Tomorrow was the final day of the conference. Eleanor took a shower. In the quiet of the night, memories yed through her mind like a slideshow.


    Many things she couldn''t understand back then were crystal clear now. When she had confessed her feelings ton, she had only intended to tell him she loved him, not to pressure him into an immediate marriage. Butn had insisted.


    She remembered going to her father like a child who had done something wrong. She had summoned all her courage to tell him, expecting a stern lecture. She knew how high his expectations for her were, how much he wanted her to be like him.


    But after listening, her father was silent for a moment before simply telling her to think it through, that he wouldn''t interfere with her decisions.


    She told her father she had made up her mind. Three monthster, she andn had a grand wedding. Gina hadn''t been pleased with her as a daughter-inw; it was Grandma Magdalen Goodwin who had arranged everything.


    Eleanor understood Gina''s perspective. After all, what kind of future could a girl who dropped out of school to marry her son possibly have? All parents want the best for their children.


    Gina''ster favoritism toward Vanessa was an aftereffect of her dissatisfaction with their marriage.


    On her wedding day, her father had asked her if she would regret it. Eleanor remembered her happy reply, that she would have no regrets.


    Later, her father spoke to her privately, urging her not to give up on medicine even after getting married. With her extraordinary talent and perseverance, the married Eleanor managed toplete her university studies independently. And whenevern went abroad, which was every six months, she would join York Windsor''sb, bing an outstanding researcher and a member of the confidential Neural Interface Project Team.


    Thinking back, her father''s words—*don''t give up on medicine even after you''re married*—weren''t just about his personal hopes for her, but a part of a muchrger


    n.


    Perhaps her father had wanted her to be strong, to master cutting-edge medical knowledge, so she could ultimately save herself.


    And she had done it.


    The path had been winding and difficult, but in the end, she had sessfullypleted her father''s ''Project Dawn.''


    Eleanor curled into herself. She did resent her father for hiding so much from her, but at that time, as a young mother who had given up her studies, she couldn''t have handled the truth. She might not have even been able to care for her daughter properly, let alone finish her education and build a career.


    She would have panicked. Her life would have been a mess.


    She might have been crushed by fear, losing the courage and direction to move forward.


    Her father chose silence, chose to


    bear the burden alone, allowing her to grow under the protection of ignorance. He let her finish her studies, find her footing, and build her strength just like when she was a child, he made sure she could stand steadily before he taught her to walk.


    For the first three years, their marriage was happy. Their daughter was adorable, and they were as in love as ever.


    Everything started to change whenn began taking their daughter abroad frequently, and they would both return smelling of Vanessa''s perfume.


    Now, of course, Eleanor knew the


    real reason for those trips: Dr. Smith was screening the Goodwin family for the hereditary 1


    and Gind


    wanted to see her granddaughter.n had found excuses to keep her at home while Vanessa was at Drexford.


    Eleanor had been considerate enough not to go abroad and make things awkward.


    On the daysn and their daughter were away, she would go to the Montirb,


    returning just before they came back.


    Wait a minute.


    A thought suddenly struck Eleanor.


    was at Montir. Had he truly suspected something between them?


    The thought made her heart sink, and aplex wave of emotions washed over


    her.