"Weren''t we supposed to skip gifts this time?" Eleanor gave a helpless littleugh.


    "Of course I had to bring you something." Mansfield replied, striding off before she


    could protest.


    After closing the door, Eleanor remembered the bouquet Mansfield had handed her. She reached into it and discovered a small velvet box hidden among the flowers. Under the warm light, she opened it and found two glittering diamond earrings.


    Her breath caught-this man, always so extravagant.


    He could easily afford it, but Eleanor truly couldn''t ept something sovish. Still pondering how to handle the gift, she was startled by Evelyn running out in a panic. "Mom, have you seen Princess?"


    Eleanor blinked. Princess had been in the living room during dinner.


    "Princess," she called softly.


    Normally, Princess would''vee running at the sound of her name, but now the house seemed oddly quiet.


    "Mom, where did Princess go? Why isn''t she here?" Evelyn''s eyes brimmed with tears.


    Just then, Joslyn came out of the kitchen. Hearing Princess was missing, she recalled seeing the dog dart out the front door before dinner.


    She knelt beside Evelyn, trying to soothe her. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. Princess won''t wander far."


    Then Joslyn turned to Eleanor, lowering her voice. "Ma''am, maybe she went downstairs to Mr. Goodwin''s? She always gets excited when she catches his scent."


    Eleanor''s expression stiffened, her hand unconsciously curling into a fist.


    "Mom, let''s go find her, please!" Evelyn was now openly crying, clutching her mother''s sleeve.


    Eleanor knelt to hug her gently. "Alright, I''ll go downstairs and look. You stay here, okay? Princess never runs off for long."


    Evelyn wiped her tears and nodded.


    Eleanor grabbed her coat and hurried out, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the 27th floor.


    Inside apartment 2701, Princess wagged her tail enthusiastically, pressing close to her former owner. She''d picked upn''s scent in the hallway, slipped out the door, and whimpered by the stairwell until he''d found her.


    Eleanor stood outside the door of 2701, her hand hovering over the doorbell, unwilling to press it. Every line on her face spoke of reluctance.


    She inhaled deeply, about to ring, when the door swung open from inside.


    "I was just about to bring her back up,"n said first, breaking the silence.


    "Princess, out. Now." Eleanor''s tone was sharp with reprimand.


    Hearing the anger in her voice, Princess hung her head and shuffled out the door.


    Eleanor turned without another word, heading for the elevators. Behind her,n called softly, “Eleanor."


    She stopped, but didn''t look back.


    "Happy birthday." His deep voice resonated in the quiet hallway.


    Eleanor tilted her head, annoyance clear in her posture. "I don''t need your well wishes."


    With that, she and Princess disappeared toward the elevators.


    A small, elegant gift box still sat untouched on the coffee table. Ian picked it up, turned it over in his hands, then finally ced it in a drawer.


    If she couldn''t even ept his birthday wishes, how could she ever ept a gift from him?