Chapter 1338
Inside the coffee shop, Eleanor was taking a sip of her coffee, her gaze fixed with interest on Diaz’s face, her eyes filled with admiration. She didn’t notice the tall figure striding through the entrance.
Not until a deep, magnetic male voice spoke from beside her. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Eleanor looked up in surprise to see the man who had suddenly appeared. “Weren’t you on your way to the airport?” she asked.
“I was passing by and decided to grab a coffee,” lan explained nonchalantly.
Behind him, Gavin immediately understood and went to the counter to place an order.
lan’s gaze then shifted to Diaz, his eyes carrying a scrutinizing edge.
Eleanor sensed the oppressive aura emanating from lan. She furrowed her brow and gestured toward the young man across from her. “This is Diaz Archer, the grandnephew of my father’s dear friend, Dr. Andy Archer.” Then, she introduced lan to Diaz. “And this is lan, CEO of Goodwin & Co.”
Diaz recognized lan. After Eleanor’s introduction, he quickly stood up respectfully. “Mr. Goodwin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
lan sized up the young, energetic, almost student-like man before him. He extended his hand and offered his own introduction. “I’m Eleanor’s ex-husband.”
A shy blush crept onto Diaz’s face as he leaned forward to shake his hand. “Mr. Goodwin, it’s very nice to meet you.”
The handshake was brief. Ian’s tone was flat. “Mr. Archer’s grandnephew?” He looked at Eleanor. “You’re hiring?”
“The new lab is short-staffed. I do need to hire a couple of assistants,” Eleanor replied, looking up at him.
lan’s gaze fell back on Diaz. “It seems my ex-wife is quite impressed with you.”
Diaz immediately felt an invisible pressure. He answered humbly, “Ellie is giving me an opportunity. I still have much to learn.”
Eleanor saw Diaz’s nervousness and tension. Their productive conversation had been interrupted, and a flicker of annoyance rose within her. She looked at lan and asked, “Don’t you have a flight to catch?”
The subtext was clear: *You can leave now.*
A flicker of surprise crossed lan’s handsome face. Was she kicking him out?
“Diaz and I still have some interview details to discuss,” Eleanor stated.
Being dismissed like this was a rare experience in lan’s life. He would have never tolerated it from anyone else.
But Eleanor was the exception.
“Alright,” he said with a smile. “Let’s have dinner when I get back.”
With that, lan gave a slight nod to the still-nervous Diaz and strode toward the coffee shop door.
Seeing this, Gavin quickly picked up the packaged coffee and followed him.
Once inside the car, lan turned to look at the two figures reflected in the window, only turning away after Gavin had driven off.
He picked up the coffee Gavin had brought and took a sip, his expression unreadable.
Eleanor’s interview continued. Diaz’s qualifications perfectly met her requirements, and she asked him to start next Monday.
After the interview, Eleanor went home.
Over the next three days, Eleanor took her daughter to Goodwin Manor for a meal and also went to see an opera with Magdalen.
The Goodwin family could see that the relationship between Eleanor and lan had softened. At the same time, they also understood that while Eleanor and lan had called a truce, she had no intention of remarrying him.
Eleanor always maintained a carefully measured distance from the Goodwins. They figured that if it weren’t for their child connecting them, Eleanor would no longer
have any day-to-day contact with the family.
This fact made Magdalen sigh in frustration. It seemed her grandson still had a long way to go.
Eleanor was now mature,
independent, with her own career
and a clear plan for her life. She was willing to maintain a good
relationship with the Goodwin family for her daughter’s sake, but that didn’t mean she would easily step back into a marriage that had hurt her so deeply.
She could be a respectful junior and a responsible mother, but she would no longer
be Mrs. Goodwin.
On the morning of the fourth day, Eleanor had just packed her daughter’s school bag and was
about to head out when Princesenet
their dog, started barking joyfully the living room. She then let out a series of excited whimpers at the door, as if someone she loved was on the other side.
“It must be Daddy!” Evelyn exclaimed, rushing to open the door.
Before Eleanor could stop her, Evelyn had thrown the door open and dashed outside, shouting, “Daddy! It really is you!”