"Ian mentioned it to me," Xavier said, meeting Eleanor''s eyes with a candid gaze.


    Eleanor nodded. "Yes, this time it was a special invitation from the Secretary of State. We''re all truly honored to be a part of it."


    "Absolutely! Just getting invited shows how impressive you are," Xavier added, a hint of envy in his voice.


    Eleanor smiled modestly. "You tter me."


    For a moment, Xavier''s eyes grew thoughtful, as if there was something he wanted to ask but wasn''t sure how to put into words. He hesitated, the unspoken question hanging between them.


    Just then, Xavier''s phone rang. It was Mrs. Vaughn, reminding him to bring Vivian home.


    "Alright, Mom. We''re just about to leave. I''m here with Eleanor-just chatting," Xavier replied.


    "Oh! Are you two having dinner with the kids? No rush, then. Take your time, enjoy your meal and your conversation. There''s no need to hurry back," Mrs. Vaughn said, her tone instantly changing.


    Xavier couldn''t help butugh. "Got it, Mom."


    "I thought you were on your own with Vivian! It''s still early,e home whenever you''re ready," she added, then hung up.


    Just as he put his phone down, Eleanor''s phone buzzed with a message.


    She nced at the screen-it was a text from Mansfield.


    "At the airport. Boarding soon, heading back to base. Just wanted to let you know," Mansfield wrote.


    Eleanor read the message for a few seconds, then typed her reply: "Safe travels -take care."


    "Thanks, looking forward to our next meeting," Mansfield responded almost instantly.


    Beside her, Xavier watched, lost in thought.


    "Was that Major General Ellington?" he asked casually.


    Eleanor nodded. "Yes, he''s flying back to base."


    Beneath the table, Xavier''s fingers curled into a light fist. "Do you two keep in touch often?"


    "We''re just friends," Eleanor answered simply and honestly.


    There was no reason to lie or hide anything from Xavier-she''d always believed that honesty was the foundation of any friendship.


    A glimmer of relief shed in Xavier''s eyes. He seemed to want to say something more, but instead, he lifted his ss and took a sip of water. In the warm glow of the restaurant lights, the happiness in his expression was unmistakable.


    Friends? Did that mean Mansfield was just a friend to Eleanor, nothing more?


    Xavier thought back over everything he knew about her. Eleanor wasn''t someone who let people in easily-her daughter had always been her top priority.


    He''d been doing his best to win her over, but Eleanor had only ever kept things strictly at the level of friendship.


    So, Mansfield was probably just another man who admired her-respectful, yes, but kept firmly in the friend zone.


    The thought made Xavier''s heart skip a beat. A smile tugged at his lips, and suddenly, his spirits lifted.


    The two children came out from ying a whileter; it was already half past eight. Xavier and Eleanor agreed it was time to take the kids home.


    As any parent knows, with children around,te nights out are a thing of the past. Since bing a mother, Eleanor had given up on nightlife altogether; her world revolved around her daughter now.


    Back at the house, Joslyn took Evelyn upstairs for a bath. These daily routines were second nature to Joslyn, giving Eleanor a rare moment to herself.


    Eleanor retreated to her study and opened herptop. After staring at an email for


    a while, she finally typed out her response and hit send.


    Ten minutester, Gavin ryed the news ton.


    "Miss Sutton has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the event."


    "Understood," Ian replied.


    After hanging up,n leaned back and stared at the ceiling, a look of relief crossing his face.