Chapter 24

Eleanor’s gaze swept over Sharon without a hint of emotion. Just a moment ago, Sharon had been fawning over Mallory, mocking Eleanor for being an outsider and claiming she wasn’t as loved by her parents as Mallory was. She’d even bragged about how they had rented out this estate just to celebrate Mallory’s birthday. And now? The moment Sharon met Eleanor’s eyes, she immediately lowered her head, holding her breath. Eleanor couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. A nobody like Sharon wasn’t worth her time. Her attention was on Mallory, whose face had become ghastly pale.

“Do you know why you were able to rent this place? Well, I was going through my assets the other day, and I remembered that this estate had been sitting empty for ages. Letting it go to waste seemed pointless, so I figured I might as well put it up for rent and make a little more money,” Eleanor explained. “Honestly, I set the price so high that I didn’t expect anyone to take it. But you were kind enough to support me, Ms. Trenton. So, thank you.” Eleanor smiled.

Eleanor’s words were like a slap on Mallory’s face, and her skin burned with humiliation.

“What am I going to do with you? Throw you in jail? That’s not necessary. It’s not as if our feud runs that deep. I’ll just make sure that you lose every last shred of dignity in front of everyone on your big day and walk out of my estate in utter disgrace.”

Eleanor smiled as she looked up at the second-floor balcony. “Sebastian.”

Everyone instinctively looked up. There he was, standing at the railing, a glass of red wine in his hand, his expression indifferent. But under the dazzling crystal chandelier, he looked so striking that, for a moment, he seemed almost unreal. Sebastian took a sip of his wine, then casually raised his glass into the air. With everyone watching, he loosened his grip.

The glass fell, crashing on the champagne tower. Glass shattered everywhere, and the entire tower collapsed in an instant. Screams filled the air as guests scrambled out of the way. Mallory’s eyes went wide with horror. The champagne tower had been the centerpiece of her celebration! Now, it lay in ruins, just like her pride.

Eleanor lifted her gown slightly and ascended the stairs. She seemed arrogant—ruthless, even—but so breathtaking that no one could look away.

“The venue fee will be fully refunded. Have a nice trip,” she uttered lazily.

“Eleanor!” Mallory shouted. She lunged at Eleanor, desperate to strike her. “Eleanor, you bitch! Ah—”

Before she could finish, a bottle of wine smashed onto the floor right in front of her. The loud crack made her freeze in fear and stumble back onto the ground. She looked up, trembling. Sebastian was staring down at her, his expression cold and merciless.

At that moment, something in Mallory shattered completely. “Sebastian, why are you helping her? Why are you standing up for her?” she questioned, almost pleadingly.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. That too… Oh, Sharon and Jean weren’t the only ones who liked Sebastian; Mallory did too. No wonder she’d been so furious when they’d been talking about Eleanor. Eleanor finally understood. It was all because of Sebastian and his endless string of admirers. Mallory had been targeting her because of him this whole time!

Driven to the brink, Mallory nearly lost it.

“You have no idea what kind of disgusting things she’s done! She got pregnant before she was even married and had a kid with some—”

Eleanor’s steps faltered.

Mallory scrambled to pull something from her bag. Then, she held up a piece of paper for everyone to see. “Look at this! This is her hospital record from back then! She gave birth in secret! She’s the most shameless woman in the entire city!”