Soon, the two little girls were ying together again, but Serena couldn''t shake her unease. Why had there been a woman''s leather cord in Xavier''s car?


    Could he be seeing someone?


    The thought made Serena catch her breath, and she stole a nce at Xavier''s handsome profile, her heart restless and uneasy.


    Who was the woman who had caught his attention?


    Inside the toy store at the mall, the two girls were picking out toys when Xavier''s phone rang. He excused himself to take the call outside, leaving Serena with the perfect opportunity.


    She quickly pulled Vivian close and asked with a smile, "Vivian, can you tell me— has your uncle seen any womentely?"


    Vivian blinked her big eyes and shook her head. "Nope!"


    "Has any womane over to your uncle''s ce to visit?"


    "No."


    Serena let out a silent sigh of relief. So, Xavier and the owner of that leather cord weren''t officially together yet.


    She still had a chance.


    Around five o''clock, Serena brought Evelyn back to Goodwin Manor. Eleanor arrived soon after to join them for dinner.


    But Gina refused to let her take Evelyn home, and Evelyn herself wanted to stay with her grandmother. She was more than happy to remain at Goodwin Manor.


    Eleanor understood. She couldn''t deny her daughter the right to family, nor would she ever try.


    Even if she eventually gained custody, she wouldn''t interfere with Evelyn''s rtionship with the Goodwin family.


    The only person she needed to guard against was Vanessa-the poisonous outsider.


    Upstairs, Serena and Vanessa were discussing the mysterious leather cord in Xavier''s car.


    "Maybe his assistant just left it there by ident?" Vanessa suggested.


    "But Xavier''s expression at the time... it seemed like the cord meant something to him," Serena replied, worry evident on her face.


    "You know, Serena, you really should confess your feelings to him soon. Xavier''s not exactly getting any younger-it''s time he started thinking about settling down."


    Serena wanted to tell him, but she was afraid of being rejected.


    Even after talking with Vanessa for a while, her heart felt no lighter. The thought of that leather cord weighed on her chest like a stone.


    Who was the woman it belonged to?


    Downstairs, Eleanor and Magdalen were chatting about wellness and healthy living. It was nearly nine-thirty by the time Eleanor finally headed home.


    When she walked in, Princess greeted her at the door, tail wagging happily. Eleanor settled onto the couch, and Princess hopped into herp, curling up contentedly.


    Stroking Princess''s little head, Eleanor felt her worries start to melt away.


    Just then, her phone buzzed with a message. It was fromn: "I''ll be on a business trip for a week."


    Eleanor set her phone aside, amused. She was more than happy to have the house to herself.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Eleanor had finished all her experimental projects, but Joel still hadn''t announced the start of the next phase. By all rights, the independent researchn had funded should have been underway.


    That afternoon, Eleanor met Joel for lunch at a restaurant near the university. Halfway through, she brought it up herself. "Joel, when does the next round of research start?"


    Joel paused, setting down his fork with deliberate care. "Ellie, are you sure you want to be involved this time?"


    Eleanor looked at him. "Do you think I''m not suitable for the project?"


    Joel sighed. "Of course not."


    "Then why the dy?" Eleanor pressed. "Is something wrong?"


    Joel knew he couldn''t keep her in the dark forever.


    "Ellie, did your husband ever mention that he privately sent me a contract for a donor sample?"<fn1a07> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fn1a07>


    Eleanor shook her head. "No, he didn''t. Whose sample contract was it?"