"Even though Eleanor had a daughter, she''s stilln''s flesh and blood. I hear he absolutely dotes on her," Faye said, frustration creeping into her voice. It was like being more anxious than the person actually involved-she felt like a bystander fussing while the main yers remained calm.


    She''d assumed that once Eleanor divorced, Vanessa would marry into the Goodwin family without dy and take her ce as Mrs. Goodwin. But now, there wasn''t even the slightest sign of that happening.


    "I know what I''m doing," Vanessa replied, setting her cup down.


    Faye couldn''t hold back anymore. "Aren''t you worriedn still has feelings for Eleanor?"


    "Do you even know Eleanor?" Vanessa asked, looking up at her.


    Faye was caught off guard. She''d never bothered to understand Eleanor before- never had any intention of it, in fact. But Vanessa''s question made her pause and actually consider it for once.


    What kind of person was Eleanor, really?


    Faye''s assessment was blunt and dismissive. "She''s arrogant, self-important, and only got ahead through connections."


    But Vanessa''s eyes grew thoughtful, and she smiled slightly. "At her core, Eleanor


    is proud. She despises betrayal and disloyalty. But she''s also both kind and principled."


    "Kind? I don''t see it at all," Faye scoffed.


    Vanessa went on, "She poured six years of love inton and ended up with


    nothing but a divorce. I''m certain she''ll never love again. No matter how wonderful


    the next man is, she''s destined to grow old alone."


    "That just means she''s stupid," Faye sneered.


    Vanessa''s lips curled into a smile. "That works in my favor. She can forgive someone for careless mistakes, but never for cheating or betrayal in marriage. When she found out about me andn, she stayed silent for two years-she was giving him onest chance toe back to his family. After that, she initiated the divorce without hesitation. Even ifn got down on his knees and begged, she wouldn''t spare him a second nce."


    Faye raised an eyebrow and let out a shortugh. "Mr. Goodwin, begging her? Seriously?"


    "I''m just saying, hypothetically. Eleanor seems easygoing, but she''s stubborn to the bone. Once she''s made up her mind, she never looks back. In that sense, she andn are exactly alike."


    Faye finally caught on to what Vanessa was getting at. "So, you mean "


    "To deal with her, you have to use her own nature against her," Vanessa said with a low chuckle. "Make her utterly give up onn."


    Now it all made sense to Faye-this was why Vanessa could stay so cool and unhurried. No wonder she never seemed anxious.


    Vanessa ran her fingers through her hair. “Ian feels guilty towards Eleanor and their daughter. But once that guilt fades away, he''lle back to me. I''ll be his safe haven, always."


    Faye arched a brow. "So, you''re letting them spend time together on purpose?"


    "That''s called letting the enemy advance so I can win in the end. The closern gets to Eleanor, the more he''ll see the cracks between them. With Eleanor''s personality, she''ll shut him out again and again.”


    Faye suddenly understood. The best oue would be for Eleanor to never learn how topromise. And withn''s pride, he was hardly the patient type, either.


    Vanessa picked up her coffee. "Eventually,n will realize I''m the only one in this world who''ll believe in him, forgive him, and love him, no matter what."


    Faye couldn''t help but admire Vanessa''s strategy. No wonder she could win over a man liken. She didn''t have to get her hands dirty-just quietly let the gap between Eleanor andn widen, until they couldn''t stand the sight of each other.


    When Eleanor got home, she went straight to her study. In the living room, Evelyn was ying with Wiz, who was more than just a loyal dog-he was Evelyn''s patient ymate, answering her endless questions and making herugh.


    At dinner time, Eleanor''s phone rang. She nced at the screen.


    n.


    She didn''t n to answer and declined the call without hesitation.


    A text popped up almost immediately, making her sigh in annoyance. "Evelyn''s running a slight fever."


    Eleanor''s breath caught. She stared at the message for a few seconds, then hurried into the living room. There, she found her daughter curled on the sofa, looking more tired than usual. Eleanor reached out and felt her forehead-it was definitely warmer than normal.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong with me?" Evelyn asked, her voice full of curiosity.


    "It''s nothing, sweetheart. Let me check your temperature." Eleanor fetched the thermometer and cradled Evelyn in herp for five minutes. Sure enough, the reading came back at one hundred degrees.


    "Does anything hurt? Do you feel bad anywhere?"


    Evelyn shook her head. "I feel fine."


    Just then, Princess-their golden retriever-jumped up and ran to the front door as the bell rang.


    "It must be Daddy!" Evelyn said excitedly.


    Joslyn, their housekeeper, went to open the door. Ian stepped inside, striding straight to the living room. He knelt by Eleanor and gently felt Evelyn''s forehead, ncing up at Eleanor. “What''s her temperature?”


    "One hundred," Eleanor said quietly.


    "Should we take her to the hospital?"


    "No, I don''t want to go to the hospital. I don''t want any shots, and I don''t want any medicine," Evelyn protested, burrowing into Eleanor''s arms and pouting.


    "All right, we''ll keep an eye on you at home. No hospital, okay?" Eleanor kissed her daughter''s cheek, knowing all too well how much Evelyn hated hospitals.