"Dr. Lyman, please, take the head of the table," Byron said perceptively, stepping forward to greet him. Unable to refuse his enthusiastic offer, Dr. Lyman took the seat of honor.


    Eleanor casually pulled out a chair and sat down next to Byron. Just then, after greeting Garrison''s team,n naturally pulled out the chair beside Eleanor and took a seat.


    It was an unspoken understanding among everyone present. The seat next ton was meant for Eleanor, and no one else would dare take the seat next to her.


    "Is Evelyn behaving?"n asked, turning his head slightly. His clean, crisp scent drifted over to her.


    Looking at him up close, Eleanor noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. It seemed his business trip had been exhausting.


    "Yes," she murmured, looking down.


    During the meal, the conversation revolved primarily around the project. Ian didn''t say much, speaking only to offer constructive feedback, which showed his deep involvement.


    The atmosphere was pleasant, and everyone seemed to enjoy a rxed and cheerful meal.


    As Eleanor was the only woman there, the waiter suddenly brought out an extra dessert, a crème br?lée.


    The waiter ced it in front of her. "Mr. Goodwin requested this specifically for you, ma''am."


    Eleanor was taken aback. She nced atn, who raised his eyebrows slightly. "It''s a new item on their menu. Want to try it?"


    The men at the table generally didn''t care for sweets, so they didn''t need this special gesture.


    The crème br?lée in its delicate dish looked truly delicious. Eleanor nodded. "Thank you."


    The discussion continued, showing no signs of ending soon. Having finished her main course, Eleanor found herself intrigued by the dessert.


    As she ate, the man beside her didn''t appear to be paying special attention, but he watched out of the corner of his eye to see how much she was eating.


    It was a small dessert, as expected, and Eleanor finished the whole thing.


    Eleanor shook her head. "No, thank you. I''m full."


    As lunch was winding down,n''s phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call.


    After the bill was settled, the group stood up and prepared to return to theb.


    At the entrance,n walked over to Eleanor. "I have to get back to the office for a meeting. I''ll leave the rest of the handover to you all."


    Eleanor nodded. "I''ll handle the handover. You don''t need to worry."


    "I haveplete faith in your abilities,"n said, offering a sincerepliment. He then added, "There''s a meeting in three days about the foundation. See if you have time to attend."


    "Okay," Eleanor agreed.


    Everyone got back into the vans and returned to the conference room. As they entered the lobby, Faye Yeaton and a colleague were at the front desk picking up some documents. She suddenly saw a group of stern looking military personnel walk with Eleanor walking alongside


    their leader.


    Faye''s smile instantly froze on her face. She stared in disbelief at Eleanor who was in conversation with the military representative. The sight of her chatting andughing so effortlessly was like a daggento her eyes.


    BUMS


    She had, of course, heard that the Neural Interface Project was being transferred to the military. But seeing these national research. figures people she would normally never even get a chance to meet-all focused on Eleanor, discussing


    things with her filled her with a


    feeling she couldn''t describe the


    respect and importance they


    showed Eleanor was something she had never experienced.


    Jealousy, envy, and resentment churned in Faye''s heart. Compared to Eleanor''s


    current status, she was still stuck in the archives doing menial work, forced to tread carefully around others.