Chapter 89

Eleanor tapped lightly on the car window.

"Mrs. Carter!"

Ethan had corrected her multiple times, but Nathaniel still insisted on addressing her this way. By now, Eleanor had given up on correcting him. She nodded slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Carter is on a business trip," Ethan explained. "He’s overseas and won’t be back for at least a week. He asked me to give you this invitation and plane ticket."

Eleanor froze. When she looked down, she found the audition invitation Nathaniel had given her already in her hands.

She had left it at Percy Gardens, never expecting him to send it back to her. Not only that, but he had also bought her a plane ticket to Leverton.

As Eleanor stared at the ticket, lost in thought, Ethan spoke up again, "Mrs. Carter?" His tone was hesitant, and he gave her a puzzled look.

Eleanor snapped out of her daze and shook her head firmly. "I’m not taking them."

"But... Mr. Carter prepared these specifically for you. Besides, many people from high society will be there. If you don’t show up, he’ll have to explain your absence, and that could cause unnecessary trouble."

Eleanor remained resolute. Ethan looked at her, clearly at a loss for words.

"I’m sorry you had to come all this way. If that’s all, you can go now. Goodbye." With that, Eleanor turned and walked away.

Ethan opened his mouth as if to say something more, but after a brief pause, he closed it and stayed silent.

Eleanor had just returned to her room when Nathaniel called. The call lasted only two seconds before it abruptly ended, as if it had been a mistake. She didn’t bother calling him back.

However, Sebastian was quick to send her a text. He needed her to do something simple—attend a banquet with him this weekend. But he seemed to anticipate her concerns and sent a follow-up message.

"Don’t worry. It’s a masquerade ball. No one will recognize you."

At first, Eleanor intended to reply to Sebastian’s text, but her fingers hovered over the screen. After a moment of hesitation, she typed, "I can’t think of a reason to help you."

This time, Sebastian sent her a voice message. His voice was warm and deep, with a hint of amusement. "Why not? Think of it as me owing you a favor. You might not need it now, but it could come in handy later."

Sebastian’s words struck a chord with Eleanor. Still, she couldn’t quite understand why he would make such an offer.

Sebastian might not be as prominent as Nathaniel in Coppersville, but he certainly didn’t lack for companions to social events. Yet, he had chosen her and even offered to owe her a favor.

Naturally, Eleanor didn’t think it was because she was particularly charming or that Sebastian had any romantic interest in her. His gaze held no longing, even though he had always been kind and warm toward her.

This meant the offer was purely transactional, and it didn’t seem like she had anything to lose.

With that thought, Eleanor stopped resisting. She replied to his text, "Okay."