"Do ordinary friends teach each other how to play golf, hand in hand?" Serena pictured Xavier showing Eleanor the basics-his arms around her, guiding her swing. That kind of closeness was basically an embrace.

Since the Vaughn family had called off their engagement, Serena had known she stood no chance with Xavier. But if he married Eleanor, Serena knew she'd never

find peace.

"Serena, there's an art exhibit tomorrow. Want to come out and clear your head?" Vanessa asked.

"Sure," Serena replied, her voice dull.

After hanging up, she sat on the couch, pain churning inside her.

Xavier-the one she loved, but could never have.

***

By eight that evening, Eleanor was already restless. Her daughter still wasn't home. Ian had promised to bring her back by nine, but Eleanor wished she'd arrive sooner.

At eight fifty, Princess, the family's golden retriever, suddenly lifted her head from the rug. She sniffed the air, glanced at Eleanor on the couch, then let out a soft whine and bounded to the front gate.

Eleanor understood instantly: her daughter was home.

She stood, walked to the gate, and opened it. Beneath the streetlamp, a black Rolls-Royce idled at the curb as lan carefully unbuckled their daughter from her car seat.

"Mommy!" Evelyn called out, grinning, clutching her favorite stuffed animal. Eleanor's face softened. Once Evelyn was out of lan's arms, Eleanor took her hand and led her inside.

"Bye, Daddy!" Evelyn waved cheerfully.

Princess circled lan twice before sitting, basking in a familiar head rub. Ian smiled and scratched her ears. Just then, Eleanor's exasperated voice called from the yard: "Princess!"

Obediently, Princess trotted inside. The gate closed, shutting out the world beyond.

lan lingered on the sidewalk, staring at the closed gate for a few long seconds before finally turning away.

Back in the house, Evelyn looked up at her mother. "Mommy, can we go somewhere fun tomorrow? We haven't gone out in ages."

Eleanor realized she'd been neglecting her daughter lately, caught up in work. She smiled. "Let's see if there's anywhere special we can go."

Scrolling through her phone, Eleanor soon spotted a post about a world art exhibition opening locally at the Ashford City Convention Hall.

She read the event details-perfect for sparking a child's curiosity about art.

"How about a trip to the art exhibit tomorrow?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes! I love painting!" Evelyn's face lit up.

Eleanor bought tickets online while Joslyn, their housekeeper, gave Evelyn her bath. Eleanor headed to her study to finish up some work.

***

The next morning at nine thirty, Eleanor and Evelyn arrived at the convention center. As they entered, Evelyn suddenly squealed, "Vivian!"

A little girl with mixed features turned at the sound of her name. The two children hugged excitedly. "Evelyn! What are you doing here?"

Eleanor looked up—just in time to catch Xavier's eyes as he toured the exhibit nearby.

They both laughed, a little surprised by the coincidence.

Xavier was dressed casually, his shirt sleeves rolled up. He smiled as he walked over. "What are the odds?"

"Yeah! Evelyn wanted to get out for a bit, so here we are," Eleanor replied.

What Xavier didn't say was that he'd considered inviting Eleanor the night before,

but he'd hesitated, not wanting to pull her away from her work.

Fate, it seemed, had its own plans—they'd both ended up here after all.