Chapter 1167
That day, he couldn’t resist reminding Eleanor to be mindful of boundaries. But later, watching them always chatting in a corner, so familiar with each other, his mood soured for the rest of the evening, casting a pall over the entire Christmas holiday.
lan snapped back to the present. The ugly memory had come rushing back. Even now, divorced from Eleanor and fully aware that her friendship with Joel was built on mutual respect, that old knot of discomfort still sat heavy in his chest.
Across the table, Gavin noticed his boss wasn’t eating much and figured that eating in a public cafeteria was probably beneath a man of his status.
Meanwhile, in a corner not far away, Faye Yeaton was staring daggers at the scene. It was her first day back at work, and she never expected to see this.
Eleanor sitting with Joel was irritating enough, but to have the unapproachable lan sitting right beside her was even worse. Thinking of the way lan looked at her versus the way he looked at Eleanor, she was overcome with jealousy.
Now, she was in a position where everyone looked down on her. The Yeatons were bankrupt, and her career was mediocre. In contrast, Eleanor was successful, her ex- husband was relentlessly pursuing her, and she was surrounded by top experts in her field. Her future was destined to be even more brilliant.
The stark difference between them made her want to grit her teeth to dust.
After Eleanor finished eating, she glanced at the time and said to Joel, “Joel, I’m heading back up p>
With that, Eleanor picked up her tray and glanced at lan. He met her gaze and smiled with narrowed eyes. “You go on ahead p>
After Eleanor left, Joel and the other two men also got up to return their trays. As they stepped out of the cafeteria, lan suddenly called out to Joel. “Dr. Kingsley, did you know I once misunderstood the relationship between you and Eleanor p>
Joel stopped and turned around, a look of surprise on his face. “Mr. Goodwin, why do you say that p>
Gavin, sensing the situation, tactfully stepped back a few paces to give them space.
lan’s gaze sharpened. “Four years ago, I accidentally saw a chat log between you and Eleanor. She was
confiding in you marital
about he
struggles, and you two seemed to get along very well. You were already calling her Ellie back then p>
Hearing this, Joel was momentarily stunned, then a knowing yet helpless smile appeared on his face. He
nodded frankly. “First, I want to.
apologize for any misundere nets
I caused back then. The name Ellie started calling her that after, fearing MSutton use it She’s younger than me, and it became a habit after we got to know each other. It wasn’t my intention to overstep p>
He looked at lan, his eyes clear and honest. “At the time, I was just trying to comfort
her as a friend, hoping she would pull herself together. That’s all it was p>
Joel then seemed to drift into his own memories. “In fact, most of our discussions were about medical topics. However, to avoid any issues at home, Ellie would delete our conversations Mr Goodingf you had recognized her talent and passion for medicine earlier, I’m sure you would have taken more time to encourage and understand her p>
Because during that period, his most vivid impression was that lan was always too busy-so busy that Eleanor would occasionally complain to him about it.
Joel’s words made lan’s pupils tremble slightly. He belatedly recalled the thick books that had started appearing in a corner of the study, which he had assumed were just a hobby for Eleanor to pass the time.
Even now, those books were still in the villa, and he had never once taken a proper look at what they were about.
After they were married, Eleanor had told him she wanted to be a good wife and loving mother, so he had overlooked what her true passions were.
lan felt a hand clench tightly around his heart. He remained silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Thank you for your honesty p>