Eleanor had suspectedn wouldn''t let her go easily, but she never imagined he''d be this calcting.
She was determined to leave. No matter what tactic he tried or who he sent to persuade her, it wouldn''t work.
"Professor Langley, could you please tell him not to waste his time? I''m not epting this arrangement."
A flicker of surprise crossed Simone''s face. This was the biggestpromisen could offer; if Eleanor took the chance, it would be in her best interest.
"Eleanor, don''t be so quick to refuse," Simone said earnestly. "This is only going to benefit you. Even after you leave theb, you''ll still have ess to all this support. Isn''t that a wonderful thing?"
Eleanor was quiet for a moment before lifting her head. "Thank you for your concern, Professor Langley."
"This isn''t justn''s idea. It''s my advice as well." Simone''s gaze was sincere. "In research, connections and resources are everything. Why jeopardize your future over a personal grudge?"
Eleanor understood. Anyone else in her position would see this as a golden opportunity. If her father were still alive, he''d be trying to talk some sense into her as well.
But she knew exactly which path she wanted to take.
Simone wasn''t ready to give up. "You can treat this as a purely professional partnership. Ian values your abilities, and you need his resources and funding. You each get what you need, without interfering in each other''s lives. That''s not a bad deal."
Eleanor bit her lip and stayed silent. She knew Simone meant well, and it pained her to keep rejecting her kindness.
Atst, Simone sighed. After all this time working together, she knew Eleanor- once her mind was made up, there was no turning back.
"Alright. The clinical trials for the new drug will wrap up in three months. Take your time to think it over before you decide."
When Simone left, Eleanor sat there with a furrowed brow. Anyone else would have eptedn''s offer without hesitation. He really did know her well-knew she couldn''t let go of her research, and that the freedom of an independent PI,bined with theb''s resources, was every scientist''s dream.
Butn was still treating her like the Eleanor he used to know. He was ying the wrong game.
Eleanor wasn''t worried about finding resources or funding for her future. What mattered was breaking free fromn, once and for all.
She had no desire to be his pawn for making money.
Word spread through theb almost instantly. In the cafeteria, several of her
friends gathered around her-Gwenda, Valery, Andie, and Callie-all with concern in their eyes.
"Eleanor, are you really leaving?"
"Where are you nning to go next?"
"You''re not thinking of moving abroad, are you? You''ve already got plenty of
funding, and your list of aplishments is impressive."
Eleanor just smiled at their barrage of questions. "I''m a bit worn out. I need some
time to rest. I haven''t decided whichb I''ll join next."
"Eleanor could walk into anyb she wants," Callie said, her eyes full of
reluctance. She''d learned so much working with Eleanor.
Seeing how much they''d miss her, Eleanor couldn''t help butugh. "We''ll still be colleagues. I''m sure we''ll see each other around. Besides, I''m not leaving just yet -I''ll be here for at least three more months."
Everyone nodded. Eleanor''s future was beyond anything they could imagine. Next time they saw her, she might have an even more prestigious title.
Not far away, Faye sat eating with Nina. Watching the crowd around Eleanor, Nina whispered, “Faye, you have tond the independent Pl spot this time. I''m rooting for you."
Faye barely touched her food, ncing in Eleanor''s direction. "I''ll do my best, but there''s no guarantee."
"Joel''s still at Meridian Dynamics. Aside from you, who else could finish this project?"
Faye didn''t bother exining that Eleanor''s departure meant the project would be scrapped. She simply said, "We''ll talk about itter."
Back in her office, Eleanor''s phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a message from Xavier.
"Heard you''re leavingn''sb?"