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Inside the glittering mansion, chandeliers cast diamond-like light over the ballroom as guests mingled, unaware of the quiet tension. Vanessa glided through the crowd, her flawless smile masking the earlier cruelty she’d shown at the gate.
Richard, now in a sharp suit, watched from the edge of the room, haunted by what he had witnessed. Ethan stood nearby, his disappointment palpable, their unspoken understanding heavy in the air.
When a nervous waiter spilled wine on Vanessa’s dress, she publicly smiled and forgave him, but Richard caught the flash of anger in her eyes — proof of the contrast between her public grace and private disdain. Later, in the quiet library,
Richard confronted her. “The gatekeeper was me,” he said. Vanessa’s mask faltered as shock spread across her face. Richard’s voice broke: “I wanted to believe in you.” As he turned away, Vanessa’s world trembled, realizing no apology could undo the truth he had uncovered.
