No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 249

At half past six, Eleanor and Joy handed over their invitations and stepped into the grand foyer.

They’d barely entered the elevator when, just as the doors started to close, a hotel attendant poked her head in. “Excuse me, someone else needs to come in.”

She turned, smiling warmly at the person waiting outside. “Miss, please.”

Eleanor and Joy were chatting, but when they glanced up, Vanessa swept in, elegant as ever in a white evening gown.

Caught off guard, Vanessa’s surprise was clear—she hadn’t expected to see Eleanor and Joy at an event this formal, this prestigious. What on earth were they doing here?

Joy shot Eleanor a look that mirrored Vanessa’s confusion. Was Vanessa invited too?

“What a coincidence!” Vanessa broke the silence first, fixing Eleanor and Joy with a practiced smile. “Are you here for the dinner as well?”

Joy grinned, her tone teasing. “With a dress like that, Miss Shannon, I’d say you must be performing for us tonight!”

Vanessa’s expression instantly cooled. There was a sting in Joy’s words, a subtle dig at her background in the performing arts.

Without a word, Vanessa turned her back on them, radiating icy indifference.

When the elevator reached the third floor, she stepped out first, her heels echoing across the marble. Joy and Eleanor followed.

The corridor outside was already buzzing with elegant women in designer gowns, their jewels flashing as they mingled and chatted. As Vanessa approached, admiring glances and nods greeted her; she slipped seamlessly into their circle, accepted as one of their own. From the far side of the room, Eleanor and Joy seemed invisible, standing awkwardly in a quiet corner, clearly out of place among the city’s elite.

Eleanor now owned eight companies, with assets close to eight billion dollars—enough to rank among the top three on the list of female entrepreneurs. Yet she kept a low profile, never flaunting her success. No one here suspected she was the woman at the center of last month’s headline-making divorce that had rocked the business world.

“Let’s just stay under the radar,” Eleanor replied quietly. Her outfit tonight was understated: a knee-length blue cocktail dress, her hair curled softly at the salon, makeup subtle and refined. She looked like the picture of quiet sophistication.

Joy had to admit, Eleanor was right. None of the women here were simple.

At that moment, Mrs. Ellington arrived, escorted by the hotel manager. She wore a deep burgundy gown that commanded instant attention—the room fell silent as she entered.

Everyone knew the Ellingtons weren’t just known for their son, the mayor. Their eldest was Secretary of State in Kingston—a family to be reckoned with.