This time, two tall men in sharp suits stepped down from the SUV and greeted her politely. "Good afternoon, Miss Sutton. We''re your new security detail, sent by Mr. Goodwin. From now on, we''ll be responsible for your safety wherever you go."
Eleanor paused, caught off guard. Ian had sent people to protect her?
She remembered hown had brought up the incident at the chemical nt. Only Joel had known she''d been targeted there, so she''d guessed Joel must have told him.
Eleanor nodded slightly, though her mind raced. Wasn really just protecting her, or was he keeping tabs on her?
He couldn''t possibly suspect there was something going on between her and Joel... could he?
Pushing the thought aside, Eleanor went about her business. She stopped in front of Jude Vaughn''s office. When Jude saw her, his expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he''d just spotted a rare animal.
"Jude, what''s with that look?"
"You aced it. How on earth did you pull that off?" Jude crossed his arms, still staring at her in surprise.
"You mean the assessment?" Eleanor grinned.
"You never fail to surprise me. I had no idea Miss Sutton was training you to be such a prodigy behind the scenes. Come on! Let''s go see Dr. Lyman." Jude chuckled, shaking his head in amazement.
Eleanor finally let out a breath she hadn''t realized she''d been holding. Passing the test meant she was now eligible to take the fast-track exams.
Dr. Lyman was just as impressed when they sat down in his office. He had personally reviewed her assessment.
"Elliot''s done a remarkable job raising you, Eleanor. I''m genuinely delighted for him. We''re making an exception and allowing you to take the advancement exam. Are you ready?"
"I n to apply to graduate school right after I finish my undergrad," Eleanor replied.
Jude burst outughing. "You really don''t hold back, do you? If your results are as good as I think, you should just skip the application and go straight through!"
Dr. Lyman smiled warmly. "You have my support."
"In the afternoon, there''s a discussion panel. Why don''t you two go in my ce?" Dr. Lyman was already up in years; he dodged these meetings whenever he could, delegating to willing substitutes.
"Of course!" Jude replied cheerfully.
Eleanor happened to be free, so she had no objection to apanying Jude.
The panel was being held at a seven-star hotel. Coincidentally, there was also an international business summit taking ce at the same venue.
As soon as Eleanor and Jude entered the grand lobby, Jude''s phone rang. He nced at the screen, then turned to her. "Ellie, wait for me here. I''ll be right back."
Eleanor nodded and waited near the reception desk.
Suddenly, amotion at the entrance drew her attention. A group of familiar faces strode into the lobby.
At the front wasn, perfectlyposed, walking beside Vanessa, who wore an elegant whitece gown. The two of them-one in ck, one in white-looked striking together.
Behind them were Xavier and Henry, two names that carried weight across the entire Ashford business scene. Any one of the three could shake the city''s corporate world with a single word.
And there was Vanessa, poised and graceful in their midst, like a treasured white fox among a pack of wolves.
Paparazzi hovered nearby, their cameras snapping away. After all, these weren''t just people of influence-they were stunningly photogenic as well.<fn1786> This text is hosted at Find1Novel</fn1786>
Xavier''s sharp eyes caught sight of Eleanor. She stood there in a simple white blouse and jeans-unassuming, but impossible to overlook.
Vanessa smiled and waved at one of the cameras, but as her gaze drifted to Eleanor, her smile froze mid-gesture.
How did I not known had invited Eleanor too?