Eleanor found herself at a loss for words again. She really had forgotten. Lately, her mind had been entirely consumed by herb work, leaving her no time to think


    about anything else.


    "I" Eleanor opened her mouth to defend herself but didn''t know where to start.


    The implication was clear: he didn''t care about what others thought, only her opinion.


    Eleanor picked up her teacup and let out a soft huff. "As long as it doesn''t affect your health, it really doesn''t matter if you fix it or not."


    Eleanor thought about it. "Send them to me first. I''ll take a look when I have a minute."


    "Sure. For the details in the kids'' room, I''ll consult Evelyn for her input,"n said. "Okay," Eleanor nodded. She certainly wanted their daughter to feel included. The two of them chatted about the renovations for a while longer before finishing their lunch.


    As soon as Eleanor returned to theb, she got a call from Joel. Hiswyer had just spoken with him regarding the attack by Faye Yeaton.


    "Faye''s charges have been finalized. Attempted murder with severe circumstances. Thewyer said she''ll probably get six years."


    Holding her phone, Eleanor stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in her office. The oue was exactly as expected. Faye had brought this upon herself, but the news still left a heavy weight in Eleanor''s chest.


    "Yeah, got it," Eleanor replied softly.


    "Having known her for so many years, it is a bit of a shame," Joel noted, but then his tone turned serious. "But she''s as pathetic as she is despicable. She isn''t worth our pity."


    Faye deserved her punishment. Ending up like this was ultimately a tragedy of her own making.


    "Joel, it''s my fault you got dragged into this," Eleanor said, full of guilt. Thank goodness he had only sustained some severe superficial wounds.


    "Don''t say that," Joel''s gentle voice came through the line. "If I hadn''t made it in time that day, I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life. Now, I feel like I actually did something right."


    "Joel..." Eleanor''s eyes grew damp.


    "Don''t burden yourself over it," Joel said, his tone as warm as an older brother''s "As long as you''re safe, I''m happy. Mywyer will handle the uing trial and everything else, so don''t worry about it, dust focus on your experiments! I''ll be waiting for some good news from you."


    Joel''s words left Eleanor with a tangle of mixed emotions. "Thank you, Joel."


    "No need to be so polite with me."


    Joel chuckled on the other end. "Alright, I won''t hold up your work anymore heard from Callie that you guys found a critical


    breakthrough Just remember to eat on time and dont push yourself too hard."


    "Okay. I''lle pick you up when you''re discharged tomorrow," Eleanor offered.


    "No need," Joel stopped her. "My assistant will be here."


    "But-"


    "Juste cheer me on at my press conference on Monday. That''ll be enough," Joel said, then hung up.


    Eleanor stood by the window for a moment, phone in hand. The sunlight was a bit ring, and the swirling emotions in her chest slowly began to settle.


    Life had to go on. Everyone had their own path to walk. All she could do was cherish the present, make the most of her time, and live up to the expectations of those who genuinely cared for her.


    She turned, ready to head back into theb, when her phone buzzed. It was a message fromn, along with some 3D interior design renderings.


    Eleanor sat down, looked them over carefully, and sent him back the proposal she liked best.


    [I have to work overtime until nine tonight. Could you have dinner with Evelyn for me?] Eleanor texted back.


    [Sure. Don''t overwork yourself,]n replied.


    Eleanor decided to grab a cup of coffee from the breakroom. As soon as she got there, she heard two colleagues chatting.


    "I''m resigning next month."


    "You have such a good job here. Why would you quit?"


    The female colleague sounded utterly helpless. "I have no choice. My mother-inw is in poor health so she went back to her hometown. parents have to take care of my brother''s kids. My husband has a chance for a promotion that requires an overseas transfer. He''s stepping into management, so my job has to be the one to get sacrificed."