"Okay, I''ll go get Evelyn," Eleanor said.


    Eleanor went to the twenty-seventh floor and rang the doorbell. Gavin smiled when he saw her. "Miss Sutton, you''re here. Perfect timing, I was just about to leave. Could you please look after Mr. Goodwin for me?"


    Eleanor was taken aback. "How is he?"


    "Mr. Goodwin''s fever is low-grade now, but Dr. Lyman is worried it might spike again tonight," Gavin said with concern.


    "I see," Eleanor nodded.


    Gavin''s face lit up with relief. "Then I''ll leave him in your care, Miss Sutton. I have


    to go."


    He looked as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he quickly let himself out.


    The scene of the father, daughter, and dog was rather heartwarming, though Eleanor found it irritating.


    "Evelyn, it''s time toe home for dinner."


    "But Mommy, I''m not hungry yet," Evelyn protested, wanting to keep ying.


    "You cane back down after you eat," Eleanor coaxed.


    "Okay," Evelyn pouted. Ian added his own encouragement, "After you eat, Daddy will y with you some more."


    "Okay, I''ll go eat then. Wait for me, Daddy!" Evelyn said, taking her mother''s hand.


    Eleanor took Evelyn upstairs for dinner. Afterward, Evelyn was eager to go back downstairs.


    Eleanor felt a surge of frustration. Living one floor apart, she really couldn''t stop her daughter from running ton''s apartment. And for safety''s sake, she had to escort her down herself.


    When they returned ton''s, Evelyn no longer wanted to y with toys; she wanted to watch cartoons. Aftern set up a show for her, Eleanor turned to him. "I have a few questions for you."


    There was a small table on the balcony. Ian gestured for her to sit. "Please."


    Eleanor sat down, her eyes fixed on the man opposite her. Perhaps because he was sick, the sharp intensity he usually carried had softened.


    "Ask whatever you want. I''ll answer everything,"n said first, as if he had been waiting for her questions.


    Eleanor didn''t beat around the bush. "My father coborated with Smith on leukemia research years ago. Did you ask him to join theb?"


    A flicker of disappointment crossedn''s eyes, but he answered seriously, "Yes."


    "Why? Why would my father research leukemia for you?" Eleanor continued to press.


    Eleanor''s eyes narrowed. n, I need the truth."


    to identify several core research areas. Leukemia is a global medical challenge with vast market potential. favesting in its research was a business decision I made at the time."


    Hatred shed in Eleanor''s eyes. She bit her lip, struggling to contain her rage. "So, for your business project, you let my father exhaust his health and work himself to death to make money for you?"


    That notebook, filled with dense, frantic script, was proof of how tirelessly her


    father had worked in his final days.


    Eleanor closed h her eyes, her hands clenching into fists on the table. She knew that no amount of hatred could change the past. But she. couldn''t understand why a purelymercial project would have


    been worth her father sacrificing his


    life for.


    "Eleanor, your father is gone. Bringing this up now is meaningless."


    Tears welled in Eleanor''s eyes. "Ian, after this experiment is over, you''d better


    stay far away from me. I don''t want to see you ever again."


    With that, Eleanor stood up and left.<pn remained frozen on his seat, his heart seized by an invisible hand.