Laverne''s words didfort Vanessa, but a knot of unease remained in her


    stomach. She knewn too well. He was such a proud man; if he didn''t genuinely care, why would he lower himself to do small things like picking someone up from the airport or carrying their bags?


    In all their ten years, she had only asked him to carry her bag once. She had been invited by Henry to a dinner party with wealthy socialites, and there were two other prominent couples in the private room. Wanting to break into the wives'' circle, Vanessa orchestrated a chance encounter withn in the parking lot. Before entering the room, she asked him to hold her bag so she could put up her hair.


    Aftern took her purse, she pretended to fix her hair but never took it back. She waited until they walked into the private room together, making sure the other two wives sawn carrying her bag for her.


    Sure enough, that night, both wives cozied up to her, opening doors to new connections.


    What Vanessa didn''t know was that Eleanor had also been at that restaurant that night and had seenn carrying her bag.


    It was true that a woman with a broken heart would find it hard to love the same man again. But if that man wasn, and if he was willing to put in the effort and swallow his pride to pursue her again—not to mention they had a daughter connecting them.


    And Evelyn Goodwin was, without a doubt, the child Vanessa despised most in the world.


    Her thoughts drifted to the first time she met Evelyn. The girl must have been about a year and eight months old. Vanessa had managed to get an invitation to the Goodwin family vi in Drexford, hoping to present a gentle and approachable side of herself to the family.


    But Evelyn was like a little shadow, practically attached ton''s hip. The cold, distant demeanorn showed to outsiders melted away when he looked at his daughter; the affection and gentleness in his eyes could practically overflow.


    He held her while she ate, patiently feeding her. At the slightest whimper, he would immediately scoop her into his arms tofort her.


    Vanessa had


    ad to put in an immense


    amount of effort just to get close to Evelyn. She even took child


    psychology sses for her. Through a relentless campaign of candy, princess dresses, toys, and endless> patience, she finally won Evelyn over.


    She seeded in charming Evelyn, teaching her Drexford-style greetings and practicing piano with her slowly leaving her mark on the child. Before Evelyn returned to her home country, Vanessa would slyly dab her signature perfume on the back of the girl''s neck.


    Whenever she was nearn, she would also spray the same specially blended, longsting fragrance on her fingertips—a scent so potent it could linger on clothing for forty-eight hours or even longer.


    She knew that the moment they returned, Eleanor would smell the perfume and wonder just how close she had been with the father and daughter before their trip.


    The perfume was like an invisible poison, quietly fraying Eleanor''s nerves in ces she couldn''t reach.


    Vanessa had only ever used one fragrance. It was her signature. Once Eleanor smelled it, the scent would haunt her like a nightmare, shaking her trust inn and creating a ghost that she could never escape.


    Undoubtedly, these tactics were despicable, but they were highly effective. They sent a clear message to Eleanor: "See how close I am with your husband and your daughter while you''re not around?"


    he


    ustomed to giving orders, so h wouldn''t exin such trivial details, like why he smelled of another


    woman''s perfume or why his


    daughter asionally used a


    Drexford greeting.


    He simply assumed that Eleanor should understand how difficult his life was.


    But men so often underestimate the power of such subtle attacks. And he had likely


    overestimated the resolve of the Eleanor who had once depended on him<ppletely, her determination to go through with the divorce.