What had Vanessa done wrong? All she''d ever been guilty of was loving him.


    It had to be Eleanor-she must have said something to him! He never used to act


    this way.


    Just then, Faye appeared by the elevator at the end of the hallway, still in her work clothes.


    "Miss Goodwin, what brings you here?" Faye greeted Serena with a friendly wave.


    Serena smiled, standing up to return the gesture. "I came to check on your sister. Just got off work?"


    "Yeah, I wanted to see how she was doing." Faye nodded. With her father constantly busy and her mother living abroad, she felt it was her duty as the younger sister to look after Vanessa.


    "Wait, don''t go in yet," Serena stopped her, gently taking her arm. "Vanessa just had a good cry. Let her rest for a bit."


    Faye blinked, surprised. "What happened?"


    "It was my brother," Serena said, a trace of regret in her voice. "He stopped by earlier—seems like they had a fight."


    Faye''s eyes widened. Mr. Goodwin and Vanessa had argued? That didn''t fit with anything she knew. Vanessa always went along with whatever he wanted, and she was far tooposed to start a scene.


    "Will you tell me what happened?" Faye asked quickly.


    "I honestly have no idea what they were fighting about," Serena replied, shaking


    her head in exasperation. "I tried calling him, but he won''t pick up."


    Deciding to give Vanessa some space, Faye and Serena sat together in the hallway.


    "Faye, how''s work been going?" Serena asked, turning to her.


    Faye hesitated for a moment, her expression stiff. “It''s going alright. I''m actually studying for an uing certification exam."


    Serena looked at her with a touch of envy. Despite her privileged upbringing, she''d never had a knack for academics. Even with her charmed life, she couldn''t help but admire overachievers like Faye.


    In her eyes, Faye was a star student. After all, how many people could say they were on track to be a scientist?


    Fifteen minutester, Faye figured Vanessa had probably calmed down. She knocked softly, then stepped inside.


    Vanessa sat upright in bed, the


    tracks of her tears wiped clean. She looked pale, a trace of exhaustion in her features, but there was a stubborn resilience in her posture-a quiet refusal to be defeated.


    Most people didn''t truly know Vanessa, but Faye understood her history. She was not someone easily broken. If she were, she wouldn''t have made it this far.


    "Hey, sis. Feeling any better?" Faye set the bag of fruit on the bedside table and took a seat.


    Vanessa forced a small smile. "Much better now. Thank you foring, Faye."


    Just then Serena popped her head in. "Vanessa, I''ll leave you two to talk. I''m going downstairs to grab a drink."


    "You''ve done enough, Serena. Go home and get some rest," Vanessa said gently, her eyes full of gratitude.


    "It''s nothing. I promised my brother I''d look after you." Serena shed a quick smile and slipped out.


    Faye watched Vanessa with


    something close to awe. Even M Goodwin''s own sister cared for her so attentively. In most people''s eyes, Serena was a proud heiress yet here she was, fussing over Vanessa.


    Faye hesitated, then nced at Vanessa. "Miss Goodwin mentioned Mr. Goodwin stopped by earlier. Did you two-?"


    Vanessa''s expression settled into something unreadable. "There''s no need to ask about that. How''s the studying going?"


    Faye paused. She could sense that there were things Vanessa would never share with her secrets she kept buried like how she first met Mr. Goodwin, or what her life abroad had really been like. ''


    She nodded. "I''m keeping at it." The way Vanessa asked, it sounded like she was preparing Faye for a future where she''d have to fend for herself.


    Still, Faye couldn''t help but urge her, "Sis, you can''t give up on Mr. Goodwin. You''ve spent ten years by his side. You deserve to fight for the right to be Mrs. Goodwin."


    Vanessa looked at her, not answering right away. She smiled-a quiet, resilient smile, like a flower refusing to bow to the wind and rain.


    A faint, determined curve touched her lips.


    "If you give up now, Eleanor will end up as Mrs. Goodwin sooner orter. I hate her. I can''t stand the thought of her winning." Faye''s voice was tight with bitterness.


    A flicker of pride shed in Vanessa''s eyes. “Eleanor''s already taken from me once. I won''t let her take anything else."