Joslyn nced at the man of the house as he stepped in behind her, then quietly closed the door, careful not to make a sound.
It seemed the tension between Mr. and Mrs. Carter was brewing once again.
After her shower, Eleanor reyed the near-miss with the speeding car in her head—a brush with disaster that left her shaken. She made a silent vow: no more impulsive decisions like that.
Still,n''s behavior tonight had truly infuriated her.
In the early hours of the morning, Xavier drove to Metropolitan General Hospital. Juliette had been admitted again, sidelined by her chronic illness.
When Xavier entered her private room, Juliette had just finished a bowl of nourishing soup the housekeeper had fed her. She looked pale and exhausted, the years and the burdens of managing her affairs alone weighing visibly on her.
Watching her nephew approach, Juliette''s heart ached. She once had a son too, but his reckless love of extreme sports had imed his life in the ocean; not even his body was ever found.
They spoke for a few minutes, catching up. Juliette sighed, "I was hoping Eleanor would join my research team, but she never showed up."
Xavier''s eyes flickered. "She probably has her own ns."
"I heard she just graduated early, aced every exam-she''s a rare medical genius." The more Juliette spoke, the more regret tinged her words. Losing such talent to another institution felt like a missed opportunity.
Xavier''s lips curled into a faint smile. "She really is exceptional."
Juliette turned her attention back to him. "And what about Miss Chase, the woman
I introduced you tost time? Any thoughts about settling down?"
Xavier''s expression froze for a moment. "Aunt Juliette, I''m not thinking about marriage right now."
She tutted, shaking her head. "You''re not getting any younger, you know. How are you not worried? My future business depends on you!"
Xavier chuckled softly. "I just haven''t met the right person."
Juliette''s eyes narrowed in amusement. "Or is there someone you already like?" she teased.
He smiled, a guarded look in his eyes, and said nothing.
She nodded knowingly and encouraged him, "Keep at it! With your qualities, you could win over anyone you wanted."
A trace of helpless amusement flickered in Xavier''s eyes.
...
A weekter, Eleanor wrapped up hertest project in theb-a new tumor marker detection kit, boasting a 48% improvement in sensitivity over the previous version.
Dr. Lyman, her supervisor, was thrilled with the breakthrough. It was a significant step forward for clinical research, and he nned to file the patent under Eleanor''s name, giving her the recognition she deserved.
News of her achievement quickly spread, and Eleanor''s name started popping up in medical journals and headlines. Thebel of "prodigy" was officially hers.
With summer break underway, Evelyn was home more often, so Eleanor decided to take a week off to spend quality time with her daughter.
At dinner the night before,n had mentioned a trip to a countryside farm just outside the city—a chance for Evelyn to get some fresh air. Eleanor hadn''t taken her daughter on an outing like this in ages, so she readily agreed.
It was a two-hour drive from home. When they arrived at the farm and stepped out
of the car, Eleanor immediately noticed a familiar Bentley parked nearby.
It looked like Xavier''s.
Inside the farm, hand in hand with Evelyn, Eleanor spotted Xavier in the garden, helping Vivian feed the small animals.
"Vivian!" Evelyn called out, delighted.<fn044c> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn044c>
Eleanor paused in surprise. Ian hadn''t told her he''d invited friends along.
She greeted Xavier politely, then grabbed a box of lettuce for Evelyn to feed the rabbits. The farm had been reserved for their group today, and soon after, Henry arrived with his younger sister and her daughter. As Eleanor nced up, she caught sight of a striking, elegant woman following close behind Henry.
Vanessa hade as well.