Eleanor''s fingers instinctively tightened around the hem of her skirt. Noticing she''d startled her, Joy quickly wrapped an arm around Eleanor''s shoulders. "Sorry! It''s probably just my job making me paranoid. Don''t worry-I just wanted to give you a heads up, that''s all."


    Eleanor was grateful for the warning.


    A family like the Goodwins, with all their influence—not to mentionn''s power— meant she couldn''t afford to let her guard down.


    But withn''s resources, he could have as many children as he wanted. If Vanessa couldn''t have kids, they''d just find another way. One thing was certain:n would never settle for only one child.


    That thought made Eleanor let out a quiet sigh.


    "Don''t worry," Joy reassured her. "That divorce agreement is written entirely in your favor. Even ifn tries to fight it, it''s not going to be easy for him. Besides, Evelyn loves you more than anyone right now."


    Setting aside the emotions thatn always seemed to stir up, Eleanor focused on spending the rest of the holiday weekend with her daughter.


    After she dropped Evelyn back at school, it was time for Eleanor to head to Meridian Dynamics for a meeting.


    The moment she stepped into the Meridian Dynamics lobby, Eleanor sensed something was off. The usual chatty, cheerful receptionists were all silently absorbed in their work.


    She wondered if something had happened. When she reached her office and clipped on her badge, Byron Chase''s assistant, Laird, walked in carrying a stack of files.


    "Eleanor, here''s the agenda for today''s meeting. Thought you might want to look it over."


    "Thanks, Laird." She paused, lowering her voice. "Is something going on in thepany today? The atmosphere is... tense."


    Laird looked surprised. "You haven''t heard?"


    "Heard what?"


    "They let go of the entire Talbot engineering team. It happened just yesterday." Eleanor''s eyes widened. "Why?"


    "Apparently, Mr. Goodwin rejected their entire design proposal. He was furious- dissolved the whole team on the spot. Didn''t keep a single person."


    Eleanor frowned, her thoughts racing.


    The Talbot team had been at Meridian Dynamics for over five years. They were the core group that had pioneered thepany''s Al self-driving initiative from the very start.


    Laird dropped his voice to a whisper. "Word is, Mr. Goodwin thinks their algorithm is too conservative-doesn''t meet the demands of next-generation smart driving. Hepletely lost it."


    Eleanor''s fingers stilled on the folder.


    In tech, if you stop pushing boundaries, you''re on the fast track to irrelevance. And unfortunately, they were dealing withn-a boss who prized efficiency and results above all else.


    "But hey," Laird added with a relieved smile, "it doesn''t affect our division at all. Byron''s team is focused on Al biotech. We''re safe."


    Eleanor nodded. That much was true.


    Around ten, she headed to the front desk to pick up a package, just as several sleek cars pulled up outside. Ian was at the front, leading six or seven people-a full engineering team by the look of it. Among them was a middle-aged man with striking European features, speaking quietly withn, who listened intently and nodded.


    The receptionist gasped in a whisper. "Oh my God! Isn''t that Dr. Schmidt, the chief engineer from Drexford Autotech? Mr. Goodwin must have paid a fortune to recruit him and his whole team!"


    Eleanor knew Autotech was a world leader in autonomous driving technology. Clearly,n was determined topletely overhaul Meridian Dynamics'' self- driving division.


    As she watched the group, she caughtn ncing her way. Eleanor quickly looked down, pretending not to notice.


    Byron hurried over to greet Dr. Schmidt, shaking his hand and ushering the group toward the elevators.


    Later that morning, Eleanor met with Garrison Bradley to review their joint project; the military''s testing phase had gone exceptionally well, and animal trials were nearly ny-seven percent sessful. There were still minor glitches, but those could be addressed with data tweaks on their end.


    All day, the tension at Meridian Dynamics was palpable. Ian''s ruthless, decisive management style had left people on edge, their nerves stretched taut.


    Eleanor ducked into the restroom. She''d just entered a stall when she heard the sound of several peopleing in.


    "Everyone''s on eggshells today," one woman whispered. "It feels like Mr. Goodwin could decide to rece our entire department on a whim."


    "Why are you worried? Your team has Eleanor," another replied. "She''s Mr. Goodwin''s ex-wife-he wouldn''t dare touch your division."


    "Exactly! And they have a daughter together. Would he really fire the mother of his own child?"


    "I think the real reason is that Eleanor''s brilliant. Mr. Goodwin knows talent when he sees it."


    "Do you think he still has feelings for her? I mean, they were married, after all!" "Oh, please. If you consider how their daughter came to be, I''m honestly jealous. Mr. Goodwin is so handsome-he could be a model, seriously—"


    Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing interrupted them, and the stall door swung open. Faye Yeaton stepped out, heels clicking sharply against the tile.


    "What are you all gossiping about?" she said coolly, heading to the sink.


    "Come on, Faye, can''t we have a little harmless chat?" one of the assistants protested.


    Faye washed her hands, a cold smile on her lips. "You don''t know much, do you? Mr. Goodwin already has a girlfriend-Vanessa, the world-renowned concert pianist."


    The group of assistants exchanged startled looks.


    "Really? Howe we''ve never heard about this?"


    "She keeps a low profile. They''re already talking about marriage," Faye said, pulling a paper towel from the dispenser. She shot them a meaningful nce. "So stop spreading rumors about Eleanor and Mr. Goodwin, unless you want to be next on the chopping block."