"Go sleep in the bed,"n said coolly.


    Eleanor nced at her phone-just past midnight. She made up her mind in an instant.


    She was going home.


    Grabbing her coat and draping it over her shoulders, she picked up her phone. "That''s alright. I''ll sleep at home tonight."


    He scooped up his phone from the bed, opened the door, and left without another word.


    Eleanor stood there for a moment, the chill in the room lingering as ifn had left some of it behind. She shut her eyes, trying not to let it get to her.


    He didn''te back that night. Where he ended up sleeping, Eleanor didn''t care.


    The next morning, Eleanor headed downstairs to the cheerful sound of her daughter''sughter echoing through the house.


    After breakfast, Eleanor was about to take Evelyn home, when Gina stopped her with a firm, "Let Evelyn stay here for a few days! We hardly get to see her, and her grandmother loves having a little life in the house."


    Eleanor could only nod and let it go. Ever since she married into the Goodwin family, she''d always been the one to back down.


    Unless it ever came to a fight over custody, Eleanor couldn''t afford to upset her mother-inw.


    She left Goodwin Manor and drove a slow loop through the city before heading back to her apartment.


    When she walked through the door, Joslyn greeted her with a smile. "Wee home, Mrs. Goodwin."


    Eleanor nodded, exhaustion from the restless night showing on her face. She slung her bag over her shoulder and said, "I''m going to rest for a bit. Please don''t disturb me."


    "Mrs. Goodwin, Mr. Goodwin is home," Joslyn added suddenly.


    Eleanor tensed. "When did he get back?"


    "I''m not sure. I woke up and saw his shoes and jacket by the door."


    Eleanor nodded again and headed upstairs, locking her bedroom door behind her. She didn''t want to be disturbed, not by Joslyn, not byn.


    Around ten,n came downstairs looking refreshed. Joslyn asked, "Will you be home for lunch, sir?"


    "No,"n replied curtly.


    "Mrs. Goodwin is home," Joslyn reminded him.


    "Of course."


    As she watched her employer leave, then nced up at the tightly closed door at the top of the stairs, Joslyn sighed inwardly. The house had always been quiet, but at least Mrs. Goodwin used to care about her husband, used to try. Now she seemed as cold as he was.


    After five years working for the Goodwins, Joslyn genuinely worried the family wasing undone.


    Eleanor slept straight through until three in the afternoon. Joslyn made her a bowl of noodles, and Eleanor sat at herputer, working. There was so much research to organize from theb, plus summaries of her father''s work.


    Winter break had begun. The holidays were around the corner, and the annual family dinner wasing up.


    daughter


    That afternoon, Eleanor got a call-her mother-inw herself, inviting her to Goodwin Manor for the family gathering. Eleanor misse agreed.


    She''d barely pulled out of the garage when her phone rang again. She answered, "Hello?"<fnc3a1> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F?ndNovel</fnc3a1>


    "Miss Sutton? This is Minnie, Dr. Kingsley''s assistant. Dr. Kingsley was admitted to the hospitalst night with a high fever, and he''s still running a temperature. But my mom''s sick, too. Could youe and look after him for a bit?"


    Joel''s sick? Eleanor was taken aback.


    His family lived hundreds of miles away, and there was no way they could make it in time. "Which hospital?" she asked. "I''ll be right there."


    She drove straight to the hospital, found Joel''s room, and saw him sitting up in bed, book in hand, an IV drip attached to his wrist. When he looked up and saw her, surprise flickered across his face. "Ellie? What are you doing here?"


    "I heard you were sick. I came to check on you," she said simply.


    "It''s nothing, you didn''t need to bother." Joel gave her a rxed smile, but Eleanor reached over and pressed a hand to his forehead.


    He froze, letting her check his temperature, a moreplicated look flickering in his eyes.


    Eleanor nced at the IV medication slip. "Looks like a viral infection. Rest, finish the course, and you''ll be fine in a couple of days."


    Joel hesitated, then said, "It''s family dinner night, isn''t it? You should go be with your family."


    Eleanor realized she''d rushed out without telling the Goodwins where she was. She checked the time-7 p.m.-and quickly dialed her phone. She hesitated a moment, then calledn.


    "Hello?"


    "Could you let your grandmother know I won''t make it tonight?" Eleanor said calmly.


    "Okay." He hung up immediately.


    Six years of marriage, and Eleanor still couldn''t read him. Was he annoyed? Indifferent? She never knew. A man who could work as a financial consultant on Wall Street at eighteen had long since mastered his emotions; he never showed anger or joy, kept his tone measured and cool, never gave anyone a chance to figure him out.


    When she heard Joel hadn''t eaten, she ordered delivery on her phone-there was a ce nearby that made a particrly soothing soup, perfect for someone with a fever.


    Twenty minutester, the delivery driver called-hospital policy wouldn''t allow him to bring it to the ward. Eleanor went downstairs to get it.


    She called the driver again and found he''d left the food at the outpatient infusion center. She told him to wait, then hurried over.


    Carrying the soup back, Eleanor nced into the brightly lit infusion hall. Her steps faltered.


    It was quiet, nearly empty, but in one corner she saw a man and woman together. The woman, fast asleep with an IV in her arm, was covered by a man''s suit jacket. The man leaned back on the sofa, letting her rest against him, solid and protective.


    It wasn. And Vanessa.


    Eleanor never expected to run into them here.