No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 672

Vanessa turned to her and said, “The necklace is still in my bag. Serena, you should take it back.”

Serena took Vanessa’s purse and pulled out the long velvet box, her disbelief plain as she opened the lid and lifted the necklace, inspecting the engraving on its base.

The initials “E. S.” caught her eye for a moment. Sure enough, it was Eleanor’s monogram.

“Vanessa, are you sure this was meant for Eleanor? Are you positive my brother doesn’t have any other female friends with those same initials?” Serena couldn’t quite believe her brother would go out of his way for Eleanor like this.

Vanessa let out a sigh. “You can ask him yourself.”

Serena, stubborn as ever, decided to do just that. She grabbed her phone and dialed her brother on the spot.

The phone rang for ages before he finally picked up.

“What is it?” Ian’s voice was edged with impatience.

“Where are you, Ian? I need to talk to you.” Serena’s voice dropped a notch, a little less bold now.

“I’m out. If it’s important, tell me tomorrow.”

Serena pressed on, “Ian, the necklace I gave Vanessa—was that meant for Eleanor?”

“Yes.” Ian didn’t hesitate.

“Why are you buying Eleanor such an expensive necklace? You’ve never even given me a proper necklace in all these years!” Serena’s jealousy flared.

“Did I ever teach you to take something that wasn’t yours and give it away?” Ian’s voice bristled with frustration.

The reprimand caught Serena off guard. She tightened her grip on the phone, glanced at Vanessa, who had closed her eyes to rest, then quietly slipped out into the hallway.

“I just thought it looked nice, so I gave it to Vanessa. Besides, you and Eleanor are divorced. How was I supposed to know you’d want to give it to her?”

“Don’t touch my things again,” Ian warned.

He hadn’t raised his voice, but to Serena, who’d never been spoken to sternly by her brother, it may as well have been a shout. Hurt and indignant, she swallowed hard. “Fine, I won’t. I won’t touch your stuff anymore.”

“Bring the necklace back. And don’t make this mess again.”

Vanessa offered a small, reassuring smile. “Alright, I’m not upset anymore. I know your brother has his boundaries.”

Serena felt some relief seeing Vanessa so understanding. She tossed her phone on the nightstand and grumbled, “Eleanor only said those things because she’s jealous. She couldn’t keep my brother, and now she can’t stand seeing you happy. Don’t let it bother you. You’re his first love, Vanessa, the one he’s never forgotten. She’ll never compare.”

Vanessa smiled quietly. “Thank you. I’ll try not to dwell on it. I know Ian still cares about me. But don’t let this cause a rift between you and your brother, alright?”

“Don’t worry, he won’t stay mad at me,” Serena said, brimming with confidence. Then, as if remembering something, she looked at Vanessa. “Vanessa, do you know who’s living upstairs from Ian at Cloudcrest Manor?”

Vanessa shook her head. “He never mentioned it.”

Serena huffed. “It’s Eleanor. She lives right above him. But don’t get the wrong idea—my brother only bought that place for Evelyn. And now that I’m staying there, I’ll keep an eye on things. I won’t let Eleanor get anywhere near him.”

Vanessa’s gaze dropped, a faint, unreadable smile on her lips. When she looked up again, her expression was calm. “Thank you for all this, Serena. Honestly, it’s not about the gifts. It’s just… your brother is different with Eleanor, somehow.”

“What’s so different? It’s just because of Evelyn,” Serena scoffed. “Besides, Eleanor’s already off trying to charm Xavier Vaughn. My brother’s not thrilled about that, either!”

Yet here was her brother, still eager to shower Eleanor with gifts. Serena could hardly believe it. That necklace—how could Eleanor accept it without feeling a pang of guilt?