Vanessa''s face twisted with rage.


    How dare Eleanor tear down her carefully constructed facade?


    The humiliation was unbearable, fueling her fury. "Eleanor, what absolute rubbish are you spewing?" she retorted, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. "My concern for the Goodwins ispletely genuine—"


    "Genuinely?" Eleanor cut her off, the mockery in her voice intensifying. "Ifn hadn''t given you those shares in Yeaton Holdings, would you have agreed to this trial? You demand an exorbitant price first and talk about sincerityter. Don''t you find thatughable?"


    The usation, sharp and undeniable, finally broke Vanessa''sposure. Already on edge, she shot to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at Eleanor. "What do you know? I was the one who fell in love with him first! Why did you have to steal him from me? And you have the nerve to lecture me? I gave ten years of my youth and my health! That payment is what I deserve!n owes me! The entire Goodwin family owes me! Without me, his mother would have died long ago. His sister and your daughter will depend on my blood to live. I''m just taking what''s mine. What''s wrong with that?"


    She was panting, her chest heaving. "You got eighty billion in your divorce, and what about me? I can save three lives in his family. What''s three billion ton? If you ask me, I asked for too little!"


    Just then, the door was thrown open. A pale-faced Serena stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock, disappointment, and fury. She stared at Vanessa, her voice trembling. "Is... is what you''re saying true? You''re the sole donor my brother was talking about? All this time, you were only with him for his money?"


    Vanessa''s face went white. She looked in horror from Serena to Eleanor, realizing with a jolt that Eleanor had known Serena was there all along. Had she deliberately provoked her into saying all those things?


    "Serena-you-listen to me, it''s not what it looks like! Eleanor was baiting me, I "Vanessa stammered, panicking.


    "I heard everything," Serena said through gritted teeth. "I heard it all very clearly thought you loved my brother, but it turns out he was just a poor soul for you to manipte and threaten."


    Vanessa opened her mouth, then shot a venomous re at Eleanor, who was watching the scene unfold with detached amusement. For Eleanor, some truths were far more devastating when they came directly from the source.  s?novel


    Vanessa''s carefully crafted image of a gentle, kind-hearted woman, maintained for a decade in front of the Goodwins, had justpletely crumbled.


    Taking a deep breath, Vanessa turned back to Serena. "Serena, I know you don''t believe me right now, but I want you to know, I''ve always thought of you as a sister. And I always will."


    "So that day at the pool, you pulled Ellie into the water on purpose, didn''t you? You knew my brother would save you," Serena shot back, her voice cold.


    Vanessa frowned and nced at Eleanor, then back at Serena. "Serena, there''s no point in discussing this."


    "There is a point! I want to know the truth. Did you deliberately pull Ellie into the water?" Serena demanded, her fists clenched.


    Vanessa, finding the conversation tedious, finally replied, "I know you''ll only believe Eleanor no matter what I say, so why bother?"


    "You know exactly how many wicked


    things you did behind the sceneszto brother and Ellie''s


    break up my saldu


    marriage. Serena sale the full


    realization dawning on her that she had been Vanessa''s aplice.