After Eleanor helped York settle into his hotel room, Ellington arrived to give her an update on recent business developments. They spent half an hour discussing work, and once Ellington left, Eleanor found herself alone on the lounge sofa in the hotel lobby, fatigue pressing down on her. She rubbed her temples, savoring a rare moment of quiet.


    Outside, thest rays of the setting sun filtered through the ss, bathing her in a gentle, golden light.


    She became aware of someone sitting down on the sofa opposite. Probably just another guest waiting for someone, she thought. Keeping her eyes closed a moment longer, she finally opened them—only to meet a pair of deep, intent eyes staring right at her.


    Eleanor''s expression instantly cooled.


    She rolled her eyes. "Drop the act,n. You don''t have to pretend."


    With that, Eleanor made to leave, butn stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair. "Word is Dr. Windsor''se back to restart hisb. But if you stay with my team, I can offer you better terms. Think about it."


    She''d heard enough. The sheer shamelessness of this man''s pursuit of his own interests was almost impressive.


    "Don''t waste your breath," Eleanor said tly, turning her face away. "No matter what you offer, I''m not staying."


    Eleanor ignored him, slung her bag over her shoulder, and strode off, leaving him no room to persuade her further. Behind her,n''s eyes narrowed for a moment.


    A beatter, he followed her out of the lobby.


    Eleanor returned home, barely sparing a thought forn or any other distractions; she had to prepare for her lecture at Ashford University tomorrow, and there was no time for anything else.


    The next day, Eleanor asked Ellington to send York and Mann to Ashford Medical University. Dr. Windsor was nning to visit his old friend Dr. Lyman, and bring Mann along to hear Eleanor''s lecture.


    Eleanor first introduced York to Dr. Lyman Brown. The two old friends hadn''t seen each other in decades, so their reunion was warm and animated. Meanwhile, Eleanor showed Mann around Ashford Medical.


    "You know, Ashford is really Dr. Windsor''s alma mater," Mann remarked. "He went abroad in his sophomore year, but he always said this ce felt like home."


    Eleanor nodded. "It''s true. Ashford''s produced some of the most respected figures in medicine."


    Including her own father.


    The lecture began at two-thirty in the afternoon, and the auditorium was filled with students from the university.


    Standing at the podium, Eleanor immediately spotted Dr. Windsor and Mann sitting in the front row, both smiling encouragingly at her.


    "Good afternoon, everyone," Eleanor''s clear, melodic voice rang out. "Today, I''ll be sharing thetest advances in leukemia research..."


    Students in the audience quickly readied their notebooks, eager to jot down notes.


    About twenty minutes into her talk, Eleanor noticed the auditorium doors quietly open. A tall figure slipped in and took a seat in the back corner.


    Even from that distance, Eleanor felt the intense weight of his gazen.


    Her train of thought faltered for a brief moment, forcing her to pause mid- sentence. She quickly gathered herself and continued.


    After an hour, her lecture drew to a close, and a crowd of students gathered around with questions. Eleanor answered several patiently before offering a polite smile. “I''d be happy to discuss more next time. Thank you, everyone.”