But no, she had to take the money and destroyn''s marriage. She was despicable and shameless.


    So, even though Eleanor knewn hadn''t physically cheated, her love for him had withered away. Yet, the memory of the Eleanor who had been so deeply in love withn was still vivid in Serena''s mind.


    An image from six years ago shed before Serena''s eyes—


    It was a sunny afternoon. She hade back to the country to see friends, andn had asked her to his house for dinner. Back then, she was full of prejudice against Eleanor, feeling no affection for this sister-inw who had forced her way into the family through a debt of gratitude.


    That evening, she had sat in the back ofn''s car, not even wanting to get out. But through the window, she saw Eleanoring from the vi''s main gate, her face beaming. Whenn was just a few steps away, Eleanor threw her arms around his shoulders, tilted her head up, and gave him a sweet kiss. "You''re back!"


    At the time, she couldn''t seen''s expression, but she saw the undisguised love in Eleanor''s eyes and her shy blush.


    Serena had felt only scorn, thinkingn didn''t love her, so why was she putting on such a show? She was just after his good looks, a lovestruck fool going to any length to please him.


    But looking back now, Serena dimly understood that Eleanor''s feelings forn back then were truly and utterly real.


    It was just like when she had been madly in love with Xavier, that feeling of missing him desperately even after a day apart. Eleanor''s reaction to seeingne home from work was the most genuine expression of her love.


    But back then, blinded by her own biases, Serena hadn''t seen Eleanor''s affection. Instead, she had mocked her for putting on an act.


    More memories flooded back.


    She remembered the first family gathering before Evelyn was born. Eleanor sat quietly in a corner of the sofa, her eyes followingn, filled with open admiration and worship.n had just woken from hisa and was still recovering, and Eleanor would sit by his side, handing him water and medicine.


    Serena had sat nearby, sneering inwardly, thinking Eleanor was just pretending to


    be a gentle and virtuous wife. She had even hopedn would leave her.


    But she was certain that by the fourth year of their marriage, Eleanor''s love forn wasn''t an act. She genuinely loved him, loved him enough to endure anything, to wait for him alone, to bury all her grievances in her heart.


    In the two years that followed, Eleanor must have discovered Vanessa''s existence. By then,


    Vanessa was no longer satisfiedmet


    with material things. Her ascent to the status of a world ss piano goddess gave her the capital challenge the legitimate wife.


    She began to frequently stage ''coincidental encounters withn, which just so happened to make headlines. She would appear at the same events asn, take pictures


    show off her gifts and li


    goods;


    and post them all over the world with ambiguous captions?


    Given the nature of her arrangement withn, if she was determined to put on a show, the world became her stage-a stage she could even bring right to Eleanor''s doorstep.


    It was a situation no woman could tolerate, let alone Eleanor at the time.


    Although Serena didn''t know whatn''s attitude was back then, she knew he had to consider Vanessa''s status as the sole global donor.


    The self-harm scars on Vanessa''s wrists were evidence of how she had leveraged her own suffering againstn, cut by calcted cut.


    Eleanor''s love had been worn away by one injury after another. Now, with another man who adored her by her side,n, the ex-husband, stood no chance at all.


    Ifn''s hair had turned white because of Eleanor...


    Then just how deeply had he hidden his love for her all these years?