Vanessa leaned toward Henry. "I''m going to say hello to Mrs. Vaughn."


    Henry nodded, and Vanessa, poised and graceful, made her way to the VIP area. The wide diamond bracelet on her wrist sparkled under the lights, catching the attention of anyone nearby.


    “Mrs. Vaughn, it''s been a while,” Vanessa greeted politely.


    "Miss Shannon, so d you could make it," Mrs. Vaughn replied with a warm smile.


    Nearby, Evelyn and Vivian were engrossed in their own world,ughing quietly, oblivious to the conversation.


    Vanessa turned, feigning surprise as her eyesnded on Eleanor. “Miss Sutton, I didn''t expect to see you here!"


    As she spoke, Vanessa lifted her hand to adjust her hair, making sure her diamond bracelet was on full disy.


    "Oh! I recognize that bracelet-it''s a limited edition, isn''t it? I heard you can''t find it anywhere in the country," Mrs. Vaughn remarked, her interest piqued. She kept a close eye on the jewelry world and knew all about thetest exclusives.


    Vanessa offered a demure smile. "Yes, I picked it up overseas," she replied, ncing at Eleanor with a subtle, knowing look. "It was a gift."


    Eleanor saw right through Vanessa''s little show. Not long ago, she andn had been abroad, and it was obvious Vanessa wanted her to know exactly who had given her that bracelet.


    "Was it from Henry?" Mrs. Vaughn asked, curiosity evident. After all, Henry and Vanessa seemed close, and his family had the means for suchvish gifts.


    Vanessa''s smile faltered for the briefest moment. Just then,n''s tall figure appeared at the entrance. Vanessa immediately looked up, her lips curving into a bright smile. "Excuse me, Mrs. Vaughn," she said softly.


    With that, Vanessa made her way towardn, every step carefully measured.


    Mrs. Vaughn watched her go, realization dawning in her eyes. She turned to Eleanor, a bit flustered. "Eleanor, this Miss Shannon andn-?"


    "She''s the one who came between my marriage," Eleanor answered directly, her tone calm.


    Mrs. Vaughn''s face registered pure shock. "What? That was her?"


    She''d once asked her son why his marriage to Eleanor had ended, and he''d only said things had changed between them. Now she realized Vanessa was the reason for their breakup.


    Henrietta looked at Eleanor with sympathy. "I wish I''d known. If I had, I never would have let Xavier invite her tonight."


    "It''s all right, Auntie. That''s all in the past-I''m doing just fine now," Eleanor reassured her.


    Henrietta''s gaze followed Vanessa, her expression tinged with disdain. Truth be told, she''d never had patience for women who knowingly inserted themselves into other people''s rtionships.


    Meanwhile,n had just entered, and several CEOs from the business world were already approaching to greet him.


    Vanessa felt his gaze drift in her direction and, lifting her most charming smile, walked toward him. But as she drew close, she realizedn wasn''t looking at her at all—he was focused on someone behind her. Without so much as a pause, he moved past her, walking straight toward Evelyn.


    Vanessa turned, her heart sinking as she saw Evelyn''s delighted face. The little girl ran ton, throwing her arms around him, and the two quickly fell into an animated conversation. Vanessa, feeling the sting of rejection, picked up a ss of red wine and was about to take a sip when Henry appeared at her side.


    "I thought you couldn''t touch a drop of alcohol," he said quietly.


    "A little won''t kill me," Vanessa replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice.


    Henry nced towardn and Evelyn. He knew Vanessa was hurting. Gently, he took the ss from her hand. “Vanessa, don''t do this to yourself. If you won''t care for yourself, someone else will."


    Vanessa managed a small smile. “Let me guess-by ''someone else,'' you mean you?"


    Henry arched an eyebrow, half amused. "You know exactly who I mean."


    Vanessa looked toward Evelyn. "She''s adorable. I really do like her."


    Just then, a young woman in an elegant dress approached Henry, her eyes bright with excitement. "Mr. Holt, I didn''t expect to see you here!"


    Vanessa raised her brows, curious. "And you are?"


    The girl nced at Vanessa, then spoke with frankness. "I''m Mia Brown. Actually,


    I guess you could call me Mr. Holt''s blind date."


    Vanessa shot Henry a meaningful look. "Oh, so you''ve been busy with matchmakingtely?"


    A flicker of panic crossed Henry''s face. He scrambled to exin, “It was just a dinner between our families, nothing more."


    Mia, looking at Vanessa, seemed to recognize her. "You''re Miss Shannon, the pianist, aren''t you?"


    Vanessa nodded with a polite smile. "Yes, that''s me." Then, turning to Henry, she added, "You two should talk. I''ll leave you to it."


    "Vanessa-" Henry called after her, his voice low.


    But Vanessa was already walking away, her eyes drifting towardn, who was still talking with his daughter, then to Eleanor, deep in conversation with Mrs. Vaughn. Without another word, Vanessa slipped out onto the balcony.


    Barely a minuteter, Henry followed her outside. Catching sight of him from the corner of her eye, Vanessa let a small, knowing smile y on her lips.