"Brother, are you... are you going to try to win Ellie back?" Serena asked, her tear-filled eyes pleading. In that moment, she was convinced Eleanor was the best sister-inw in the world.


    A bitter smile touchedn''s lips, but he didn''t answer.


    Serena grew anxious. "But you two have Evelyn!"


    Serena nodded, swallowing the rest of her words. He was right. Eleanor waspletely focused on her research, and it wouldn''t be fair to distract her now. "Okay, brother, I understand. I''ll cooperate fully."


    Back in her hospital room, Serena clenched her fists, still trembling with anger. She sat on her bed, her mind reying all the things she had done with Vanessa. In hindsight, every one of Vanessa''s actions had been aimed at Eleanor.


    She remembered their first family dinner in Drexford. Vanessa had shown up unexpectedly, introducing herself as a friend of her brother''s. Serena, unsuspecting, had weed her. Later, they ran into each other in the restroom, where Vanessa showered her withpliments and asked for her number. Soon after, she invited Serena to a concert at The Arts Institute.


    From then on Vanessa became a constant presence in her life, ying the role of a supportive older sister At the time, Serena was struggling under the weight of her brother''s academic expectations, feeling depressed and overwhelmed


    Whenever sheined about fier studies, Vanessa would take her shopping or to art galleries, concerts, and fashion


    events-always catering to her interests.


    Though she was a "Miss Goodwin," Serena felt empty and lonely, desperate for validation. Vanessa expertly filled that void, praising her intelligence and taste, putting her on a pedestal. At the time, Vanessa was a top student at The Arts Institute, a celebrated prodigy who even had her own solo recitals.


    Then one night, Vanessa pretended to be drunk and confessed that she had been secretly in love withn for two years. Serena was shocked; her brother was already married to


    Eleanor. Her knowledge of Eleanor was limited, mostly consisting of what Vanessa had told her that Eleanor had taken advantage ofn while he was unconscious, proposed as soon as he recovered, and essentially forced him into marriage, stealing him away from Vanessa.


    Serena, who already admired Vanessa''s talent, was easily swayed. The idea that Eleanor was so conniving nted a seed of prejudice in her mind. From that point on, she despised Eleanor, convinced she was a maniptive social climber who had dropped out of school to marry into wealth—someone utterly unworthy of her brilliant brother.


    Unless it was absolutely necessary, Serena avoided Eleanor. Vanessa, meanwhite, became the tragic, long-suffering heroine in her eyes. On several asions, Serena saw Vanessa post photos of expensive gifts with captions that hinted they were fromn This reinforced Serena''s belief that her brother''s marriage to Eleanor was a reluctant obligation, while his heart truly belonged to Vanessa, his


    unobtainable love.


    Vanessa would also send her photos with Evelyn, often withn blurred in the background, subtly creating the illusion that they were the real family, and Eleanor, back in her home country, was the outsider.