The more understanding Selma sounded, the more guilt gnawed at Henry. He ran a hand through his messy hair, at aplete loss for how to fix his mistake.


    "I''ll make it up to you," he finally said before hanging up.


    Henry stood frozen for a moment, then copsed onto the sofa, burying his face in his hands.


    Meanwhile, at theb, Eleanor went to visit Joel''s new civilian projects facility, which was in a separate building. Joel had just received a shipment of new equipment and had asked for her help in calibrating it.


    "Joel, you need to take care of yourself, too," Eleanor advised him.


    The pressure was immense. The taskn had given him left no room for error.


    Faye was sent over with a stack of documents. As she approached Joel''s office, she saw Eleanor and Joel through the partially open door, chatting as they worked on a new piece of machinery.


    Eleanor was leaning over, her fingers moving expertly across the control panel as she exined something to Joel.


    Joel listened with rapt attention, nodding and smiling, the admiration in his eyes impossible to miss.


    Faye stopped dead in her tracks, her hands tightening on the papers she held. *Eleanor again.*


    Watching Eleanor stand before the massive machine, looking so delicate yet radiating such power, as if theplex equipment would bend to her will, Faye felt a familiar sting of resentment.


    She had fought so hard just to get a foot in the door of Joel''s project, even as a glorified assistant, yet Eleanor, who wasn''t even on the team, could walk in and work alongside him as an equal.


    Joel''s words echoed in her mind: *"If Eleanor had taken this test, she would have received a perfect score."*


    "Joel, here are the documents you wanted," Faye announced, stepping into the room.


    "Leave them in the conference room. We''ll need them for the meetingter," Joel said without looking up.


    Eleanor remained focused on her work, and Faye, feeling dismissed, left the room.


    At lunchtime, Eleanor and Faye crossed paths again at the elevator. A few newb assistants were standing nearby. Faye forced a smile. "Eleanor, you''re so brilliant. You know everything. It must be nice having such a talented father."


    Her words caught the attention of the others. So that was the secret to Eleanor''s sess-nepotism.


    Faye continued, her tone dripping with false sincerity, "It''s not like the rest of us, who have to figure everything out on our own, terrified of making a single mistake."


    Herment was a thinly veiled usation, suggesting Eleanor''s achievements were due to her family connections rather than her own talent and hard work.


    Of course, for those who hadn''t witnessed her brilliance firsthand, it was an easy assumption to make.


    The other assistants exchanged knowing nces.


    Eleanor had heard this kind of remark countless times. She couldn''t be bothered to respond or defend herself.


    She calmly pressed the call button and stepped into the elevator.


    The other assistants looked at each other and decided to take a different one.


    Alone in the elevator with Eleanor, Faye''s expression soured. Eleanor''splete and utter disregard was more infuriating than any angry retort. It was as if she believed she was inherently superior.


    1.n


    "Eleanor, I assume Mr. Goodwin told you he''s taking my sister on a trip abroad to cheer her up? They''ll be gone for months," Faye said, watching Eleanor''s face closely hoping to see a flicker of pain or humiliation.


    But Eleanor''s reaction was once again a disappointment.


    "I''d be happier if they got married," Eleanor said coolly as she stepped out of the elevator.


    Faye was stunned. What did she mean by that? Was it possible she truly didn''t care?


    It couldn''t be.n''s charm was undeniable. This was the man she had dropped out of school to marry.


    She had to be pretending.


    Faye convinced herself that Eleanor was just putting on a brave face, that her coldness was a sign of deep, suppressed pain.


    That thought brought her a small measure offort. She sneered to herself.


    *The dayn gets married, you can go cry in a corner.*


    The following week was thest


    before the holidays, and Eleanor was


    busy On Friday, she was held up at the fab and had to ask Xavier to pick up Evelyn along with his own daughter, promising to get her from his houseter.


    Just as she was about to leave, she received a text from him: *"Stay for dinner. I''ve already nned for you and Evelyn."*


    Eleanor hesitated. It was already an imposition to ask him to pick up her daughter; she felt guilty about freeloading a meal as well.


    Before she could reply, another text came through: *"Come on over. We''re waiting for you."*