A sober-minded indulgence.


    Life was just a series of choices, even if she was perfectly self-sufficient and didn''t need anything from anyone else.


    But...


    Her own heart, it seemed, was still entirely tilted in his direction.


    Early the next morning, Evelyn dashed over ton''s side of the house the second she washed her face. "Daddy, take me to school!"


    A few minutester,n strode in, dressed impably in a tailored suit, holding Evelyn''s hand as they headed out.


    Joslyn watched them from the doorway with a beaming smile. "Mr. Goodwin is up so early!"


    Then she nced back at Eleanor. "Ma''am, I''ll make your breakfast and whip up a bowl of oatmeal."


    Eleanor''s face instantly burned red. Had Joslyn heard her sneaking over ton''sst night? Did she get the wrong idea?


    "Joslyn, skip the oatmeal. Just my usual breakfast is fine. I need to eat and get to work," Eleanor said quickly.


    Joslyn didn''t push it, merely chuckling. "Alright, I''ll get your breakfast ready. And I''ll prep his too, so it''ll be hot when he gets back."


    "Thanks," Eleanor replied, hurrying upstairs to tidy her bedroom.


    The school drop-off was a quick five-minute drive. Ian arrived back at the vi just in time for Joslyn''s breakfast.


    By the time they finished eating and were ready to head out, it was already nine o''clock. As Eleanor went to start her car,n tantly decided to hitch a ride.


    "We''re both going to Meridian Dynamics. I don''t feel like driving," he said, not even bothering to invent a decent excuse.


    Eleanor didn''t argue. Ian pulled open the passenger door and slid in.


    "Did you sleep well?" he asked.


    "Yeah, I slept great," she replied truthfully.


    "Me too," he said.


    "I had a traditional doctor put together some herbal medicine for you. It''s getting delivered today. You can have Joslyn brew.it for you tonight but fair warning, it''s pretty bitter," Eleanor mentioned


    "You can''t drink it long-term, though. It can be hard on the liver and kidneys," she warned.


    The man narrowed his eyes yfully. "My kidneys are in excellent condition."


    Eleanor was speechless.


    Her face heated up. She had just made a clinicalment, and he had twisted it right into the gutter.


    Seeing her silence, he graciously backed off. "Alright, I''ll listen to you. I''ll take it for a bit and then stop."


    For the rest of the drive, a


    For this meeting at Meridian Dynamics,n wasn''t crashing it. He was running the show, discussing the uing partnership details directly with Eleanor.


    Byron Chase hurried over to greet them. "Mr. Goodwin, Miss Sutton, you''re here."


    Eleanor smiled and nodded at him.


    When they reached the elevator, Byron gestured for the two of them to enter first. However,n


    immediately gestured for Eleanor to step in ahead of him.


    Slightly surprised, she stepped inside. Ian followed, naturally taking his ce right by her side.


    Byron and Assistant Lowe stepped in behind them and hit the button for the conference floor.


    The corner ofn''s mouth twitched upward just slightly. He was clearly savoring the feeling of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her, facing the future as a team.


    He had missed out on far too much over thest three years. Now, he refused to miss a single thing when it came to her.