Sitting in the hospital room, Eleanor was getting some fruit ready for Mansfield when she heard a knock.


    Assuming it was a nurseing to change his dressing, she turned toward the door, and the fruit knife nearly slipped from her hand.


    She stared at the man who walked in. In just one night, his hair had turnedpletely silver-white.


    She just looked at him, speechless. Her heart clenched, and for a moment, she didn''t know what to say.


    Mansfield''s gaze also lingered onn''s hair for a moment, a look of understanding in


    his eyes.


    "Much better. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Goodwin," Mansfield replied with a nod.


    Eleanor pulled her gaze away and collected herself. She stood up and asked, "Did something happen? Or is it "


    "Everything is fine,"n answered in a low voice, his eyes on her face. The handprint had faded, but her cheek was still slightly swollen. "I''m just d you''re okay," he said gently.


    Eleanor looked up at his hair. Ian subtly turned away, avoiding her probing gaze, a rare hint of unease on his handsome face.


    "I have things to attend to at thepany, so I''ll be going now."n turned and left. The moment the door closed, Eleanor lowered her eyes and let out a soft sigh.


    In the hallway,n stopped. He ran a hand through his hair, a profound pain surfacing in his eyes. On the way here, he hadn''t cared about the stares of others, but when Eleanor looked at him, all he felt was inadequacy and a desire to flee.


    After a brief moment, he left with his bodyguards.


    Inside the room, Mansfield said softly to Eleanor, "Eleanor, you don''t need to feel any pressure about what happenedst night, and you certainly don''t need to make any decisions because of it."


    Eleanor looked up at him, meeting his gentle gaze. Mansfield


    continued, "A rtionship can''t bee on


    bilder of gratitude twant


    you to follow your heart and choose the person who can truly make you happy. That''s all that matters. Cóntent


    Whether that person was him or not didn''t matter.


    She could only stare, the words caught in her throat as her vision blurred.


    Mansfield had saved her life, and she was moved beyond words. She


    had thought about a lot of thet


    The life-and-death ordeal of the


    previous night had made her realize she needed to bravely step into a new life and stop running away. Whatever the future held, she would let ite.


    Eleanor''s gaze became steady and gentle. She didn''t answer Mansfield''s words directly. Instead, she reached out and took his uninjured hand, looking at him.


    Surprise and disbelief shed in Mansfield''s eyes. He squeezed her hand back, his voice a little hoarse. "Are you sure?"


    Eleanor nodded softly. "Yes."


    Mansfield gazed at her with deep affection. Finally, his actions had won her heart. His voice broke with emotion. "Eleanor, I will spend the rest of my life proving that you didn''t make the wrong choice."


    Eleanor nodded. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their joined hands. From this moment on, Eleanor was willing to be with the man who had risked his life for her.


    Last night, he had thrown himself in front of the knife that was meant for her. If the de had been just a little lower, she couldn''t bear to imagine what would have happened.


    The sense of Security Mansfield


    gave her wasn''t just fromst night. She admired everything about him? While it wasn''t the same dizzying infatuation she''d felt when she first metm as a teenager, she knew this was a different kind of love—not a rash, impulsive decision, but a


    natural, steady affection.


    "Let''s take it slow," Eleanor said, her gaze clear and earnest. "Starting today, let''s


    get to know each other, just like any other couple."


    A smile filled with anticipation spread across Mansfield''s face. "Okay, whatever you


    say. Then as of today, Dr. Sutton, consider yourself officially pursued."