Eleanor was about to hand him her phone, but Mansfield Ellington shook his


    head. "No need. I can''t bear to use this fountain pen. It''s perfect for my collection."


    Eleanor paused, a little surprised. "But a pen is meant to be used. Isn''t it a shame to just keep it locked away?"


    She''d been hoping this pen might bring him a bit of good luck.


    Mansfield''s long fingers traced the polished barrel, a smile glinting in his eyes. "Alright, you win. If you want me to use it, then I''ll make sure to put it to good use."


    His gentle gaze met hers, and Eleanor quickly looked down, sipping her lemonade to change the subject. "The view from this ce is incredible."


    Mansfield nodded with a smile. "Absolutely. You can see the whole city from up here."


    He started talking about his uing leave-he was heading back to base that evening and probably wouldn''t be back for another six months.


    Eleanor smiled with a hint of teasing. "Sounds like you''ve got your hands full, too." "Miss Sutton, if you ever have the chance, you''re wee to visit our base."


    Eleanor blinked in surprise. "Really? I could actually visit?"


    "Of course. Our base coborates with Meridian Dynamics, and you''re their lead researcher, aren''t you? That makes your team one of our official partners."


    Eleanor nodded thoughtfully. If the opportunity came up, she''d love to see it for herself.


    Lunch was delicious, but every now and then, Mansfield''s reluctance to leave flickered across his face. Still, duty called he had to return to his post.


    When the meal was over, they strolled together to the parking lot. Mansfield walked her to her car, hesitating as if he wanted to say something more.


    "Mr. Ellington, I guess this is goodbye for now." Eleanor stopped by her car, turning to face him.


    His eyes lingered on her face, Adam''s apple bobbing. "Miss Sutton..."


    She blinked. "Yes?"


    He hesitated, then asked quietly, "Would it be alright if I called you Ellie from now on?"


    Eleanor was taken aback, looking up to meet his deep gaze.


    "Mr. Ellington, you''d better stick with Eleanor! We''re not that far apart in age, after all," she replied with a smile.


    He chuckled. "Fair enough. But then, you should call me Mansfield instead of Mr. Ellington."


    She gave him a formal goodbye. "Deal. Safe travels-take care of yourself."


    A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "You too. Take care of yourself and your little one."


    He was stationed so far away, there was only so much he could do for her.


    "Thank you." Eleanor nodded. Mansfield reached out, opening her car door for her. She slid inside.


    He waved as she drove off, standing there until her car disappeared from view.


    A hundred yards down the road, Eleanor nced back and saw Mansfield still standing in the same spot. She let out a quiet sigh.


    If only things had been different back then-


    As she waited at a red light, her phone rang. It was Joy, asking if she had time to meet up.


    Eleanor checked the clock. There wasn''t enough time to return to theb, so she turned the car toward Joy''s ce.


    At the café, Joy was chatting about her holiday adventures when she suddenly remembered something. "Hey, did you catch the Spring Festival g this year?" Eleanor shook her head. "No, I''ve been buried in work at theb."


    "Vanessa performed," Joy said.


    Eleanor paused, her spoon still in her coffee. "Oh?”


    "She really stole the spotlight. Her fans practically made her go viral." Joy nced


    at Eleanor. "Seems like it''s not just her team pulling strings behind the scenes—"