As the conversation continued, Vanessa suddenly interjected, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."


    She stood up, feeling shaky and unsteady on her feet. With one hand clutching the hem of her champagne-colored evening gown and the other gripping her ne so tightly her knuckles went white, Vanessa abandoned all traces of her usual grace. She looked every bit like someone fleeing the scene.


    At that moment, Eleanor also rose from her seat and headed in the same direction.


    Vanessa nearly stumbled into the restroom, her face drained of color when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She fumbled desperately with the sp of her ne, but her trembling fingers just couldn''t undo it.


    A woman stepped up to the sink beside her and asked gently, "Do you need some help?"


    "Thank you, I''d appreciate it," Vanessa replied, forcing a smile and trying to steady herself.


    The woman helped unfasten the ne and admired it. "This is a gorgeous piece," she said.


    "Thank you," Vanessa answered, her voice stiff and brittle.


    When the woman left, the bathroom fell silent. Vanessa drew a shaky breath and lifted the ne, flipping it over to examine the tinum setting beneath thergest diamond. Her eyes locked on two tiny engraved letters:


    -E. S.


    Those initials sliced through her heart like a knife. Just then, footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Vanessa jerked her head up to see Eleanor''s cool,posed figure stepping inside.


    In that instant, resentment red bright and sharp in Vanessa''s eyes. She clutched the ne in her fist as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.


    Eleanor stood before her, her pale blue gown entuating her slender waist. She wore no extravagant jewelry, yet her quiet elegance was impossible to ignore.


    Eleanor nced at the ne Vanessa had just unsped, noting the wounded expression on her face. She understood immediately.


    Ifn had trulymissioned this ne for Vanessa, the engraving beneath the setting wouldn''t bear someone else''s initials.


    And judging by Vanessa''s stricken face, she''d just realized it.


    The cold fluorescent lights made Vanessa''splexion look even more ghastly. She bit down hard on her crimson lips and stared at Eleanor, her voiceced with sarcasm. "So, Eleanor, when did you start epting limited-edition jewelry fromn behind my back?"


    Eleanor let out a slow, mockingugh and bent to wash her hands. "Seems like you have a knack for picking up things I no longer want. The bracelet, the ne, even the man."


    "You—" Vanessa''s jaw clenched. Eleanor''s taunts stung deeper than she cared to admit. She forced augh. "Your things? Do you really believe everything from the Goodwin family belongs to you?"


    Eleanor regarded her, the mockery in her eyes only deepening. "Ifn truly cared about you, he wouldn''t let you parade around in a ne engraved with his ex- wife''s initials. Apparently, you''re only good for leftovers."


    The words hit their mark, slicing right through Vanessa''s pride. Her chest heaved with anger. "And what makes you so high and mighty, Eleanor? Flirting with other men, stringing your daughter along just to keep your ex-husband hooked-do you really think you''re that impressive?"


    Eleanor turned off the faucet, grabbed a paper towel, and dabbed her hands dry. "Vanessa, I''m begging you marryn already. Maybe then he''ll finally stop chasing after me. I can''t shake him off."


    "Eleanor!" Vanessa''s voice was thick with fury.


    The implication was unmistakable-Eleanor was mocking the past ten years of Vanessa''s life as nothing but a joke.


    Eleanor tossed the paper towel in the trash. "Do yourself a favor: get it over with and marry him this year. Otherwise, I really can''t respect you."


    With that, she walked out, leaving Vanessa clutching her chest, gasping for breath as if she''d truly been wounded. Her face grew even paler as she stared at her reflection, on the verge of fainting. Desperate, she seized her phone and dialedn''s number.