After seeing the guests off and watching their car pull away,n immediately looked toward the parking lot. But by then, he only caught a glimpse of Ellington''s taillights vanishing amidst the traffic. He stood there for a moment, lost in thought, until Vanessa''s driver pulled up. She was already draped inn''s suit jacket as she climbed into the car and left.


    Inside, Laverne nced at the tailored jacket around Vanessa''s shoulders, then grabbed the coat Vanessa had left behind and tucked it over her legs. She couldn''t help but grumble, "I told you to wear your own coat when you got out earlier. Now look, you''re freezing."


    Vanessa pulled the jacket tighter and closed her eyes, trying to rest. "Don''t fuss over me."


    Laverne eyed the expensive men''s suit and let out a knowing chuckle. "This is Mr. Goodwin''s, isn''t it?"


    Of course it was. If Vanessa had worn her own coat outside, how would she have managed to stir up Mr. Goodwin''s protective instincts?


    From what Laverne knew, Vanessa had lost count of how many times she''d ended up wrapped in Mr. Goodwin''s jacket over the years.


    But then, Mr. Goodwin had always cared for her, treating her with a rare patience. Every year, these clients would fly in from overseas, and every year, Mr. Goodwin made sure Vanessa was at his side for the meetings.


    "Vanessa, those foreign guests seemed pretty sharp. What line of work are they in, anyway?" Laverne couldn''t help but ask, curiosity getting the better of her.


    "I told you before-some things you''re better off not knowing." Vanessa opened her eyes just long enough to fix Laverne with a look.


    Laverne swallowed her frustration. For a manager of her standing, it was rare not to control every aspect of her client''s life. Other agents kept tabs on everything, but with Vanessa, Laverne could only handle her work-her private world was off- limits.


    Still, Vanessa was generous when it came to pay and perks, so Laverne was happy enough to mind her own business.


    She smiled, letting the matter drop.


    Meanwhile, Ellington was driving, but he kept ncing at Eleanor through the rearview mirror, sensing a shift in her mood. He asked with genuine concern, “Are you alright, Ms. Sutton?"


    "I''m fine," Eleanor replied with a small shake of her head.


    Ellington didn''t press. Even as an outsider, it was clear to him-he''d seen how attentive Mr. Goodwin had been to Miss Shannon. It couldn''t have been easy for Eleanor, beingn''s ex-wife and witnessing that kind of care directed elsewhere.


    Everyone in their circle knew about Vanessa''s rtionship withn, but it was an unspoken truth—no one dared to gossip. After all, crossingn these days was thest thing anyone wanted.


    Ellington dropped Eleanor at the research center. Before heading inside, she turned back and told him, "Drive safe."


    Her words warmed him-Eleanor was truly a good boss. She trusted himpletely and always treated him with respect. He couldn''t understand how someone liken could have failed to appreciate her.


    Especially now-Eleanor was more than just the CEO of Vesper Joy Group. Her achievements in scientific research had made her a rising star in her field.


    With New Year''s just around the corner, Eleanor and Joel finally wrapped up theirtest experiment and decided it was time for a well-earned break.


    "You go rest," Joel said as he passed her in the hall. "I''ll cover thete shift." Now that his father was living abroad and he had no family around, even time off felt aimless.


    "Don''t overwork yourself. Take care of your health," Eleanor advised. Since Joel joined the Neural Interface Project, he''d been pullingte nights, and she worried about him burning out.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine," Joel assured her. "But Evelyn could use yourpany."


    Eleanor nced at him, then smiled. "Why don''t youe over for dinner tonight? No point living on cafeteria food."


    Joel was caught off guard for a moment, then grinned. "I''d like that."