Tonight, Mrs. Ellington was unquestionably the star of the show.


    The moment Vanessa spotted Mrs. Ellington entering the ballroom, she straightened up andposed her expression, ready to make her move. At events like this, whoever managed to strike up a conversation with Mrs. Ellington first would instantly elevate their own standing in the social circle.


    With her most dazzling smile in ce, Vanessa took a confident step forward-


    But Mrs. Ellington''s gaze swept across the room andnded squarely on Eleanor and Joy.


    Her face lit up with genuine warmth as she made her way straight toward them.


    Vanessa''s smile faltered, frozen in disbelief as she watched Mrs. Ellington head directly for Eleanor and Joy-who were the only two standing over there.


    That meant Mrs. Ellington was going over to greet them.


    How could that be?


    Around the room, other guests nced subtly in Eleanor and Joy''s direction, sensing that something was amiss. Vanessa felt a pang of resentment-given who Eleanor and Joy were, they hardly deserved this kind of attention.


    Mrs. Ellington stopped before the two women, her handshake firm and friendly. "Miss Sutton, Ms. Thatcher, I''m so d you both made it tonight. Wee!"


    "Good evening, Mrs. Ellington," Eleanor replied, her voice poised and even. "Thank you for your invitation."


    "I have a little gift for both of you tonight, so don''t even think about sneaking out early!" Mrs. Ellington teased with a wink.


    Eleanor and Joy exchanged a quick nce-so much for their n to make an early exit.


    "Of course not," Joy replied with an easyugh.


    "What are you two doing standing here on your own? Come, let me introduce you to some of tonight''s guests." With that, Mrs. Ellington took their hands and guided them toward a cluster of women seated near Vanessa on a plush sofa.


    Vanessa blinked, recognizing at once that these were some of the most influential women in the city-the wives of key political figures, notoriously difficult to approach.


    Mrs. Ellington began to make introductions. "This is Mrs. Cooper from the Treasury Department, and here''s Mrs. Duskborne, the Minister''s wife..."


    Each time Mrs. Ellington introduced someone, Eleanor and Joy nodded politely, their mannersposed and confident-perfectly at ease in the social arena.


    "And who are these twodies?" Mrs. Cooper asked, curiosity piqued.


    "I''d like you all to meet two extraordinary women-the Ellington family owes them a great debt. They saved my mother-inw''s life. This is Eleanor, and this is Joy." Mrs. Ellington turned to Eleanor, her voice full of pride. "You may not know her personally, but I''m sure you''ve heard of her achievements. She''s the researcher who developed the breakthrough antiviral medication everyone''s been talking about, and she''s also a leading scientist at Ashford Medical University-a rising star in the world of medicine."


    At these words, even the most aloof society wives looked genuinely impressed. Several rose to shake Eleanor''s hand.


    "So you''re the scientist behind the new treatment! And so young and aplished..."


    "It''s such a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Sutton. You''re even more impressive in person."


    "And this is Joy," Mrs. Ellington continued, "one of the top attorneys in the city. If you ever need legal advice, she''s the one to call."


    Joy blushed at the attention, epting theirpliments with modesty.


    As Vanessa listened to Mrs. Ellington''s introductions, her smile fadedpletely.


    She watched as Eleanor navigated the room with grace, fielding questions and greetings with effortlessposure. Suddenly, Vanessa was struck by a harsh realization: in this world of real power and wealth, her own reputation as a ''piano prodigy'' paled inparison.


    And the woman she''d always looked down on-Eleanor-had be the center of attention, not just for her intellect, but for her undeniable influence.