Everyone watched him go, letting out a collective sigh of relief before a new wave of panic set in. A solution by four p.m.? How were they possibly going to manage that?
Rnd was ashen. He had hoped his status asn''s "future father-inw" would earn him some leniency, but in that room, he hadn''t even found the courage to meet the man''s eyes.
He now understoodn''s ruthless, upromising approach to business.
A short whileter, a consultant from Goodwin & Co. arrived. His appearance was
a lifeline for Rnd, who knewn''spany wouldn''t just abandon them.
The consultant was a model of efficiency, immediately establishing a precise protocol for handling the crisis. He issued a series of sharp, targeted directives, his actions swift and decisive. Under his guidance, Rnd and his team managed to produce a final resolution n just before the four o''clock deadline.
When Rnd finally returned to his office, his legs felt like jelly. As he was rubbing his sore shoulders, a ss of water appeared in front of him. He was about to snap at whoever it was but stopped when he saw it was his wife, Cathie. He swallowed his anger.
"How did it go? Is Goodwin & Co. helping you?" she asked gently.
Rnd sighed. "They''re helping, but their attitude is far from pleasant."
"How could that be? Didn''tn even give you some consideration?" Cathie asked, surprised.
"Consideration? I waspletely humiliated today," Rnd scoffed. "As long as my daughter Vanessa hasn''t married into the Goodwin family, he won''t give a damn about me. Hmph!"
Cathie moved behind him and began massaging his shoulders, her touch skilled and soothing. Rnd closed his eyes, enjoying the relief.
"Vanessa has been with Mr. Goodwin for years," Cathie mused. "He divorced his wife for her two years ago. It''s about time he married her, don''t you think?"
"Hmph! I can''t figuren out, and that girl never talks about their rtionship."
A calcting look flickered in Cathie''s eyes. "It would be perfect if Vanessa got pregnant. I hear the Goodwins only have one daughter. If Vanessa had a son, I wonder if that would change their attitude."
The idea resonated with Rnd. Deep down, he held a traditional preference for male heirs, and he figuredn, as a man, must feel the same of his daughter could get pregnant-preferably with a boy-the Goodwins would surely wee her into the family with open arms Then, if hispany ran into trouble again,n would be there to bail him out. Besides, seeing the consultant from Goodwin & Co. in action today had shown him what realpetence looked like. Having a few people like that in hispany would guarantee smooth sailing.
***
At five-thirty, Eleanor picked her daughter up from school. Watching the little girl, her hair in two bouncing pigtails, skip toward the elevator, Eleanor''s heart swelled. Perhaps she finally understood her father''s intentions.
If he had told her back then, she would have been powerless to do anything, and she might not have achieved what she had today.
But now, after reviewing Dr. Smith''s proposal, she felt a sense of relief. There was
a clear path forward. If they worked toward that goal, they would find a cure.
Of course, more than anything, she just wished her daughter a long, healthy, and happy life.
Back in the warmth of their
apartment, Evelyn took off her coat and immediately started wrestling
with their dog Princess on the
carpet. The sound of her daughter''sughter mingling with the dog''s happy yelps was the most healing sound in the world.
Joslyn came to tell Eleanor what was for dinner before heading back to the kitchen. Eleanor went to her study, opened herptop, and began usingan Al program to run
simtions on the treatments
sess rate.
As she massaged her temples, staring at the screen, a thought struck her. She
quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Joel''s number.
"Hello? Ellie," Joel''s gentle voice answered.
"Joel, I need you to confirm something for me. Do you remember when youpared my mother''s donor sample with Vanessa''s? Was the result a perfect match?"