Trash Husband, I'm the Top novel Chapter 394

Privately, the elderly Mrs. Cooper confided in Nora that Shirley seemed so much more cheerful lately—she smiled far more than before, and that was a good thing.

Nora tucked away her gratitude toward Shirley and didn’t bring it up again.

After finishing work, she picked up some perfume and headed home.

Hans had just been discharged from the hospital today and would need to continue his recovery at home, so Eleanor was there as well.

Mrs. Cooper decided to invite Mary and Monica over for dinner.

Now, everyone was seated around the dining table.

Nora washed her hands and joined them, taking the seat beside Payne.

Mary’s tone was dripping with sarcasm as she said, “You must be so busy, making the rest of us wait to eat.”

Nora ignored her, simply leaning over to kiss Payne on the cheek.

“All right, let’s eat,” Mrs. Cooper interjected. “Aurora has a career—being a little busy is a good thing.”

Mary gave a dismissive snort.

During dinner, Mrs. Cooper mentioned her plans to visit Millbrook. She wanted to personally thank Grandma Grace for looking after Nora.

Mary pursed her lips. “Nora’s been home for days and hasn’t even bothered to visit her own parents, has she?”

Nora replied calmly, “I went as soon as I got out of the hospital.”

Mary was momentarily at a loss for words.

Her gaze shifted to Eleanor, and after a beat, she deliberately added, “If I remember right, Eleanor, you’re a perfumer too, aren’t you? Why not set up your own studio like Nora? Or are you afraid you can’t measure up?”

She knew perfectly well that things were tense between Nora and Eleanor, and she was stirring the pot on purpose.

Eleanor felt the sting—she’d always wanted to outdo Nora, but always fell short.

Now, Nora had her own studio and was Mr. Frost’s apprentice.

Eleanor, on the other hand, had almost nothing to her name.

But she wasn’t about to let anyone see her falter.

Facing Nora, she instinctively squared her shoulders and lifted her chin.

“Nora, did you say something to Mrs. Cooper about me?”

She could feel the old woman’s disapproval, and since she’d barely interacted with her, Eleanor could only assume Nora had been talking behind her back.

Nora stroked Payne’s hair and sent him inside with the puppy.

Once the boy was gone, she replied, “All I did was tell Mrs. Cooper the truth about what you’d done.”

“So it was you,” Eleanor said, her expression twisting with anger. Her nails dug painfully into her palms.

Nora regarded her coolly. “Eleanor, when you hurt Una’s hand, I warned you I’d take one of yours. Now that you’ve cost Una her life, you’ll have to pay with yours.”

Eleanor gritted her teeth. “Pay with my life? What, are you threatening to kill me?”

Nora gave a soft, mocking laugh. “Oh, I’d never stoop to that. I’ll just take away everything you ever cared about.”

She stepped closer, voice low and taunting. “For example—Hans, the one you’re so desperate to keep.”