Chapter 523

The butler gave Eleanor a fleeting glance, clearly uneasy. He hesitated, lips pressed together, as though weighing his words carefully. There was something he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to voice. Perhaps it was the sharp intensity of Eleanor’s gaze that finally broke his restraint. With a quiet sigh, he murmured, "I heard the young miss has been facing some... difficulties lately." The moment the words left his mouth, Eleanor understood. So, the Whales household already knew about the scandal plastered across the trending searches. The butler knew. Grandfather Whales surely knew too. "I see," Eleanor replied evenly, her expression unreadable. They walked in silence to Grandfather Whales’s room. Inside, the old man lay propped up in bed, his face weathered by age, but his spirit visibly brighter at the sight of her. The moment Eleanor stepped in, a faint light flickered in his tired eyes. "Susan," he called softly. "Grandfather." Eleanor met his gaze steadily, her tone mea