Chapter 958
On the other end of the line, Dr. Smith’s voice trembled with excitement. “That’s incredible, El! This is a landmark breakthrough. It means we’re completely free from our dependency on a single donor p>
“Exactly. And the effect is even better,” Eleanor added, her voice laced with relief
and joy.
Dr. Smith was ecstatic. He had poured his life’s work into building this lab, and now Eleanor had borne the most magnificent fruit. The answer had been there all along, but he had lacked the genius to uncover it. Eleanor had finally found it.
“I’ll organize the data immediately and report to Mr. Goodwin,” he said, his voice eager.
Eleanor thought of lan’s exhausted face and bloodshot eyes when he had left earlier. If Smith told him now, it would disrupt his rest and likely keep him up all night with excitement.
“Doctor, let’s wait. You can tell him tomorrow,” she suggested.
Smith immediately understood. “You’re right, you’re right. He pulled an all-nighter with you last night; he must be exhausted. If I tell him now, he’ll be too excited to sleep. Let him get a good night’s rest. He’s earned it p>
After a brief chat, Eleanor hung up and savored the warmth of being home. She walked into the playroom to see her daughter on the floor, assembling a simple Lego set. The sight of her, so lovely under the soft light, warmed Eleanor’s heart. It felt like just yesterday that the little girl in her arms was learning to babble, and now she was so independent and thoughtful.
In Vanessa’s villa, she had been on edge for the past two days. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep, and the physical fatigue from the blood donation left her with no patience for anything.
She tossed her iPad aside in
frustration. Not even the fawning comments from her fans, hailing her as a goddess could lift her spirits She walked to the wine cabinet, uncorked a bottle of red wine, and downed a glass. Staring at the empty glass, she let out a scornful laugh.
Soon, the weakness from the blood draw combined with the dizziness from the alcohol, and she slumped onto the sofa. She knew it wasn’t just physical discomfort; it was a deep-seated anxiety, a creeping fear that she was about to lose her most important bargaining chip.
She stared up at the ceiling, her mind drifting back to the first time she met lan.
She was eighteen, living with her mother in a squalid, chaotic tenement in Drexford. Their apartment was a cramped, damp room with moldy walls, a place filled with the constant noise of drunken arguments and crying children.
Her mother, once a B-list actress in her home country, had lost all her former radiance.
“No money, that’s all he ever says! If he had no money, why did he let me have a child?” her mother shrieked only daring to curse her father after she hung up the phone. She turned and saw Vanessa standing in the doorway, clutching an old music book. “And you, with that stupid music. Look at you! Born without a silver spoon but acting like a
princess. Tomorrow, you’re going to find a job p>
When her mother tried to snatch the music book, Vanessa clutched it fiercely to her chest. “I’m telling you, forget those ridiculous dreams!” her mother sobbed. “The smart thing to do is find a rich man and marry hing Don’t you dare end up like your good-for-nothing deadbeat father p>
Vanessa ran out of the house. Not long after, she received a call. Someone
wanted to see her.