"Why did it suddenly fall on the floor?" Eleanor asked, wiping her daughter''s little face.


    "I don''t know. It just slipped and fell," Evelyn replied, looking crestfallen.


    Eleanor''s hand paused mid-motion. Why had it fallen like that? Did someone deliberately knock it over after hearing Evelyn wanted to take the cake home?


    A cold glint shed in Eleanor''s eyes. It must have been Vanessa. She was always trying to winn''s favor through Evelyn, so of course she''d seize any chance to sabotage the bond between mother and daughter.


    But at least her precious girl''s love hade back to her.


    "It''s alright, sweetheart. Next time, we''ll bake an even prettier cake together," Eleanorforted her gently.


    "Okay! Mommy, why aren''t you working?" Evelyn suddenly asked.


    Eleanor was caught off guard. "Why do you ask, Evelyn?"


    "Because Aunt Vanessa said you never work, that you just stay home all day. She said you depend on Daddy to take care of you, and that you cling to him like a leech..." Evelyn puffed out her cheeks, clearly sensing the words were meant to insult her mother, even if she didn''t understand all of them.


    Eleanor smiled, trying to reassure her. "Mommy has a job now. Soon, I''ll earn lots of money and take care of you. How does that sound?"


    "Yeah! Go, Mommy!" Evelyn grinned, her worries forgotten.


    Eleanor ruffled her daughter''s hair. The Goodwin family''s opinions didn''t matter anymore. Sooner orter, she andn would divorce, and when that happened, the Goodwins would have nothing to do with her or Evelyn.


    After a shower, Eleanor came out to findn sitting on the edge of the bed. From her angle, she could see the softness in his features a gentleness he reserved only for their daughter. His dark brows shadowed his eyes,shes long and thick, the strange tenderness almost jarring.


    He looked up at the sound of her footsteps. Eleanor realized she''d forgotten to grab her pajamas, so she emerged in just a robe. Her long hair, freshly dried, framed her delicate face, making her features seem all the more striking. Her eyes, deep and clear, held a distant calm-as if every nce concealed a story.


    "Daddy, go sleep in your room! Mommy''s going to read me a bedtime story," Evelyn piped up, giving him a little shove.


    Eleanor slipped into the walk-in closet. Only after she heardn leave did shee out, slip into pajamas, and climb into bed beside Evelyn. Wrapping her arms around her daughter, she picked up a picture book and began to read.


    The next morning, after dropping Evelyn off at school, Eleanor hurried to the research center. There was a big nning meeting today, with plenty of key people attending: Dr. Lyman leading the discussion, the chief of Ashford General Hospital, six department heads, and their research team. The meeting was formal and intense.


    The agenda covered eight categories of rare diseases, along with thetest advances in leukemia diagnosis and treatment.


    After two hours, the meeting finally ended. Eleanor and Joel headed to lunch together. As they stepped out of the cafeteria, a clear voice called out, "Joel, do you have a moment this afternoon? I have a few questions I''d like to ask you privately."


    It was Faye.


    "Sure, I''m free after three," Joel replied.


    "Great, thank you!" Faye''s eyes sparkled with excitement.<fnc766> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find?Novel</fnc766>


    Eleanor checked her watch. "Joel, I''ll head back now."


    "Alright. Drive safe," Joel said, giving her a quick nod before heading off himself.


    Eleanor had just stepped off the curb when someone called her name. "Eleanor, can we talk?"