"Your father''s position has changed, which means your future will be under even more scrutiny," Eleanor added softly.


    Mansfield stared at her for a long time, reading the unwavering resolve in her eyes. He knew then that her decision wasn''t about someone else; her life''s n simply had no room for him, or for any man.


    Finally, he let out a slow breath, a bitter yet understanding smile touching his lips. "I get it." He paused, his voice returning to its usual steady tone. "Eleanor, I respect your decision. Take care of yourself."


    He seemed to want to say more, but he held it back.


    "I''ll walk you up."


    "You don''t have to. You should go."


    "We''re saying goodbye. The least I can do is see you to your door," Mansfield said with a casual shrug.


    Eleanor looked at him for a moment before nodding.


    They walked back to the elevator in silence. Just as they reached it, the doors of another elevator arriving from the underground garage slid open.


    The man standing inside made both Eleanor and Mansfield freeze.


    It wasn.


    He had clearly juste from the parking garage, carrying the chill of the outside on his ck trench coat. He stood tall and imposing, though his brow was creased with fatigue. As he saw the two of them standing side-by-side, that exhaustion was instantly reced by a dark, unreadable shadow.


    "Mr. Goodwin," Mansfield acknowledged first.


    "Major General Ellington,"n returned, his tone polite but cold.


    As Eleanor stepped forward, the elevator doors began to close.


    In a split second, four hands shot out to stop them, and the doors groaned in protest, making Eleanor jump. Thebined force of the two men seemed powerful enough to rip the doors from their hinges.


    Mansfield quickly entered, and the two men stood on either side of Eleanor, instantly charging the smalt space with a palpable tension.


    Eleano could feel a piercing gel. no


    on


    her from the left...n was staring at her. She kept her eyes fixed on the ascending floor numbers?


    The elevator stopped at the twenty-seventh floor.n''s eyes swept over the two of them onest time before he stepped out. He stood in the hallway, watching the doors close, his eyes as


    as


    spiffed ink, swirling with a thick, bitter jealousy.


    Vel


    He had never imagined that the reason Eleanor had refused his family''s invitation was because she was spending the holiday with Mansfield. His mind filled with images of what might be happening upstairs, and his tall frame seemed to stoop slightly, as a great weight were pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.


    Had Eleanor finally made her choice?


    Up on the twenty-eighth floor, having cleared the air with Mansfield, Eleanor felt more at ease. "Drive safely on your way back," she said.


    Mansfield nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds before he stepped back. "I''m leaving. Take care."


    Those two words "take care"-carried the weight of a long separation.


    Eleanor nodded. She waited until the elevator doors closed, then stood in her doorway for a moment before finally going inside.


    In the elevator, Mansfield''s phone rang. "Hello?"


    "Sir, your name has been removed from the list. It must have been your father."


    "My father doesn''t make my decisions for me," Mansfield said, raising an eyebrow.


    "But the situation over there is unstable. It''s dangerous. Maybe you should reconsider "


    "If I were afraid of dying, I wouldn''t have chosen this line of work."


    Mansfield was leaving, heading back to his battlefield. He hade tonight to say goodbye to Eleanor, and perhaps to share a dinner with her.


    Though he hadn''t gotten the dinner and had instead received a definitive rejection, a man with a clear purpose never loses his way.