An invitation to a private dinner with the Vice President was a great honor.


    "Mr. Vice President,"n said respectfully, "how is Major Ellington''s recovery?"


    "Mansfield is recovering very well," Garth replied, his tone filled with relief. "I''m inviting you both to thank you in person. My duties prevent me from traveling to Ashford City, son, I''ll need to ask you to bring Eleanor here."


    "Of course,"n said in a low voice. "Eleanor and I will be there on time."


    "Excellent, it''s settled then. I''ll notify Eleanor myself." Garth paused, his tone softening slightly. "Ian, I won''t interfere in your personal lives, but both you and Eleanor were crucial to Mansfield''s recovery."


    About ten minutester, Eleanor, who was upstairs, also received a personal invitation from Garth, which she naturally epted.


    Not long after she hung up, a text fromn came through. [I''ll have my mom look after Evelyn in three days. We''ll leave for Kingston together.]


    Eleanor replied with a simple, [Okay.]


    For the next two days, Eleanor returned to her routine, juggling her life between theb and picking up her daughter.


    The third day arrived quickly. Ian came early to pick up Evelyn, as his private jet was scheduled to depart at ten.


    Eleanor had packed a few simple outfits into a suitcase. At eight-thirty, she was inn''s car, on the way to the airport.


    Gavin was driving. In the back seat, Eleanor andn sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.


    Eleanor, however, kept ncing down at her phone as messages came in. She was wearing light makeup today, and herplexion was radiant. She was clearly looking forward to the trip to Kingston.


    It seemed this trip was for more than just a thank-you dinner. She was probably going to formally meet her boyfriend''s family.


    The heavy atmosphere in the car was palpable even to Gavin, who nced back. "Mr. Goodwin, would you like some music?"


    "Hm,"n grunted distractedly.


    Gavin immediately put on the soft instrumental music his boss usually listened to, hoping to ease the tension.


    Eleanor remained in high spirits. The soothing music rxed her nerves, and she too turned to look out the window, her mind drifting elsewhere.


    His chest tightened. Trying to sound offhand, he asked, "How''s Major Ellington doing now?"


    Eleanor turned to him, her eyes shining with relief. "Quite good. He''s already been discharged from the hospital."


    Seeing her genuinely happy for another man,n dropped his gaze, letting his eyes give nothing away. "That''s good."


    They arrived at the airport and quickly went through boarding procedures. The ne took off smoothly. The spacious andfortable private jet was indeed quiet and pleasant.


    The flight attendant was attentive. Eleanor rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the sea of clouds rolling by outside the window, lost in a daze for the entire flight.


    The two-hour flight passed in silence. When the nended at Kingston International Airport, a car from the Ellington family was already waiting for them.


    They got into the car and headed directly for the hotel. The dinner was to be held that evening at the Vice President''s official residence. Garth''s schedule was so packed that even one meal had to be nned down to the minute.


    The car drove through the bustling streets of Kingston and finally stopped in front of


    a discreet, high-end hotel. A doorman stepped forward to open the door, and Eleanor andn got out one after the other.


    After checking in, they took their key cards and headed up to their rooms.


    Eleanor nced at the floor number and realized she andn were on the same floor. They stepped out of the elevator together. As Eleanor walked toward her room with her suitcase,n followed right behind her She found it odd. Were their rooms next to each other?


    As it turned out, her guess was correct.


    Just as she swiped her key card, she sawn at the adjacent door. He also seemed


    a little surprised. He looked at Eleanor and said, "I''m right next door. If you need anything, just call me."


    "Thank you," Eleanor replied politely.


    "Yes", he thought, "it''s best to be polite". Soon, Eleanor would be Mrs. Ellington. In the future, they would not only need to be polite but also maintain an appropriate distance.


    Eleanor closed her door and let out a soft sigh. To be honest, she was a


    little nervous about this trip to


    formal


    Kingston She wasn''t one for fo events and she felt the Ellington family didn''t need to go to such lengths to thank her.


    But their arrangements were clearly meant to be a grand gesture of gratitude, which


    only made Eleanor feel more pressured.


    Just then, her phone rang. It was Mansfield.


    "Hello?"


    "Have you arrived?"


    "Just got to the hotel. How are you feeling?"


    "Much better. After a few more days of rest, I''m nning to start strength training," Mansfield said, his voice cheerful.


    "That''s great. I''m sure you''ll be back to your old self in no time," Eleanor said.


    They discussed his rehabilitation n for a bit before ending the call. She would see him that evening.


    In the suite next door,n stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, an empty hollow feeling creeping in he pictured that night''s dinner, where he would likely have to witness Eleanor and Mansfield officially bing a couple.


    Cóntent


    Tonight, he would step out of her life for good.


    From now on, even if they had to interact for their daughter''s sake or meet for work,


    he would have to maintain the most appropriate distance.


    Eleanor spent the afternoon resting and catching up on work at the hotel. Time flew by, and soon it was five-thirty.