Chapter 78: The Ninja Attack
James couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.
The same Eleanor who once clung to him like an obedient pup, following his every command, now looked him in the eye as if he were a complete stranger. Cold. Indifferent. Unmoved.
Her expression didn’t flicker for even a second. There wasn’t a hint of recognition, no flash of memory. Just void-like detachment. That hollow gaze cut deeper than a blade.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
James stepped back silently from the spotlight, retreating to a quiet corner, his heart burning with confusion and anger. The second phase of his plan would soon begin, and then he’d know the truth. Was Eleanor truly pretending? Or had she genuinely forgotten about him?
He refused to believe she could forget him. But despite his bravado, a gnawing uncertainty lingered in the back of his mind. What if she had? What if she really was no longer the Eleanor who once loved him so dearly?
He clenched his fists, barely suppressing the storm building inside him.
Meanwhile, the party continued.
After the group of young elites moved on, a few middle-aged businessmen approached Edward to exchange greetings and discuss trivial matters. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of three elegantly dressed women, each carrying a wine glass. They approached gracefully, laughing softly among themselves... until one of them stumbled dramatically.
The woman tripped, her heel catching on the floor. She fell with a sharp gasp, her wine glass slipping from her hand. Scarlet liquid splashed across the lower hem of Eleanor’s gown.
Eleanor could have stepped aside. She had seen the woman coming from the corner of her eye, but something about the situation seemed... staged.