Dr. Smith''s face lit up with delight. "Absolutely, I''ll give Miss Sutton''sb my full support."


    This trip wasn''t just about academic exchange for Dr. Smith-he was also here to continue talks withn about renewing hisb''s funding. He hadn''t expectedn to agree so readily; the quick answer caught him off-guard in the best way.


    "However,”n continued, "from now on, your research direction needs to align with Eleanor''s. Give her more room for trial and error and help minimize the risks."


    Dr. Smith nodded enthusiastically. "You can count on us, Mr. Goodwin. We''ll do everything we can to support Miss Sutton''s work."


    With a slight nod,n turned and made his way toward the restroom.


    At that moment, Eleanor wasing out. They nearly collided in the doorway.


    Startled, Eleanor jerked back, banging the back of her head against the wall with a sharp thud.


    Her face went pale from the pain.


    He leaned in, trying to get a closer look.


    The subtle scent of cedarwood clinging to him made Eleanor recoil in distaste; she shoved him away. Ian took a half step back, his handsome features tightening as he swallowed hard.


    Without looking back, Eleanor walked off toward the dining room, rubbing the spot on her head where a bump was already forming. If she''d run into a stranger, she wouldn''t have reacted so foolishly as to bash her head against the wall. But faced withn, she''d rather injure herself than crash into him.


    "Eleanor, are you alright?" Gwenda noticed her cradling her head.


    Eleanor massaged the sore spot and shook her head. "It''s nothing. I just bumped it by ident."


    A littleter,n and Dr. Smith joined them in the restaurant. Simone had already asked Gwenda to order, and soon the food arrived. As they ate, conversation flowed easily around the table.


    That afternoon, Dr. Smith''s team set up in the conference room, while Adkins brought over a few samples for Eleanor to discuss in theb.


    The hours slipped by. Eleanor asked Joslyn to pick up her daughter from school so she could workte, not leaving until eight that evening.


    After a quick shower at home, her phone rang-Ellington was inviting her to lunch the next day to discuss a few matters. She agreed.


    Work filled nearly every minute until bedtime. As she tucked her daughter in, Eleanor felt a pinch of guilt. She leaned over and kissed her little girl''s forehead before letting her settle in for the night.


    The next morning, Eleanor dropped her daughter off at school early, hoping to avoid a run-in with Mrs. Vaughn.


    She spent the morning in theb, and at eleven left for her lunch meeting with Ellington at a luxury hotel that doubled as a business center and conference venue.


    As she entered the grand lobby, Ellington came over from the lounge area. "Ms. Sutton, you''re here. The restaurant''s on the third floor."


    They headed to the elevators. When the doors slid open, three guests from the parking garage were already inside.


    Eleanor froze for a second. Her gaze locked with a man in his early fifties— Rnd Yeaton, father of Vanessa and Faye.


    Rnd''s eyes narrowed as he saw her, his expression dark. Years ago, Eleanor had cost hisb a project worth nearly a hundred million. Ifn hadn''tter introduced new opportunities to offset the loss, Rnd would never have let her off the hook.


    The elevator chimed and stopped at the third floor. Eleanor stepped out first.


    As Rnd walked past her, he let out a cold huff. "Miss Sutton, my advice-mind your own business. Or you''ll have troubleing your way."


    Eleanor watched Faye''s retreating figure. Ellington, noticing the tension, leaned over and asked quietly, "Ms. Sutton, do you have a history with Mr. Yeaton?"


    She shot back, "You know him too?"


    Ellington nodded. "Yeaton Holdings is riding high in the business world these days. Three years ago, his IPO failed, but now he''s gearing up for another attempt. I hear Mr. Goodwin is investing in hispany and helping him secure funding."


    A chill flickered in Eleanor''s eyes. Clearly,n was taking a special interest in the Yeatons.


    Ellington hesitated, then added, "There are also some rumors going around about the Yeatons and Mr. Goodwin. Not sure if they''re true."


    Eleanor didn''t ask, but Ellington continued anyway. "Word is, Mr. Goodwin''s about to be the Yeatons'' son-inw. A lot of people are cozying up to Rnd these days."


    Eleanor gave a nomittal "Oh," and Ellington wisely let the subject drop. They entered their private dining room, ordered lunch, and Ellington updated her on the documents he''d brought.


    At one point, Eleanor excused herself to the restroom. As she rounded a corner near the restaurant, she spottedn''s tall figure disappearing into a private room.


    It had to be Rnd''s suite. Ellington was right, she thoughtn really was about to be part of the Yeaton family.