?Chapter 263:


    Christina let out a gentle sigh, sensing Eloise might be quietly upset about not having a voice. Slipping her arm through Eloise’s, she gave her an encouraging nudge and shed a grin. “Hey, you’re the main attraction tonight. Don’t let anything get you down!”


    Christina’s bright, reassuring voice broke through the gloom clouding Eloise’s mind. For a moment, the tension eased, and a genuine smile lit up Eloise’s face. Christina’s presence was like magic—warm, easy, and safe. Just being near her made the world feel less heavy.


    Eloise tilted her head, looking at Christina with bright eyes. Finally, she’d found her first real friend—someone who felt like sunshine after a long, cold day. Knowing that Christina was close to Elliott, she felt reassured that she could trust her. And this confirmed the thought that she had indeed made a real friend, not just another phony pretending to care while messing with her.


    Eloise’s face lit up with excitement as she pulled out her phone and quickly typed a message. “You’re my first real friend. Want to be besties for life?”


    The moment Christina saw the message, a gentle smile blossomed across her face. Her fingers flew across the screen as she typed out her reply. Then, in a soft voice, she read her response aloud. “Of course I do! I don’t mess around when ites to real friends.”


    Eloise’s heart soared. She clung to her phone, eyes fixed on the screen, as Christina’sforting words echoed in her head like a favorite song on repeat.


    Not far away, Katie lingered in the shadows, her eyes narrowing as she watched Eloise glow in Christina’s presence, a re of jealousy twisting inside her. Then, without warning, Eloise copsed, her legs giving out beneath her.


    Hidden in the dim edges of the hall, Katie kept a relentless eye on Eloise, tracking her every movement with quiet intensity so that when Eloise crumpled to the floor due to the spiked drink, she would instantly notice it and bolt from her hiding spot.


    But Katie was still several steps away when Christina darted forward, managing to catch Eloise and gently lower her to the floor.


    “Somebody help! Miss Hubbard’s copsed—she was pushed!” Katie yelled, her voice slicing through the party’s chatter, pulling every gaze toward her. Heads whipped around, and in seconds, the crowd surged toward the scene, their curiosity and panic mounting.


    “What’s going on? Why is Miss Hubbard on the floor?” someone asked. “I heard she got shoved! Is that true? Did someone actually push her?”


    “Did she hit her head when she fell? Is there blood? If she’s still out cold and there’s no bleeding, it might be something even worse…”


    “Come on, let’s find out who had the nerve to shove Miss Hubbard. Whoever it was must have a death wish.”


    “Miss Jones was nearby. Did she do it? No way—she knows Miss Hubbard, doesn’t she? She even shielded Miss Hubbard earlier.”


    Guests traded whispered spection, scandalized that anyone would darey a hand on Eloise, especially here in the Hubbard family’s own territory.


    Christina’s brow furrowed with concern as she knelt beside Eloise, quickly assessing her state. rm spiked in her chest—whatever toxin had been lurking in Eloise’s system was now racing through her veins, elerated by the emotional chaos of the evening. If the poison reached Eloise’s heart, she might not make it. She needed treatment right away.


    .


    .


    .