Back at theb, Joel Kingsley had been so buried in work he hadn''t even had a moment to check his phone. When he finally returned to his office and nced at the screen, he frowned. He had three missed calls, all from the same person:n.


    Though he had no desire to call back, Joel knew he couldn''t ignore him. He dialed the number.


    "Joel, are you busy?"n''s voice was clear in the otherwise silent room.


    "Mr. Goodwin. Is something wrong?" Joel asked directly.


    "How was Eleanor when you left her cest night?"n''s tone was low and serious.


    "If you truly cared about her, Mr. Goodwin, you would stop doing things to upset her. Stay away from her," Joel replied, a warning edge in his voice. He didn''t know whatn and Eleanor had discussed, but it had clearly left her distraught. He figured it was some personal, emotional matter. Sincen had chosen to divorce her, he had no right to keep meddling in her life.


    "Joel, please, just keep an eye on her for me. If she feels unwell in any way, take her to the hospital immediately," Ian requested, his voice tight. He paused, then added, "It''ll be another two days before I''m back in the country."


    Joel sighed. "I''ll call her in a bit to check on her."


    "Thank you,"n said formally.


    Joel couldn''t resist adding, "My care for Eleanor is a personal matter, Mr. Goodwin. It doesn''t involve you."


    Joel was remindingn that he had forfeited any right to be concerned about Eleanor''s life.


    A brief silence hung on the line. After a few seconds,n''s voice returned, devoid


    of its earlier edge. "You''re right. As her friend and colleague, please, just make sure she''s okay."


    "I will," Joel confirmed.


    "Hey, Joel," she answered, her voice sounding surprisingly light and carefree. "How are you feeling now? Any difort?" he asked, concerned.


    "I''m fine. Did I scare youst night? I''m sorry about that."


    "Don''t worry about it. Just call me right away if you feel anything," Joel said,n''s urgent request still echoing in his mind.


    "Okay. I''m out having dinner with Evelyn. Have you eaten?" she asked, her concern for his well-being evident. Joel had grown noticeably thinner recently, thanks to the new project.


    "I''m just about to grab something," he replied with a small smile.


    "Good, go eat. Don''t starve yourself."


    Joel decided not to mentionn''s call. Any news of him would only serve to upset Eleanor, and there was no need for that.


    Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Serena stared at the scene by the window. Xavier was leaning in, talking animatedly with Eleanor, while the two children yed beside them. Anyone looking at them would assume they were a happy picture-perfect family. The sight was a bitter pill to swallow. Not wanting


    to be seen, she put on a hat to


    obscure her face. The humiliation she''d felt from Xavier''s rejection was


    still too raw for her to face him.


    Miles away,n had just ended his call with Joel when he was summoned into Dr. Smith''s office. He emerged fifteen minutester, his brow furrowed with a weary gravity. He was about to takea break when his phone buzzed, A WhatsApp notification lit up the screen.


    "Brother, it looks like someone''s in a hurry to find my niece a new daddy."


    He tapped the message and saw that his sister had sent him a series of photos


    twenty minutes earlier. The images hit him like a punch to the gut.


    There they were, in a high-end restaurant: Eleanor and Xavier sitting across from each other, the childrenughing beside them. Eleanor held a teacup, her


    expressionpletely rxed, while Xavier''s gaze rested on her soft and full of affection. The entire scene radiated a harmonious, blissful warmth.