Chapter 663
Vanessa had always adored diamonds. Even if she only ever showed a casual interest, deep down, her love for them was at least tenfold what she let on.
That necklace she’d just seen was obviously a limited edition. At the mayor’s wife’s charity gala this Saturday, she was sure it would be one of the standout pieces in the room.
“Thank your brother for me,” she said, putting on an air of polite reserve.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s see how long it takes that silly brother of mine to realize what he’s done. Let him stew in his guilt a while,” Serena huffed, convinced the necklace was meant for Vanessa.
Especially after hearing Vanessa recount how she and her brother had fallen in love, Serena was all the more certain: Vanessa was the only woman her brother had ever truly loved.
As for Eleanor-well, thank goodness the divorce finally went through. If she’d stayed tied to her brother forever, what a waste of his life that would have been.
That afternoon, Serena invited a friend over along with an interior designer to give Cloudcrest Manor a few decorative touches. By evening, the place already felt different-warmer, more feminine, like a home that finally belonged to a young
woman.
Knowing Xavier lived in this same neighborhood made Serena’s heart soften. She stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, not knowing exactly which floor or apartment he was in, but just the thought of him being nearby brought her peace.
Feelings aren’t something you can run away from. The more you try, the more it hurts. She was hooked on Xavier-and there was no denying it.
Meanwhile, in the elevator, Eleanor and Evelyn were chatting. Serena had no idea Eleanor lived upstairs; Vanessa hadn’t mentioned it.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from above-like some mischievous kid had knocked something over.
Serena rolled her eyes. That was the downside of living in a penthouse—you could never count on complete silence. Next time, she was definitely going to suggest her brother buy a townhouse instead.
Then came the unmistakable sound of a ball bouncing overhead. Serena, already short-tempered, clamped her hands over her ears and muttered, “What kind of brat is that p>
Upstairs, Joslyn spotted Evelyn dribbling a ball on the hardwood. She hurried over
to stop her. “Evelyn, you can’t play ball in the house. It’s too noisy p>
She caught herself. Wasn’t her dad living just downstairs now?
“Oh, I get it,” Evelyn replied, setting the ball aside. She’d always lived in big
houses before where she could play as she pleased; this was her first time in an apartment building, so the rules were new to her, even though her mom had already warned her.
“After dinner, I’ll take you downstairs to play. How about that p>
“Okay!” Evelyn ran to pick up the ball.
But as soon as she grabbed it, it slipped from her arm and thudded to the floor again.
Downstairs, Serena was trying to enjoy a moment of peace when the ball bounced overhead once more. That was the last straw. She balled her fists and stormed upstairs.
Someone needed to teach this kid a lesson.
After all, she was going to live here; if the parents upstairs didn’t keep their kid in line, it would ruin her life.
She made it up to the twenty-eighth floor, practically radiating anger, determined to have a word with the parents.
Ding-dong.
Joslyn was busy cooking, the sound of running water masking the doorbell. Upstairs, Eleanor was working and frowned, getting up to check the door.
Evelyn, who was downstairs, ran to the door, standing on tiptoe to see the video monitor. Her eyes lit up. “It’s Auntie p>
She reached up and pulled the handle.
The door swung open, and Serena stood there, hands on her hips, her face set in
a scowl. She was about to launch into a lecture, but the happy little voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Auntie! What are you doing here p>
Serena stared at the little girl who’d opened the door, blinking in shock, struggling to believe what she was seeing.