Chapter 1232:
The price list left no room for doubt. It showed the necklace Celeste was wearing was worth fifty million, not the eighty million she had claimed.
Shock rippled through the crowd. Celeste’s habit of bragging had finally caught up with her.
“Your Royal Highness, your necklace is really worth just fifty million.”
“Why tell everyone it was eighty? Were you just showing off?”
“How many other stories have you made up about your stuff?”
Embarrassment washed over Celeste, leaving her red-faced and unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Never before had humiliation burned so sharply. Tucking her phone away, Elena finally released Celeste and shot her a look that left no room for argument.
Elena’s face remained blank while her eyes moved slowly across the room. The same socialites who once wore smug smiles now sat in stiff silence, their arrogance nowhere to be found. Elena had stood her ground and challenged Celeste without hesitation. None of them dared provoke Elena again.
Having made her point, Elena turned on her heel and headed for the gate. Someone quietly followed behind her. As she walked out of the manor, the person continued to trail behind.
Without warning, Elena spun around. There stood Vanessa, keeping her distance, not daring to get too close. When Elena’s gaze found her, Vanessa lifted her hand in a hesitant wave.
“Why are you trailing after me?” Elena asked, her tone calm but direct.
Vanessa’s expression brightened at once. She rushed to catch up, hardly able to contain her excitement. “You saved me, Miss Harper. Would you let me buy you dinner as thanks?” Hope filled her eyes as she made the offer.
Gratitude mingled with admiration in Vanessa’s chest. She had never met a woman like Elena—someone brave enough to reject Torin, call out Celeste, and reveal the truth with no fear at all.
Years of enduring Celeste’s bullying had taught Vanessa to keep quiet, never daring to fight back. Seeing Elena expose Celeste’s lies felt like finally coming up for air. Even though Elena hadn’t stood up to Celeste on her behalf, Vanessa couldn’t help feeling liberated by it.
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Still, Vanessa worried she might not be good enough to be friends with Elena. She tread carefully, not daring to overstep.
A taxi pulled up, and Elena raised her hand. “That’s not necessary.”
Vanessa’s excitement faded. She’d expected rejection. After all, why would such a brilliant woman want to be friends with someone like her?
On the curb, Vanessa lingered, her posture drooping, the rejection stinging just a bit.
Before the car door closed, Elena looked back and said, “I’ve got a lot on my plate today. Maybe another time.”
With that, she closed the car door, and the taxi blended into traffic.
Vanessa’s eyes lit up as she watched the taxi drive away. Elena hadn’t brushed her off completely—she was just busy today. Warmth replaced the disappointment in Vanessa’s heart.
.
.
.