As the conversation continued, Vanessa suddenly interjected, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
She stood up, feeling shaky and unsteady on her feet. With one hand clutching the hem of her champagne-colored evening gown and the other gripping her necklace so tightly her knuckles went white, Vanessa abandoned all traces of her usual grace. She looked every bit like someone fleeing the scene.
At that moment, Eleanor also rose from her seat and headed in the same direction.
Vanessa nearly stumbled into the restroom, her face drained of color when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She fumbled desperately with the clasp of her necklace, but her trembling fingers just couldn’t undo it.
A woman stepped up to the sink beside her and asked gently, “Do you need some help?”
“Thank you, I’d appreciate it,” Vanessa replied, forcing a smile and trying to steady herself.
The woman helped unfasten the necklace and admired it. “This is a gorgeous piece,” she said.
“Thank you,” Vanessa answered, her voice stiff and brittle.
When the woman left, the bathroom fell silent. Vanessa drew a shaky breath and lifted the necklace, flipping it over to examine the platinum setting beneath the largest diamond. Her eyes locked on two tiny engraved letters:
—E. S.
Those initials sliced through her heart like a knife. Just then, footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Vanessa jerked her head up to see Eleanor’s cool, composed figure stepping inside.
In that instant, resentment flared bright and sharp in Vanessa’s eyes. She clutched the necklace in her fist as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.
Eleanor stood before her, her pale blue gown accentuating her slender waist. She wore no extravagant jewelry, yet her quiet elegance was impossible to ignore.

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