"Well-"Serena''s eyes narrowed. "Vanessa, if you don''t tell me, I can just ask my brother. I''d rather hear it from you, though. In my heart, I still think of you as my future sister-inw."


    Vanessa''s expression flickered, and her hand tightened around the coffee spoon. She hadn''t expected Serena to be so blunt. A sh of difort crossed her face, but she took a deep breath, struggling to maintain herposure. "Serena, since you''re asking, I won''t be embarrassed to tell you the truth."


    "That car—it was actually a used car that a friend of Henry Holt''s was selling. I liked it, and Henry negotiated a good price for me, so I took it. As for the vi..." She paused, as if the words were difficult to say. Finally, she confessed, "When I first moved back, I didn''t have a ce to stay. But I wanted to be close to your brother, so I started renting a vi in the area."


    Vanessa added with a wry smile, "Serena, not everyone is born with a silver spoon like you. I just wanted to maintain a certain image, so I had to settle for a used car and a rental. Besides, our world is a very materialistic ce."


    Serena''s mind reeled with cold fury. Everything Vanessa did wasn''t just about maintaining her public image-it was a calcted attack on Eleanor. She had unted that car knowing that, in Eleanor''s state of mind, she would assumen had bought it for her. She had deliberately rented a vi near Eleanor''s home to make her thinkn had purchased it for their secret rendezvous.


    Every action was steeped in malicious intent, yet here she was, spewing high- sounding excuses and trying to win Serena''s sympathy and understanding.


    It was pathetic.


    If Serena were to check, she''d find the smug posts of the car, the house, and the jewelry, all with captions designed to hint that they were romantic gifts fromn. Now that she was being confronted, suddenly they were second-hand and rented?


    Of course, Serena believed that part was true.


    "Oh, so that''s how it was! I really thought my brother gave you all those things!"


    A flicker of panic and embarrassment crossed Vanessa''s face. She offered a weak exnation, "Serena, that was all just wild spection from the media and my fans. I just posted a few things casually. Maybe my captions gave you the wrong impression."


    Watching her deny everything, desperately clinging to her persona, Serena saw an even uglier side of Vanessa.


    "So," Serena said, finally getting to the heart of the matter, "was forcing my brother to divorce Eleanor also one of your conditions?"


    Vanessa''s face instantly turned grim. She gripped her coffee cup, her eyes fixed on Serena. Whose side was she really on?


    Serena quickly tried to sound reassuring. "Vanessa, you have to be honest with me so I can help you, right?"


    The true reason forn and Eleanor''s divorce had always been a thorn in Vanessa''s side, an answer she herself didn''t know. She had schemed and pushed for so long, butn had never given in. Then, suddenly, they were divorced, and it seemed to have nothing to do with her.


    "Serena," Vanessa said, her


    expression serious, "do you really think I have that much power over your brother? Could actually force him to divorce Eleanor? I admit I made mistakes, and I caused Eleanor a lot of misunderstandings. But I''m telling you, their divorce had nothing to do with me."


    "Really?" Serena''s expression was openly skeptical.


    "You can ask your brother if you don''t believe me. From what I know, Eleanor was


    the one who asked for the divorce. She gave up on him," Vanessa said with


    conviction, unafraid of Serena confrontingn.


    As Serena processed this, Vanessa


    added with a coldugh, "There were


    always problems between them.


    They were from different worlds. Your brother is a sessful businessman, and Eleanor was just a love-struck college student. They had nothing inmon, not to mention she was insecure and suspicious. Even without me, their marriage wouldn''t havested. I was just the catalyst that made it all


    implode sooner."


    Vanessa finished with a self-deprecating smile, as if her own efforts had been pointless.


    "So, you''re admitting you destroyed their marriage?" Serena asked directly.


    Having confessed so much already, Vanessa didn''t mind admitting to this. Serena''s question seemed to strike a nerve, giving her an outlet for her pent-up frustration. She took a deep breath. "Yes, I admit it. O Because was the one who fell in love with your brother first. Eleanor was the one who stole him from me. I''m the pitiful one who was left with unrequited love."