Chapter 630
Vanessa paused for a moment, then walked over to Henry and gave his shoulder
a gentle pat. “Henry, I have to go. Something came up p>
“Let me give you a ride,” Henry offered immediately, remembering that her manager had dropped her off earlier and she didn’t have her car.
“That’s all right,” Vanessa replied, glancing at Mia Brown standing nearby. “You should stay and take care of Miss Brown p>
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and strode out of the ballroom. Henry stood there for a moment, and as Mia Brown was about to ask if he wanted a drink, he suddenly made up his mind and hurried after Vanessa.
Behind him, Mia Brown’s expression faltered-she finally understood. Henry’s heart clearly belonged to Vanessa.
Henry caught up with Vanessa by the elevator. She looked a little surprised. “Why are you out here p>
“I want to see you off p>
“But your date is still waiting inside p>
He caught the hint of annoyance in her voice and chuckled, shaking his head. “Are you actually jealous over that p>
Vanessa arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Why would I be jealous? I’m not your girlfriend.” She stepped into the elevator, but just as Henry moved to follow, she stopped him with an outstretched hand. “Henry, tonight, I just want to be alone. Go back and keep Mia company p>
The elevator doors slid shut, leaving Henry standing outside, letting out a quiet sigh.
Back in the ballroom, Xavier’s speech was coming to an end. His gaze drifted over the crowd and settled on Eleanor. “And finally,” he said, “I want to give special thanks to someone very important to me for being here tonight.” The room fell silent.
On stage, Xavier didn’t clarify Eleanor’s identity; he simply held her gaze for a few quiet, meaningful seconds before stepping down.
The guests followed his line of sight and spotted a graceful woman standing in the shadows, her face obscured by the dim light, but her calm elegance drew every eye in the room.
Meanwhile, Henry was making his way toward lan. He hadn’t expected Xavier to declare his feelings for Eleanor-so openly, yet with such subtlety. Instinctively, Henry glanced at lan.
lan’s face was composed as always, but the cold aura he radiated made several businessmen think twice about approaching him.
Eleanor, after her initial surprise, knelt down to straighten her daughter’s dress. Evelyn bounced on her toes. “Mom, can we go to the lounge and play with the toys p>
Eleanor took her daughter’s hand and headed toward the staircase. When they reached the upstairs lounge and disappeared from view, the ballroom lights brightened. Guests turned back, but the woman in the gown was nowhere to be seen.
On the opposite side of the ballroom, lan stared up toward the VIP lounge, his empty glass turning slowly in his long fingers.
“Ian.” Henry approached and followed his gaze. “You all right p>
lan gave a faint, indifferent smile. “I’m fine p>
Henry glanced over at Xavier, who was now surrounded by businessmen eager to network. Soon, though, Xavier wrapped up the conversation and made his way
over.
“Xavier, you look great tonight,” Henry complimented.
Xavier turned to lan. “Ian, have a drink with me p>
lan swapped his empty glass for a tumbler of whiskey. He clinked it against Xavier’s, and Henry joined in. Outwardly, the three maintained the camaraderie of old friends, but Henry could feel the tension—a crack had formed in their brotherhood, and he feared it would only widen, until one day it shattered beyond repair.
“Congratulations on the anniversary,” lan said to Xavier, his tone polite but distant. “Thank you. I’m really glad you could both make it,” Xavier replied.
Henry found himself at a loss. When had the three of them started speaking in such formal, careful tones?
He sighed wearily, wanting to say something to break the ice, but then caught the electric tension between lan and Xavier—an unspoken current passing between them, invisible to everyone else.
Nervously, Henry gripped his glass, half-expecting the two men to explode at any moment.
Just then, Eleanor appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Evelyn’s hand. Her fitted gown shimmered under the lights, her graceful silhouette instantly easing the charged atmosphere between the two men.
lan was the first to move. He set his glass on a passing tray and walked toward Eleanor.
“Dad, I want to go home,” Evelyn said quietly.
“All right, sweetheart. We’ll leave now,” lan replied, his voice gentle.
Evelyn let go of Eleanor’s hand and looked up at her. “Mom, can I stay at Grandma’s tonight p>
Eleanor hesitated for a moment.
Evelyn went on, “I’ll ride with Daddy to Grandma’s. You can stay and have fun for a while longer p>
Xavier smiled encouragingly. “Eleanor, why not stay? Enjoy yourself a bit p>
lan’s expression darkened. He crouched beside his daughter, his voice soft but firm. “Evelyn, Grandma isn’t feeling well tonight. We’ll visit her another day, okay p>
Evelyn’s face fell, but she nodded obediently. “Okay p>
lan picked up his daughter and turned to Eleanor. “I’ll take Evelyn home. You can stay if you want p>
“Bye, Mommy!” Evelyn waved as she left with her father.
lan walked away without looking back.
Eleanor watched her daughter go, then turned to Xavier. “Xavier, I should get
going too. Thank you for inviting me tonight p>
Xavier understood all too well-Eleanor’s heart had left with her daughter. There was no way she could truly stay and enjoy herself now.