"We''re here. Thanks for checking in," Eleanor replied.


    Xavier messaged back almost instantly. "Get some rest."


    She was about to put her phone down when another notification shed across the screen-it wasn.


    "All finished?" he asked.


    Eleanor didn''t bother replying. Instead, she got up and rummaged through her bag, pulling out her father''s old brooch. For a moment, she let herself remember hown had ended up with it in the first ce.


    During the divorce, Eleanor hadpletely forgotten about that brooch. Otherwise, she would have insisted he return it right then and there.


    Now, he''d sent it back as a birthday present-as if to draw a clear line between them, once and for all.


    Just then, Eleanor''s phone began to ring. She nced at the screen-it wasn calling.


    She bit her lip before answering, her tone chilly. "What is it?"


    "Is Evelyn around? I just wanted to talk to her for a bit,"n''s voice came through.


    Eleanor''s grip tightened on the phone as she instinctively nced toward the bathroom. From inside, she could hear her daughter''s happy shrieks as Joslyn bathed her, the sound of sshing water echoing through the apartment.


    "She''s in the bath right now," Eleanor replied evenly. "If you need to tell her something, I can pass it along."


    There was a pause on the other end. Whenn finally spoke, his voice was low. "Happy birthday."


    Eleanor''s fingers curled a little tighter around the phone. She lowered her gaze, her voice turning even colder. "I got your gift. Thank you for returning it. If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up."


    She ended the call, ced the brooch among her most cherished keepsakes, and headed off to take a shower.


    The next morning, after dropping Evelyn off at school, Eleanor made her way to theb. Ever since their recent breakthrough, she and her team had been working nonstop, running experiments to validate their findings.


    She slipped into herb coat, sweeping her hair into a neat bun. Instantly, her focus sharpened.


    To help speed up their progress, Simone had assigned two youngb assistants to support her.


    When Eleanor arrived, the team was already at their stations, calibrating equipment.


    "Eleanor,st night''s data is in," Z, her assistant, hurried over with a report in hand.


    Eleanor took the report, flipping through the pages with practiced speed. As she scanned the numbers, a faint, involuntary smile touched her lips. The results far exceeded their initial expectations. This new synthesis method had achieved a real, tangible breakthrough.


    "Let''s prep for the fourth set of trials," Eleanor said, setting the report aside. "This time, let''s adjust the catalyst ratio and see if we can push for a more stable threshold."


    Theb snapped into action.


    Eleanor took her ce at the central workstation, fine-tuning a piece of precision equipment herself.


    Outside the ss wall, Simone was standing with someonen. He''de to Ashford Medical University for a meeting and had stopped by theb.


    It wasn''t the first timen had watched her at work. But today, something about Eleanor''s presence was different-every gesture radiated a quiet authority. She''d be a leader in her field.


    "Eleanor, could you look at this molecr structure?" A young researcher hesitantly pointed at his monitor.


    Eleanor leaned in, a stray lock of hair falling across her face.


    Suddenly, theb erupted in cheers.


    "Ny-six point eight percent! Eleanor, we did it!" Z waved the data sheet in excitement.


    Eleanor gazed at the wless molecr structure on the screen, about to let out a breath of relief, when she noticedn and Simone watching from outside.


    She patted one of her teammates on the shoulder. "I''ll be right back."


    Simone, seeing the buzz inside theb, greeted her at the door. "Good news again?"


    Eleanor nodded. "After recalibrating, the results are even better than we hoped." "Ellie, you never cease to amaze me! Another breakthrough," Simone beamed.n''s gaze lingered on Eleanor, intense and unreadable. "Congrattions."


    Eleanor acted as if she hadn''t heard him.


    Simone cleared her throat. "Ellie,n''s here for a conference. Maybe you two should have a chat?"


    "There''s nothing for us to talk about, Professor Langley," Eleanor said crisply, turning to head back inside.


    Simone gaven an awkward nce. “Ian, you and Ellie—"


    "She doesn''t like me,”n said matter-of-factly.


    Simone had heard a little about their lives before the marriage.


    "But I heard that when you were in aa, Eleanor stayed by your bedside for a year. She loved you very much."


    "She took care of me for a whole year,"n replied softly.


    Simone sighed, sensing there was little more to say. She remembered thatn


    had given Faye his spot for the doctoral program, and realized any advice would be pointless.


    "Professor Langley,"n said suddenly. "I need a favor."


    "Of course. What is it?"


    "Could you sound Eleanor out? After this trial, see if she''d be willing to move abroad."


    Simone looked surprised. "You want her to leave the country?"


    Understanding dawned on Simone. She nodded slowly. “Alright, I''ll find a chance to ask her."


    Just then,n''s phone rang. He answered quickly. "Hello?"


    "Hey, it''s me—something''s happened. Vanessa copsed at home and they''re rushing her to the hospital."


    He turned to Simone. "Professor Langley, please do what you can to get


    Eleanor''s research to clinical trials as soon as possible."


    "That won''t be easy for her."


    "Then she''ll just have to find a way."n''s words were clipped as he strode away.