You should be grateful."

The voice on the other end was arrogant and laced with suggestiveness.

A rival in love?

No, this was no rival. Eric’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he let out a cold chuckle. "Mason, your skin’s getting thicker, and your mouth filthier."

There was a brief pause on the line, and it was clear Mason was caught off guard, not expecting Eric to be back so soon.

According to the information Mason had received, Eric was supposed to be flying back tomorrow!

"I didn’t expect Mr. Nelson to return so quickly. Well, well... is Miss Davis there? Why don’t you let her take the call?" Mason replied lazily, a hint of provocation in his tone.

He was clearly trying to stir up trouble between Ella and Eric.

Only by doing that could Mason feel a twisted sense of satisfaction.

"If you’ve got something to say, you can tell me. I’ll pass it along," Eric’s face grew darker, his voice colder.

Mason had been introduced to him through foreign connections, and after a small collaboration, they hadn’t worked together since. Eric had moved on to bigger alliances with the Anderson family.

What he didn’t expect was for Mason to shamelessly chase after his woman.

"Confessions are meant for the person themselves, not for someone else to hear," Mason said, laughing without shame.

"If you want to make it back home in one piece, I suggest you shut your mouth," Eric replied calmly.

"Mr. Nelson, don’t be so narrow-minded. Even if you two are married, I still have the right to pursue Ella! There’s no law in any country that says a man can’t fall in love with a married woman, is there?" Mason taunted, his voice laced with amusement.

Eric’s eyes narrowed sharply.

It seemed Mason had done his homework—he knew about their marriage. That confirmed it: Mason had come prepared.

But was his real goal Ella? Did he truly love her, or was there something else driving him?

Eric’s eyes darkened with a cold gleam. "Me? Narrow-minded? I wouldn’t mind at all if Ella decided to rip your heart out and we all got to see if it’s black or red."

Mason let out a laugh. "Eric, we’ll see about that." And with that, he hung up, clearly pleased with the effect his words had had on Eric.