A man who''d walked such a path wouldn''t go down easily.


    Eleanor exchanged a few words with Xavier before getting into the car. Xavier watched her leave-he had the means and the will to help, but in this case, he simply didn''t know where to begin.


    Eleanor was just too busy; this time, there was nothing he could do.


    Back at the office, Eleanor skipped the morning meeting and threw herself into drafting her proposal. Byron had already learned she was working on thepany''s three-year strategic n, so he made it clear: no one was to disturb her unless absolutely necessary.


    Faye, however, found this hard to ept.


    "VP Chase, does this mean next time I can skip the morning meeting too?" she protested, clearly displeased.


    "Faye, Eleanor''s working on something important-more important than any meeting," Byron replied, his tone grave. "You''ve all seen what''s happening online with Goodwin & Co. Meridian Dynamics is one of their holdings. If there''s turmoil within Goodwin & Co., a lot of our projects will be at risk too."


    "I saw it—and it freaked me out! The things people are saying about Mr. Goodwin online are brutal."


    "Exactly. But I''m sure Mr. Goodwin will find a way through. Once he''s back on his feet, those reporters will shut up fast."


    Faye had been thinking about the situation all morning. She''d texted Vanessa, who replied that she''d spent the night at Goodwin & Co., clearly there to supportn.


    Faye was among those who least wanted to seen fall. Yeaton Holdings still needed him, and her own research depended on his protection.


    At this point, the Yeatons and the Goodwin family were practically joined at the hip.


    After lunch, Eleanor returned to her office feeling exhausted. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she finally gave up trying to work, stretched out on the couch, and drifted off to sleep.


    Gwenda came in with a fresh cup of coffee, only to find Eleanor fast asleep. She quietly backed out, careful not to make a sound, but as she turned around, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.


    "Is Eleanor inside?" His voice was rough, his handsome face drawn with fatigue. "She is, but... she''s asleep," Gwenda whispered.


    Gwenda blinked in surprise. Shouldn''t Mr. Goodwin have left? After all, he and Eleanor were no longer married-was it really appropriate for her ex-husband to walk in like that? What if he did something while she was sleeping?


    But Gwenda didn''t have the nerve to check. She could only hopen, for all his faults, was still a gentleman.


    Inside,n gazed down at Eleanor, curled up on the couch. The office was warm, but somehow the cold still seeped in; she shivered in her sleep.


    Then he moved to her desk chair, sat down, and nced at her openptop. The screen disyed her nning report. He narrowed his eyes, curiosity getting the better of him, and began to read.


    He also noticed a cup of coffee on the desk. After staying up all night himself, the caffeine was tempting. He picked it up and took a sip—it was Eleanor''s usual, far sweeter than he preferred, but he didn''t mind.