Early the next morning, Eleanor yed with her daughter on thewn. They would be heading back to Ashford City the following morning, as Evelyn''s school registration was only two days away.


    Their final day was spent enjoying the resort''s amenities. Even though they all felt a bit reluctant to leave, the convoy was packed and ready to roll out early the next morning.


    After a tiring drive, Eleanor brought her daughter home that afternoon. She spent the rest of the day helping Evelyn wind down from vacation mode and prepare for school, dedicating the next two days to adding all of Evelyn''s new teachers on WhatsApp.


    Three dayster, after dropping Evelyn off at Goodwin Manor,n invited Eleanor over to inspect the progress on her newly renovated vi. Because they had kept the structural changes to a minimum, the work mostly involved bringing in new furniture and decor. Every piece was crafted from premium materials,pletely tailored to Eleanor''s minimalist, elegant taste, creating an incredibly warm and inviting home.


    Standing in the beautifully transformed living room, Eleanor took in the meticulous details. Though the space still felt a bit empty, she knew that she and her daughter would soon fill it with warmth and memories.


    "What do you think? Do you like it?"n asked softly, standing by her side.


    Eleanor nodded. "It''s perfect. Thanks for all your hard work."


    She turned to look at him.


    "It was my pleasure,"n shook his head. "Let''s go upstairs and take a look. You have to see the master bedroom and the nursery."


    Eleanor followed him upstairs and toured her daughter''s room. It was decorated in Evelyn''s favorite shade of blue and even featured a fully furnished yroom.


    "Evelyn is going to absolutely love this," Eleanor said, a soft smile ying on her lips.


    Next, they walked into the master bedroom. Sunlight poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illu ing the cream-colored curtains and the soft, light gray rug. The room felt exceptionally warm and bright, with tasteful art pieces hanging on the walls to add just the right touch of elegance.


    It was practically move-in ready. Aside from bringing her own bed linens and personal items, Eleanor couldn''t think of a single thing it was missing.


    "Thank you," Eleanor said again, her tone utterly sincere.


    "I told you, there''s no need to thank me." Ian held her gaze. "Now we can spend Evelyn''s elementary and middle school years right here. And when it''s time for high school, if she wants to study abroad, we can move out of the country with her."


    Eleanor''s heart gave a violent jolt. She looked up at him. He was staring back at her, his deep eyes filled with an undeniable, profound sincerity.


    She quickly averted her eyes, staring out the window at the manicured garden without giving him an answer.


    Eleanor walked into the third-floor study. It was incredibly spacious, featuring a massive wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Eleanor was already imagining what it would look like fully stocked, only to realize that two of the shelves were already packed with books.


    "Are these from the previous owner?" she asked curiously.


    "No. I had people track down rare medical texts from all over the world. I figured you''d be interested in them,"n smiled.


    Eleanor couldn''t help but walk over to the shelf and pull out a random book. Aplex wave of warmth washed over her. It was exactly the kind of highly specialized literature she loved to read.


    He had truly put his heart into this.


    Eleanor slid the book back into ce and turned around, her voice soft. "You really didn''t have to "


    "I wanted to." Jan looked directly into her eyes, his voice low but unyielding. "Eleanor, you said you didn''t want to rush into getting remarried but want to do whatever I can for you and Evelyn. I want to make your lives morefortable and give you peace of mind."


    "You don''t need to feel burdened by this, and please don''t overthink it. I''m not doing this to suck up to you. I''m doing it because it''s meaningful, and it genuinely makes me happy."ns true feelings poured out For the first time in a very long time, he finally felt a sense of profound peace.


    "How are the renovationsing along on your side?" Eleanor abruptly changed


    the subject.


    "Want toe over and see?"n invited.


    Eleanor paused.


    Before the rejection could even leave her lips, the man stared at her with such hopeful anticipation that she physically couldn''t say no.


    "Okay," Eleanor finally nodded, giving in.


    A sh of pure joy crossedn''s eyes. "Let''s go."


    They walked through the connecting doors and stepped right inton''s living room. In stark contrast to


    Eleanor''s light, airy aesthetic bioet


    space leaned heavily into darker, moodier tones. Goof gray dominated the walls,plemented by a deep charcoal Italian leather sofa. A massive, leafy nt sat in the


    corner, and therge windows


    offered a sweeping view of thewn


    outside. It was a space that


    managed to be cold and masculine, yet undeniably homey.