He turned at the sound of footsteps, his dark eyes betraying no emotion.


    "Take a seat," he said.


    Eleanor pulled out the chair in front of her and sat down. "The assistant will bring the documents in a moment."


    “No rush.”n nodded and pressed the inte. "Bring us two coffees, please."


    His gaze rested on Eleanor''s face for a few seconds before he suddenly asked, "How''s Evelyn doingtely?"


    "She''s fine," Eleanor replied coolly.


    "I''d like to see her." Ian''s request was firm. Lately, Eleanor had turned down every attempt he made to visit, and his longing to see his daughter had only grown.


    Eleanor lifted her head, her eyes icy as they locked on his. "Do you think you can just walk in and out of Evelyn''s life whenever you please?"


    "A father who abandoned his daughter on New Year''s Eve to meet his mistress?" Eleanor''s lips curled in a mocking smile. "Evelyn doesn''t need that kind of father."


    Right then, a knock sounded at the door. The secretary entered, bncing a stack of printed reports in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other. She seemed to sense the tension in the air, and after setting the coffee down, she hurried out without a word.


    "Don''t bother." Eleanor flipped open the report. "Let''s focus on work. The third- phase trial data looks promising."


    The crisp scent of cedar he always wore drifted toward her, making Eleanor instinctively frown.


    "What do these two sets of data represent?”n asked, tapping the page with his long finger.


    Eleanor leaned back, putting some space between them. "The left column is the experimental group''s cell activity; the right is the control group."


    "And the side effect data?"n straightened, looking down at her from above. Eleanor turned to the next page. "With structural adjustments, the toxicity of the third-generationpound has dropped by thirty-seven percent."


    "It''s still ongoing. Results won''t be in until next week," Eleanor answered, her tone t.


    Ian nted both hands on the desk, his gaze dark and intense. "I want you fullymitted to this project. I need something more concrete from you."


    Eleanor let out a coldugh. "Scientific research isn''t an assembly line. There are no guarantees. If you want certainty, try investing in real estate instead of a medicalb."


    Finishing, Eleanor nced at the date on the file, her expression shifting in surprise.


    February 18th. Mansfield Ellington''s birthday.


    She''d turned down his invitation that morning.


    Annoyed, Eleanor tapped her forehead.


    "Forget something important?"n pulled out a chair and sat down, clearly recognizing the gesture.


    She always did that when she suddenly remembered something she''d forgotten.


    "It''s nothing. I have to go." Eleanor said briskly, gathering her papers and walking out.