At a vi in the suburbs of Kingston.


    Vanessa had been staying there for a week. After the online hate campaign against her died down, she had be a kept woman, living in a gilded cage.


    Harvey MacLeod had many women, and she was just one of them. He was also busy with social events, so she rarely saw him more than once or twice a week. But Vanessa was treated well, with a supplementary credit card with a ten-million-dor limit and an assistant to manage her daily life.


    Ever since she had inquired about Mansfield''s identity, Vanessa had felt even


    worse.


    While Eleanor had so many options, she had backed herself into a corner.


    Mansfield Ellington! A man from such a powerful family. Had Eleanor really not chosen him?


    If only she''d had an opportunity like that.


    Dressed in an expensive silk robe, Vanessa stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the beautifully manicured garden below. Mansfield''s image shed in her mind.


    They had only met a few times, but his face was deeply etched in her memory. He was an exceptionally outstanding man in every respect, a cut above the rest whether in a military uniform or a suit.


    She remembered Eleanor going to work at the base once, andn had rushed over


    in a panic. Was he worried that Mansfield would steal Eleanor away?


    The irony was that on that very day, she had forced herself to take a cold shower and gotten so sick she ended up in the ICU, all to calln back to her side.


    Thinking back, she had done so many self-destructive things. Ifn had been even a littlete, she might have actually died for him.


    And if she had died like that, it would have been utterly worthless.


    Once, she had been the darling of society, beautiful and acimed as a piano prodigy. If she had just been serious about choosing a man, she wouldn''t have ended up in this situation.


    Now, she spent her days waiting for the charity of a pot-bellied slob who had taken a liking to her.


    She had thrown her life away trying to break up Eleanor andn, only to end up like this.


    It was pathetic, and she was furious.


    Lately, she hadn''t heard any news about Eleanor. Ian had secured a major


    investment for her, establishing a dedicated personal researchb. If she


    seeded, she would stand even taller in the scientificmunity. She might even win a Nobel Prize and have a brilliant life.


    Vanessa gritted her teeth. But one thing she was sure of: Ian would never win Eleanor''s affection again.


    The more dazzling Eleanor became, the moren would be forced to watch from the sidelines. He had lost the right to love her.


    There was no chance of them ever getting back together.


    Overwhelmed by resentment, Vanessa refused to ept her fate. She would make


    aeback. She had to.


    Harvey knew people in show


    business, and she had decided to


    break into the entertainment


    industry. A major director had a role that would be perfect for her debut on the silver screen.


    High above Ashford City, a ne circled and thennded smoothly.


    Lanny carried Eleanor''s suitcase off the ne, withn''s tall frame following close behind her It was clear from his demeanor that he was


    in high spirits.


    On the drive from the airport into the city, Eleanor was feeling the jetg and rested her head against her hand, looking exhausted.


    She had only dozed on and off during the flight, which had left her feeling even more tired.


    Hearing the steady rhythm of her breathing beside him,n nced over, a trace of concern in his eyes.


    The long flight, the time difference, and the recent high-stress meetings and emotional ups and downs had clearly worn her out.


    But leaning on her hand was obviously ufortable. A momentter, her head bumped against the car window, though she didn''t wake up simply tilting her head back and continuing to sleep.


    Without hesitation, he shifted in his seat, gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and guided her to lean against him.


    In her sleep, Eleanor seemed to find a stable,fortable ce to rest, and soon she was in a much deeper sleep.


    Lanny nced in the rearview mirror and understood immediately. He slowed the car from sixty to fifty, maintaining a steady pace.


    He could tell that after this trip, the boss''s rtionship with Eleanor had warmed up considerably.


    They might have even had a real breakthrough.


    Perhaps Eleanor would be his boss''s wife again someday.


    Eleanor slept soundly. It wasn''t until the car was in the city and had stopped at several red lights that she groggily began to wake up.