In the photo, a twenty-something Vanessa stood at the entrance of a high-end restaurant. Her brother was in the background on the phone, while she stood in the foreground, cupping her chin in a sweet, innocent pose, smiling blissfully. The caption read, ''A wonderful night.''


    Serena gritted her teeth. If she hadn''t heard the true story behind this photo from via, even she would have assumed it was a candid shot of her brother and Vanessa after a dinner date.


    "She''s incredibly maniptive," Serena hissed.


    "But what I found most distasteful was when she started getting close to your brother''s daughter. She even went and studied child psychology or something. I once heard her intentionally say bad things about the girl''s mother in front of your little niece, things like, ''Why didn''t your mommye abroad with you? Do you think she doesn''t want you anymore?"—"


    Serena''s eyes turned red with anger. Vanessa had acted so pure and kind in front of the Goodwins, but behind their backs, she was full of venom, not even sparing her two-year-old niece.


    via continued, "But I decided to return to the country to develop my career shortly after that, so I left her. Still, using a child like that is just despicable. Even I couldn''t stand it."


    After hearing a few more details, via, getting into the swing of things, suddenly lowered her voice. "Actually, Vanessa does have some skill at the piano, but not enough to win major awards. All those so-called international grand prizes were bought. Mr. Goodwin paid for them behind the scenes to help her establish a foothold in the international piano scene."


    Serena sneered. "She spent all her energy on my brother. How could she have any real talent left?"


    via recalled more details about Vanessa, painting a picture of a twenty-something who was already vain, maniptive, and a masterful actress.


    "Miss Goodwin, I heard your brother and your former sister-inw divorced two years ago. I assume it had something to do with her, right?" via suddenly asked.


    Serena sighed in frustration. "Yes, they divorced a long time ago."


    "So it seems she seeded after all. When she heard your brother was getting married, she nearly went insane. She had her sights set on the position of Mrs. Goodwin from the very beginning."


    "Is she delusional?" Serena scoffed. "My brother would marry anyone but her."


    via recalled Vanessa''s state during that period. Her personality had changed drastically; she had a terrifying temper and would fly int rage at the slightest provocation. As her assistant, via had suffered a great deal.


    "I heard her call your brother in the middle of the night and say, ''Since you won''te to Drexford to see me, I''lle back to the country and meet your Mrs. Goodwin myself. W make her understand who is worthy of standing by your side.""


    via mimicked Vanessa''s cold, menacing tone from that time.


    Serena''s heart sank. So Vanessa had even nned to return to the country to challenge Eleanor?


    "It seemed like she had already booked a flight back. But then your brother made a few more calls to her, and she calmed down."


    Serena gripped her coffee cup, her knuckles turning white from the force. It was because Vanessa was so crazy and made such a scene that her brother had topromise with her time and again. So, the real reason her brother didn''t want Eleanor to go abroad was to prevent her from meeting Vanessa, wasn''t it?