Gina''s voice broke with a sob. n warned me multiple times not to get too close to her, but I admired Vanessa. I insisted on inviting her to our home for dinner and letting her get close to Evelyn, which caused the misunderstanding between you two. After I learned the truth, I realized Vanessa hated you for ''stealing''n from her and was always looking for a chance to break you up. She even used Evelyn to provoke you... I''m such a fool-"


    Gina''s sobs grew more intense. "I know it''s toote to say any of this now. You andn are both good people. I don''t deserve to be his mother or your mother-inw, and I certainly don''t deserve to be Evelyn''s grandmother. If you hadn''t taken Evelyn away when you did, she definitely would have been used by Vanessa. Who knows what else she might have done."


    Fear filled Gina''s eyes. Lately, the more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. She recalled certain details, like allowing Vanessa to take her granddaughter to a nearby park alone, or letting her take Evelyn out to buy toys without her supervision. These memories now haunted her like nightmares.


    She had been having recurring dreams of her granddaughter being bullied, kidnapped, or getting into a car ident.


    Even though none of it had actually happened, the terror she felt in her dreams was visceral.


    "I''ve been having nightmares constantly, dreaming that something happened to you and Evelyn, and ton... I deserve to be punished for what I''ve done," Gina said, covering her eyes as tears streamed through her fingers.


    Seeing Gina''s torment and self-me, Eleanor felt a mix of emotions. She pulled a tissue and handed it to her. "Gina, that''s all in the past. Evelyn is safe now. You don''t need to me yourself so much."


    "But I nearly put Evelyn in danger," Gina choked out.


    "Let the past be the past. We should all look forward. Evelyn will still need her grandmother''s love in the future," Eleanor saidfortingly.


    Her words seemed to quiet Gina''s crying. She looked up, her expression one of disbelief. "Eleanor, you... you''re still willing to let Evelyn acknowledge me as her grandmother?"


    Eleanor nodded. "Of course. You will always be her grandmother."


    Gina wanted to say more, but a nurse came to ask Eleanor to attend a meeting, so she had to leave.


    Left behind, Gina closed her eyes. Eleanor''s forgiveness only made her feel more ashamed.


    After the meeting, Eleanor returned to her office to find a slice of tiramisu and a cup of coffee on her desk, along with a note.


    "Ellie, thanks for all your hard work." It was from Serena.


    Eleanor sighed softly. Serena had


    taken to bringing her snacks and et


    coffee fately. Regardless of the reason, Serena''s personality bad definitely changed


    Her arrogant and bossy demeanor had vanished, reced by a surprising thoughtfulness.


    Eleanor picked up her phone to check the news. Suddenly, a headline caught her eye: "Latest Update on the Marlowe Vige Chemical nt Incident."


    She clicked on the article. The media was rehashing the events from two years ago when Eleanor''s research report had led to the shutdown of the multi-billion-dor chemical nt. The person in charge, Drew, had been imprisoned as a result. Eleanor remembered the incident where a car had tried to run her off the road. If the police hadn''t been nearby, she might have been in an unavoidable ident.


    After that incident, nothing else had happened, and she had mostly forgotten about it. But now, seeing the Marlowe Vige case mentioned again she felt a familiar knot tension tighten in her stomach.