Eleanor nced at him again before casually picking up her teacup. The other colleagues at the table hadn''t noticed the subtle exchange; in the context of a dinner party, such a simple expression of concern seemed perfectly normal.


    True to his word,n didn''t touch his wine ss again, instead eating a few bites of food with deliberate slowness.


    Joel returned a short whileter, clearly still under the influence, though he was lucid. "Are you full?" he asked Eleanor.


    Eleanor nodded. "I am. You should eat something too."


    Joel nodded. Someone handed him a bottle of water, which he epted and began to drink. In the soft lighting, his schrly and gentle demeanor drew the attention of a few young female colleagues. Joel had no shortage of admirers at thepany, but he was typically engrossed in his research and maintained a professional distance from anyone who showed interest.


    Across the table, a pair of narrowed eyes focused on Joel. Ian recognized that the warm, approachable aura Joel possessed was something he himselfcked. Perhaps, he mused, that was what had initially drawn Eleanor to him. The world he inhabited had conditioned him to take control, to present a hard,manding front, but he was missing that gentle quality that put people at ease.


    He quickly suppressed the thought. All that mattered now was that the woman across from him was happy and no longer looked at him with that detached gaze. For that, he was willing to change in any way necessary.


    At eight-thirty, the celebration dinner began to wind down. Some of the other colleagues decided to head to a bar for a second round, but Eleanor, Joel, andn opted out.


    Seeing that Joel was too drunk to drive, Eleanor offered, "Joel, let me take you home."


    Before Joel could reply, Gavin stepped forward and spoke to Eleanor in a natural tone. "Miss Sutton, Dr. Kingsley and I are heading in the same direction. I can give him a ride."


    Eleanor was taken aback. "You live near each other?"


    Joel, catching on, quickly added, "Ellie, Mr. Goodwin had a lot to drink tonight, too. Since you live in the same building, it would be more convenient for you to take him."


    “Exactly. Eleanor, if you could make sure Mr. Goodwin gets home safely, we''d really appreciate it," Gavin added.


    Their reasoning was so logical it was hard to argue with.


    Eleanor nced at Joel, then atn, who was still seated across from her. The corners of his eyes were flushed, and his gaze was hazier


    thual. He was clearly quite


    drunk, but she still hesitated.


    "Eleanor, I''d appreciate it,"n said to her.


    She looked up at him again. He really had drunk a lot tonight.


    "Alright," she finally agreed, turning to Gavin. "Then I''ll leave Joel in your care."


    "Don''t worry, Miss Sutton," Gavin replied with a smile. He turned ton. "Mr. Goodwin, I''ll take Dr. Kingsley out now."


    A short timeter, only Eleanor andn remained. The restaurant staff politely kept their distance.


    "Can you walk?" Eleanor asked the man across from her.


    rose to his feet. His movements


    were steady, though his pace was


    slightly slower than normal


    Eleanor grabbed her purse, and they walked out of the restaurant side by side.


    A night breeze swept by, lifting


    Eleanor''s long hair. Asn stood


    beside her a single strandnded on his shoulder. He nced down at it. The loose strand skimmed his shoulder light as breath and it was ridiculous how that tiny touch made him feel less steady than the wine.


    But just as quickly, Eleanor walked ahead to her car, unlocking it and heading for the driver''s side.