The night in Serenford is brightly lit, and Hugo has already returned to the villa. He opens the bedroom door and sees Eleanor sweetly lying on the bed, with the quilt covering her, appearing to be in deep sleep. He slowly walks over, sits on the edge of the bed, and reaches out to touch her hair. Eleanor is not actually asleep, but she tries to steady her breathing and pretends to be asleep. Why did this man go out? And what is the reason for sitting by the bed looking at her — does he feel guilty? She has too much on her mind; those few photos keep flickering before her eyes, making her restless. Finally, she pretends to murmur softly and then wakes up. "You haven’t slept yet?" Hugo nods and slowly takes off his coat. "Evan has gotten a bit injured, I just went to see him. It’s quite serious." So it was Evan who got hurt, Eleanor secretly blames herself for being too foolish, so easily brainwashed by Claire. "How did he get injured?" Evan’s face, like Hugo’s, often appears in financial newspapers. It’s hard to imagine someone deliberately picking trouble with him, right? Hugo glances at her, then goes to the bathroom to wash up, and returns to bed. "You could ask your good friend." Eleanor looks at him in surprise, "You mean Samantha?" As for why she guesses Samantha, it’s because over the years Gloria has been obsessed with chasing stars, doesn’t even have a male pet, let alone a man. Eleanor nestles into his embrace, still somewhat puzzled about how Samantha is connected to Evan. Samantha has always been liberated in matters of emotion; could she have played around with someone’s feelings? Hugo knows she’s overthinking and lightly taps her forehead. "It seems you haven’t been paying much attention to your friends’ affairs over the years. You should ask her yourself, now go to sleep." Eleanor gives a soft "oh" and says no more. Just as she’s about to fall asleep, a voice suddenly comes to her ear. "Did Claire come by the house today?" The housemaid had already informed him, that woman probably came by to provoke Eleanor. Eleanor suddenly opens her eyes, then nods. Hugo kisses her lips lightly. "No matter what she says, don’t believe it. There’s nothing between me and her, though the old masters from both families have always wanted us to be together." Eleanor completely relaxes; Hugo wouldn’t lie to her. If he says there’s nothing, then there’s nothing. It seems Claire deliberately came to stir trouble. Hugo holds her in his arms, slowly closes his eyes, and they both fall asleep. Regarding the gossip between Samantha and Evan, Eleanor is very interested, so the next day she goes to the company, purposely seeking Gloria out during lunch. Since marrying Nathaniel, she’s been preoccupied, rarely inquiring about friends’ matters. Now hearing Gloria talk about the two people’s entanglements, she widens her eyes in surprise. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵 Samantha’s brother killed Evan’s sister, and for revenge, Evan crashed Samantha’s brother into a vegetative state? No novelist would dare write something ; reality is even more thrilling than fiction. "You had just married Nathaniel not long ago when they broke up. Who could have predicted Evan would become so successful? It’s said many women want to marry him, but it seems he still cares about Samantha; otherwise, why hasn’t he married yet." Eleanor sips her milk tea, furrowing her brow. "With such deep grudges, there’s probably no way they’ll end up together." Samantha’s personality is bold and unyielding, swift and decisive, likely won’t give Evan another chance. "Who can really say? Do you think Samantha has truly been with all those men over the years? It’s all an act to irritate Evan. Who knows when this mutual torment will end." Talking about Samantha’s situation, Gloria appears grim, then apologizes with a glance at Eleanor. "Sorry for not mentioning it before, Eleanor, but at the time, you had just lost a child, were in a daze every day, and we didn’t dare mention those matters in front of you. Your mental state was so off, we all thought you would... Now it’s better, you’ve finally returned to normal." Eleanor doesn’t speak; she’s the one who should apologize. She neglected her friends so much, missing out on such significant events. She knows that after losing the child, she was frightening, practically tearful every day at the Quinton Family, coupled with Nathaniel’s rejection, akin to madness. In fact, now she feels a bit sorry for Nathaniel, how could anyone be comfortable being with a woman like that? Soon it’s time for work, she bids farewell to Gloria and returns to the top-floor office. Just sat down when she sees Claire coming out of Hugo’s office, her face freezes. Claire seems to see her too, her lips curl up a bit, as she strides over to Eleanor. "Tonight, my grandfather will invite Grandpa Quinn over for dinner, Hugo as a junior will also tag along, Eleanor, we’ll soon announce our wedding date. I hope you can control your emotions when the time comes." She doesn’t intentionally lower her voice, many in the office hear her. Eleanor remains calm, completely indifferent to her provocation. "Then let’s wait for your wedding date to be set before talking. For now, it’s too early; the one laughing last may not be you." This is her first time retorting Claire because this woman’s mouth is truly unpleasant. Claire’s smile slowly fades, clenching the strap of her bag tightly; no one has ever dared counter her . "Eleanor, I’m not like Grace. Grace losing to you was because the forces behind her were too weak, whereas you had the fortune of winning Hugo’s affection. You probably don’t realize that these family engagements have never been decided by the two individuals but are matters of the families. If you think you’re important enough in Hugo’s heart, you might as well convince him not to go to my grandfather’s tonight. See if he’ll listen to you." Claire’s tone is provocative, her eyes disdainfully looking at Eleanor, coldly laughing, then arrogantly steps away in her high heels. The office is dead silent, everyone astounded by the exchange between the two women, but now it seems Eleanor is clearly at a disadvantage. Claire, everyone knows, is the most famous lady of Serenford, frequently attending various charity auctions, with higher exposure than some celebrities. It’s said Old Master Ford dotes on Claire tremendously, even buying her an island as a birthday gift on her eighteenth birthday. Old Master Ford’s status is unparalleled; even those from high society are cautious not to offend Claire lightly.