He had only intervened when the conversation became uncomfortable for him.
That realization hurt.
A waiter approached with another bottle of wine. Vanessa immediately changed her expression, smiling sweetly as she requested another glass.
When the waiter departed, she leaned back in her chair.
"Anyway, Daniel and I have made a decision."
Eleanor looked at her.
"What decision?"
"We're going to need some additional financial support for the wedding."
Daniel closed his eyes briefly.
"Vanessa..."
"What? We discussed this."
Eleanor remained silent.
Vanessa continued.
"We've already paid the deposit on the venue, but there are additional expenses. The flowers, the decorations, the entertainment, the honeymoon. Everything costs more than expected."
"I understand," Eleanor replied.
Vanessa smiled.
"Good. Daniel mentioned that you might be able to help."
Eleanor looked directly at her son.
"Did you?"
Daniel cleared his throat.
"I only said that perhaps we could discuss it."
"How much are you asking for?"
Vanessa hesitated.
"Fifty thousand dollars would be helpful."
Eleanor blinked.
"Fifty thousand?"
"Yes. It's not unreasonable considering the circumstances."
"Whose circumstances?"
Vanessa's smile disappeared slightly.
"Daniel is your son."
"I am aware of that."
"Then surely you want him to have a beautiful wedding."
Eleanor folded her hands.
"I want my son to have a beautiful marriage. Whether he has an expensive wedding is a different matter."
Vanessa's cheeks reddened.
"Are you saying you won't help us?"
"I'm asking why you believe I should."
Vanessa looked at Daniel.
"See? This is exactly what I mean. Everything has to be difficult."
Daniel leaned toward his mother.
"Mom, if you can help, it would mean a lot to us."
Eleanor studied his face.
"Would it mean a lot to you, or would it simply make things easier for Vanessa?"
"That's unfair."
"Is it?"
Daniel pushed his chair back slightly.
"I don't understand why you're behaving this way."
Eleanor almost smiled.
She wanted to tell him that she understood perfectly.
She understood that Vanessa had been asking about her finances for months.
She understood that Daniel had recently become interested in the value of her property.
She understood that someone had been making inquiries about her savings.
And most importantly, she understood that the woman sitting opposite her had mistaken silence for weakness.
But she still said nothing.
Instead, she opened her handbag and removed a small black leather notebook.
Vanessa immediately noticed it.
"What's that?"
"Something important."
"Financial records?"
"Something like that."
Vanessa leaned forward.
"Are you keeping track of your expenses?"
Eleanor closed the notebook.
"I keep track of many things."
Vanessa laughed dismissively.
"Well, I hope you're not spending too much. At your age, you need to be careful."
Eleanor looked at her for a long moment.
"Thank you for your concern."
There was a brief silence.
Then Eleanor's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
The name displayed was Margaret Collins.
Margaret had been Eleanor's closest friend for more than thirty years. She was also the chief executive officer of Whitmore International Holdings, the company Eleanor had secretly built after her husband's death.
Eleanor excused herself and answered.
"Good evening, Margaret."
A professional female voice came through the phone.
"Mrs. Whitmore, I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but we have an urgent matter."
"Is everything all right?"
"Yes, although I believe you should know that the acquisition agreement has been finalized. The board has approved the final transfer."
Eleanor looked toward the window.
"Excellent. And the consolidated figures?"
"One moment."
There was a short pause.
Then Margaret spoke again.
"Your total personal holdings, including the newly transferred assets, currently stand at approximately ninety-nine million dollars."
Eleanor closed her eyes briefly.
She had expected the number.
Nevertheless, hearing it aloud reminded her of how extraordinary her journey had been.
"Thank you, Margaret."
"There's one more thing. Our legal department discovered an inquiry concerning your residential property."
Eleanor's expression changed.
"What kind of inquiry?"
"Someone contacted the property registry requesting information about ownership, estimated market value, and the possibility of transferring the title through a family representative."
Eleanor looked toward Daniel.
He was whispering to Vanessa.
"Who submitted the inquiry?" Eleanor asked.
"We're still verifying the identity, but the request was connected to your son's residential address."
Eleanor felt a cold sensation move through her chest.
"Send me the documents tomorrow morning."
"Of course. Would you like me to arrange a meeting with the legal team?"
"Yes. And Margaret?"
"Yes, Mrs. Whitmore?"
"Keep everything confidential."
"Understood."
Eleanor ended the call.
Across the table, Vanessa was staring at her.
"Who was that?"
"A friend."
"You sounded rather serious."
"It was a business matter."
Vanessa laughed.
"Business? What business do you have?"
Eleanor placed the phone beside her plate.
"Everyone has business of some kind."
Daniel looked up.
"Mom, is something wrong?"
"Nothing that requires your attention tonight."
Vanessa smiled sarcastically.
"Well, that's mysterious."
Eleanor did not respond.
Instead, she took a sip of water.
But inside her mind, an old memory had returned.
Twenty-eight years earlier, she had been sitting in a small office above a struggling manufacturing warehouse.
Her husband, Robert, had died only eleven months before.
She had been left with a modest life insurance payment, a mountain of unpaid bills, and a seven-year-old son who still believed his father would return home someday.
Many people advised her to sell everything and find a stable job.
Some relatives told her she was incapable of running a business.
Others suggested that she should remarry rather than attempt to raise a child alone.
But Eleanor had made a different decision.
She had taken the small manufacturing workshop Robert once owned and turned it into a company producing industrial components.
At first, she worked fourteen-hour days.
She negotiated with suppliers, repaired machinery, handled invoices, and personally delivered orders when the company could not afford a driver.
There were months when she could barely pay her employees.