No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 264

Eleanor frowned.

“Don’t bother denying it—I already know everything,” Serena scoffed, her voice icy.

Eleanor’s tone remained calm. “My private life is none of your business.”

Serena crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “He and my brother have been best friends since grade school. You know I like Xavier, don’t you? So tell me, what are you trying to do? Are you just trying to spite my brother? Or is it me? Is this your way of getting back at us?” Her words dripped with suspicion and malice.

Eleanor felt nothing but boredom. Serena’s hostility was overwhelming and frankly, tiresome.

“If you like Xavier so much, then go after him,” Eleanor replied simply.

Serena clenched her jaw. As if she hadn’t tried—she’d done everything short of declaring her feelings to Xavier in front of a crowd.

“So, what—are you bragging because Xavier likes you?” Serena’s voice trembled with anger.

“I’m not,” Eleanor said, brow furrowing.

“I know exactly what kind of person you are,” Serena shot back, her words like daggers. “You schemed to get close to my brother, and now you’re playing games to win Xavier, too. The world doesn’t just hand out happy endings to people like you. You won’t get away with this.”

Eleanor just shook her head and started walking toward the front gate.

Behind her, Serena stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after her. “Eleanor! You’d better not try to steal Xavier from me, do you hear? He’s mine!”

Eleanor turned, her gaze cold. “Miss Goodwin, not everyone is here to indulge your whims.”

That was the last straw. Serena charged forward and grabbed Eleanor’s wrist. “Who do you think you are? You have no right to lecture me!”

Eleanor paused, momentarily surprised by Serena’s outburst. Clearly, the girl had spent her whole life convinced the world revolved around her. With a swift motion, Eleanor pulled her hand free. “Don’t pick a fight with me.”

Serena was left standing there, stunned. She still couldn’t understand why her brother had split the family’s companies with Eleanor, letting an outsider snatch up so much of the Goodwin fortune.

Now, with Xavier in the picture, her resentment toward Eleanor had only deepened.

“Mommy!” Evelyn called out, bright-eyed with joy.

Ian gave her a polite nod. “Would you like to come in for a while?”

Eleanor shook her head. “No need. I’m just here to take Evelyn home.”

She knelt down, gently straightening her daughter’s collar. “Come on, Evelyn. Let’s go.”

Evelyn nodded, but glanced back at Ian, hesitation flickering across her face. “But Daddy said he was going to teach me a new song tonight…”

“I’ll drive you home,” Ian offered, breaking the awkward silence.

Eleanor was about to refuse, but Evelyn clapped her hands in delight. “Yes! I want Daddy to drive us home!”

Seeing the hope on her daughter’s face, Eleanor just couldn’t bring herself to say no.