Those three men were outstanding and brilliant in their respective fields. More importantly, they carried no baggage with her; their tes were clean.


    But him? He had disappointed her and caused her pain. He was only able to rebuild a connection with her through the bond they shared with their daughter. If it weren''t for Evelyn...


    His wealth, his status, his capabilities-all of it seemed to lose their weight in front of her. She was so radiant and independent that she didn''t need to rely on anyone.


    Eleanor had just finished pondering a work problem when she looked up and sawn holding his wine ss, staring at her. Yet, his gaze seemed unfocused, as if he were looking right through her at something else entirely.


    "What''s wrong? Is the food here not to your liking?" Eleanor asked.


    It was as if to her, he was a friend and a family member, butpletely devoid of the passionate spark reserved for a lover.


    He pushed down the churning emotions in his chest and forced a smile. "No, it''s delicious."


    He cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth, but it tasted nd to him.


    Eleanor watched him, her sharp intuition picking up on the fact that something was weighing on his mind. Was the recent crisis at hispany still unresolved? Or was his stomach acting up again?


    "Is your stomach still bothering you?" she asked proactively.


    "Much better,"n shook his head with a slight smile, the lingering anxiety in his heart easing a bit. At the very least, he was the one sitting across from her right


    now.


    "How are things going with the situation in Cliffmoor?" she pressed. She hadn''t had the timetely to ask for an update.


    "It''s handled. We paid a hefty fine and we are currently in the process of relocating our factories from


    Cliffmoor to other countries,"


    said calmly, making it clear that work wasn''t the main source of his distress.


    "If you''re tired, you can just make an appearance at the banquet tonight and leave early," Eleanor suggested. She had taken a nap at noon, but he hadn''t rested at all she could sees the faint traces of exhaustion between his brows.


    After all, he had been drinking at noon and spent the entire afternoon in meetings.


    Warmth bloomed inn''s chest. She was considering his well-being. "I''m fine. It''s a celebration tonight. Even though I''m not the guest of honor, I want to stay and keep youpany."


    Eleanor corrected him, "Joel and his team are the guests of honor, not me."


    "In my eyes, all of you are,"n said, his tone turning serious. "Without the three-


    year n you insisted on back then, this project wouldn''t exist."


    Eleanor didn''t argue further. She lowered her head and took another sip of soup. She didn''t really care about the credit; as long as everythingunched smoothly, hispany turned a profit and Joel''s hard work was recognized, she was satisfied.


    Eleanor stood up, and they walked toward the elevators together.


    While waiting, they ran into Diaz Archer. He was dressed in a sharp suit today, giving off the vibe of a sunny, handsome young man.


    "Eleanor," he greeted her with a natural, bright smile. Then, his expression turned slightly more formal as he nodded atn. "Mr. Goodwin."


    Eleanor smiled and nodded. "Have a great time tonight. I heard a few of your senior colleagues are here as well."


    "Yeah, two of my senior brothers and one senior sister are involved in Dr. Kingsley''s project. I came to pick their brains tonight," Diaz said with augh.