Eleanor quickly replied, "No, that''s not necessary. I can just get a cab from the hotel. You should get some rest."


    "It''s no trouble, I''m an early riser," Mansfield said with a smile. "Go on up."


    As Eleanor walked towards the elevators, she nced back and saw Mansfield still standing there, waving. She stepped into the elevator, her mind a bit hazy. Her phone buzzed with a message fromn: "Evelyn''s already asleep, don''t worry. Get some rest."


    Eleanor got out of the elevator, sent a simple "Okay," and headed to her room.


    Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of his home at Cloudcrest Manor, the man had no intention of sleeping. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his study, holding his phone, the screen still on his chat with Eleanor.


    That simple "Okay" felt like a tiny thorn pricking his heart.


    He recalled the video call from earlier, seeing how rxed and happy Eleanor was having dinner with Mansfield. It was a radiant smile he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    The next morning, Eleanor, with her suitcase in tow, had the hotel call a taxi.


    In the elevator, she wasposing a text message telling Mansfield not to bother seeing her off. To make sure, she decided to leave for the airport at seven, nning to have breakfast there.


    After sending the message, Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn''t be troubling him.


    With a "ding," the elevator doors opened. Eleanor pulled her suitcase into the lobby. As she went to check out, she was startled to see a figure rising from one of the lounge sofas. She froze.


    Mansfield raised an eyebrow, looking rather pleased with himself. "Good morning, Dr. Sutton. Trying to make a run for it?"


    Eleanor couldn''t help but chuckle. "How early did you get here?"


    "I figured you''d try to avoid me, so came early," Mansfield smiled,


    l.ne


    looking at the text she had just sent and then at her guilty expression. He found it quite endearing.


    Eleanor felt rather awkward. She thought she had been early enough, but he had been even earlier.


    After checking out, Eleanor ended up getting a ride to the airport in Mansfield''s car. With two hours before her flight, Eleanor treated him to breakfast and coffee.


    When Eleanor came out of the restroom, she saw Mansfield standing there as two stylish, pretty girls were asking him for his contact information.


    She deliberately waited a moment. Then, she saw both girls look over at her, their eyes filled with appraisal and envy.


    Eleanor immediately guessed what Mansfield must have told them.


    Sure enough, Mansfield walked over gracefully and said, "I told them I''m spoken for."


    Eleanor smiled and shook her head helplessly as they walked into a coffee shop.


    It wasn''t until Eleanor was boarding that Mansfield waved and said, "See you in Ashford City next week."


    "I thought you were swamped with work," Eleanor said, turning back.


    "I''ll hurry and wrap up my work here so I can see my grandmother on time,"


    Mansfield said with a grin. "You did promise to bring Evelyn, after all."


    Eleanor gave him a resigned smile. He was the one who said he might be too busy, which was why she''d only agreed as a dying tactic.


    Eleanor boarded the ne, and only


    then did Mansfield leave, moving with an ease that suggested hie status granted him passage anywhere in Kingston.


    After the momentary feeling of weightlessness during takeoff, Eleanor gazed out at


    the clouds, her thoughts drifting.


    Matters of the heart were never a


    simple ck-and-white choice. Right now, what she needed most,


    besidespleting her research,


    was to take some time to sort out her own feelings.