Eleanor nodded. "Make sure to dry this umbre properly-I need to return it."
"Alright."
After a warm shower, Eleanor felt more at ease. It was alreadyte April; a little rain wasn''t likely to give her a cold.
She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe, just as a message from Joel popped up on her phone, reminding her to rest at home today.
That small gesture warmed her heart.
At three o''clock,n sent a message saying he''d pick up their daughter.
He parked in the basement and carried Evelyn up from the elevator in his arms.
Their golden retriever, Princess, wagged her tail excitedly as she greeted the father and daughter duo. Evelyn giggled, crouching down to y with Princess, whilen headed upstairs. As he reached thending on the second floor, he nearly collided with Eleanor in the hallway.
Eleanor instinctively pressed herself back against the wall, preferring that to even the slightest brush with him.
Eleanor went downstairs to spend time with her daughter. Soon, Evelyn''sughter drifted through the house, bright and infectious.
Joslyn had prepared a delicious dinner, the aroma filling the house. Outside, thunder rumbled and rainshed the windows, but under the warm glow of the chandelier, the home felt safe and cozy.
As dinner approached, Eleanor was just stepping into the foyer when she overheardn on the phone.
"There''s a ckout?"
"Alright, I''lle over."
She didn''t need to guess-Vanessa was calling him. In weather like this, Vanessa would want nothing more than to curl up in his arms and wait out the storm.
Eleanor was scared of thunder and lightning too. Once upon a time, she liked to cling ton when the storms hit, holding him close even if he was reluctant.
Now, she still feared the storms, but for her daughter''s sake, she could face anything.
That night, Eleanor snuggled under the covers with Evelyn, telling bedtime stories until her daughter drifted off to sleep. But Eleanor herselfy awake, restless. The thunder outside was relentless, shaking the windows and making it impossible to rest.
The next morning, the world looked brand new, washed clean by the storm. Eleanor drove her daughter to school, the sunshine bright and golden, lifting her spirits.<fn222d> Fresh chapters posted on find(?)ovel</fn222d>
"Bye, Mom!" Evelyn shouted happily, running off to join her ssmates.
Eleanor watched her disappear inside, then turned toward the car-just as her phone rang.
An unknown number.
"Hello? Who is this?" Eleanor answered.
A sharp male voice cut in. "You''re Eleanor."
"I am. Who''s calling?" Eleanor''s voice grew cool.
"My advice-stay out of Marlowe Vige''s business. Meddle, and you might not make it out alive."
"Who are you?" A chill ran down Eleanor''s spine.
The man on the other end gave a low, menacingugh. "Doesn''t matter. Just heed my warning."
He hung up. For a moment, Eleanor stood there, collecting herself. Clearly, someone at the chemical nt had caught wind of theb''s investigation.
But she wasn''t worried-she already had aplete chain of evidence. All she had to do was submit it to the authorities, and the chemical nt''s illegal toxic waste dumping would finally be investigated and stopped.
A threat wouldn''t scare her off. The safety of tens of thousands of people in Marlowe Vige was at stake. She had to press on.
Besides, water pollution wasn''t just Marlowe Vige''s problem-it was a threat to the whole country.
When Eleanor arrived at theb, she told Joel about the threatening call. He looked at her with concern and said, "Be careful when you''re out and about."
"I will."
At noon, Dr. Lyman chaired a meeting to present a detailed report on the Marlowe Vige investigation.
"Eleanor was the first to detect methylmercury in the patients'' brain tissue," Joel exined, "and she found the samepound in fish from the reservoir and in water samples from the nt''s waste pipes. She''s put together an airtight chain of evidence."
Under the table, Faye clenched her hands tightly in herp, frustrated that Eleanor had once again stolen the spotlight.