He had been far too impulsive.


    He kept telling himself to take things slow, but just now, seeing her vulnerable state with her eyes closed and glistening with faux tears, all his prideful logic and self- control had crumbled in an instant.


    He just wanted to be close to her, to touch her, even if it was just the softest graze. Now, he felt a wave of regret. Why hadn''t he looked closer? Why hadn''t he checked to see if she was still disgusted or pulling away from him?


    He could clearly map out Eleanor''s emotional phases toward him. From the initial revulsion and rejection right before their divorce, to the outright hatred immediately after, and finally to the eerie calm in her eyes over the past year. There was no hate, no resentment—just pure, utter indifference. That expression panicked him far more than her hatred ever could.


    It was as if he had beenpletely erased from her world.


    Since the night they cleared up their misunderstandings, he knew the ice between them had started to thaw. She was willing to chat with him, grab a bite to eat, celebrate his birthday, and even started showing tiny glimpses of care and reliance.


    All that hard-earned progress... could it have beenpletely destroyed by that one reckless kiss?


    [How are the eye drops working?]


    Eleanor had already tucked their daughter into bed. Evelyn was lying there reading a picture book, and Eleanor was just about to hop in the shower when she heard her phone chime. She picked it up and saw the message fromn.


    She blinked. Her eyes really did feel much better.


    [They work well, thanks.]


    There was no usation in Eleanor''s tone, no anger. She soundedpletely normal, as if nothing had happened at all.


    She wasn''t mad.


    At least, not on the surface.


    Or could it be... she wasn''t entirely repulsed by it?


    That spection was like a spark, reigniting the me that had just been about to die out. He gripped his phone looking down as he typed out a reply That''s good. Get some rest early.]


    [You too.] Eleanor replied almost instantly.


    He slowly exhaled, the tension in his shoulders finally melting away. Leaning against the ss window, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.


    It seemed he had imagined the worst-case scenario.


    ***


    Early the next morning.


    "Daddy!" Evelyn threw her arms aroundn''s arm, clinging to him affectionately. "Say goodbye to Mommy."


    "Are you taking her somewhere fun today?" Eleanor asked.


    "I''m taking her to the school today."


    "Just a quick tour to let her get familiar with the campus,"n added with a gentle smile.


    Eleanor nodded. "Okay."


    Aftern left with their daughter, Eleanor got ready and headed to theb.


    Her workload was incredibly heavy that day.


    When she returned that evening, she received a call fromn saying Evelyn wanted to sleep over at


    Goodwin Manor. Eleanor agreed


    After staring into a microscope and looking at aputer screenall day, Her eyes were painfully dry again. She spotted the bottle of eye drops on her desk, reached for it, and put a couple of drops in herself.


    When the weekend arrived, Eleanor went to visit Joel Kingsley at his new apartment. He had recently bought a ce near theb to make hismute easier.


    Joel had purchased a top-floor


    duplex penthouse. It was over three thousand square feet, with an


    ultra minimalist design. The way every thing was organized radiated the precise, orderly vibe of an engineer.