No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 972

"Well—"Serena's eyes narrowed. "Vanessa, if you don't tell me, I can just ask my brother. I'd rather hear it from you, though. In my heart, I still think of you as my future sister-in-law."

Vanessa's expression flickered, and her hand tightened around the coffee spoon. She hadn't expected Serena to be so blunt. A flash of discomfort crossed her face, but she took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her composure. "Serena, since you're asking, I won't be embarrassed to tell you the truth."

"That car—it was actually a used car that a friend of Henry Holt's was selling. I liked it, and Henry negotiated a good price for me, so I took it. As for the villa…" She paused, as if the words were difficult to say. Finally, she confessed, "When I first moved back, I didn't have a place to stay. But I wanted to be close to your brother, so I started renting a villa in the area."

Vanessa added with a wry smile, "Serena, not everyone is born with a silver spoon like you. I just wanted to maintain a certain image, so I had to settle for a used car and a rental. Besides, our world is a very materialistic place."

Serena's mind reeled with cold fury. Everything Vanessa did wasn't just about maintaining her public image—it was a calculated attack on Eleanor. She had flaunted that car knowing that, in Eleanor's state of mind, she would assume Ian had bought it for her. She had deliberately rented a villa near Eleanor's home to make her think Ian had purchased it for their secret rendezvous.

Every action was steeped in malicious intent, yet here she was, spewing high-sounding excuses and trying to win Serena's sympathy and understanding.

It was pathetic.

If Serena were to check, she'd find the smug posts of the car, the house, and the jewelry, all with captions designed to hint that they were romantic gifts from Ian. Now that she was being confronted, suddenly they were second-hand and rented?

Of course, Serena believed that part was true.

"Oh, so that's how it was! I really thought my brother gave you all those things!"

A flicker of panic and embarrassment crossed Vanessa's face. She offered a weak explanation, "Serena, that was all just wild speculation from the media and my fans. I just posted a few things casually. Maybe my captions gave you the wrong impression."

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