Chapter 103
Early morning.
Eleanor led Evelyn down the stairs, her hand gently holding her daughter’s. Ian greeted Evelyn with a warm smile, but when his gaze shifted to Eleanor, the warmth faded, replaced by a polite distance.
After lan dropped Evelyn off at school, Eleanor’s phone rang. It was Jude Vaughn. Today, several representatives from various organizations, as well as high-level government officials, were coming to discuss the Marlowe Village case. As the lead researcher, Eleanor was required to attend and present her findings.
In the lab’s break room, Gwenda eyed Faye with a mix of envy and resignation. “I heard there are a bunch of bigwigs from the associations and the government here today. Looks like Eleanor’s going to steal the spotlight again p>
Horace, just walking in, caught the tail end of the conversation and scoffed, clearly annoyed. “Her father’s Elliot Sutton. No wonder all the best opportunities land in her lap. When do the rest of us ever get a chance p>
Faye’s smile was strained as she gripped her coffee cup tighter. “We’ll have to seize whatever opportunities come our way. We can’t let her snatch up all the resources p>
Gwenda slumped in her seat, frustration bubbling over. “We worked just as hard on the Marlowe Village project, but we’re still hitting dead ends p>
“With Joel by Eleanor’s side, getting access to anything worthwhile is basically impossible for us,” Horace muttered.
A flash of jealousy crossed Faye’s eyes, but Horace slid into the seat next to her, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Faye, I may have a promising lead. Want to hear it p>
Gwenda perked up immediately, scooting over. “What is it, Horace? Spill p>
“You both know Juliette Grayson, right? Her late husband was the former richest man in the country-passed away from cancer. Juliette sold their company and dedicated everything to cancer research. If we can get in her good graces, we’ll have a much better shot at the big projects p>
Gwenda’s eyes lit up. “Of course! She invested her entire family fortune into medical research and philanthropy. Even though her charity’s private, the government pays close attention to what she does p>
“Exactly. Dr. Lyman is on good terms with her, and if we can get involved in her research projects, we’ll never lack for resources again p>
Faye, thinking of all the grants and opportunities funneled Eleanor’s way thanks to Joel, nodded in agreement. “I’m in p>
“Her company’s hosting a charity gala tonight. Faye, could you get us tickets p>
Faye’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Absolutely. My sister’s their official charity ambassador this year p>
“Wow!” Gwenda gasped in admiration. “Your sister’s the ambassador for Grayson Charities? That’s incredible p>
“Then it’s settled. Tonight, we’ll get to meet Mrs. Juliette Grayson in person p>
In the conference room, Eleanor and Joel, introduced by Jude Vaughn, met with representatives from various associations. Eleanor gave a detailed rundown of the Marlowe Village situation. The leaders took the matter seriously and agreed to prioritize finding a solution.
During a break, one of Jude Vaughn’s old college friends-now a senior figure in one of the associations-offered Jude a cigarette and leaned in, lowering his voice. “Jude, do me a favor-introduce me to Miss Sutton, will you? Off the record p>
Jude raised an eyebrow. “What, got your eye on her p>
His friend grinned sheepishly. “I’ve never met a woman in medicine who’s so- captivating. I just want to say hi p>
Jude clapped him on the back, shaking his head. “Forget it. She’s married p>
“What? Married? Seriously p>
“And her kid’s five already p>
“No way. She barely looks twenty. Who’s her husband?” his friend pressed, still not giving up.
Jude gave him a sympathetic smile. “Trust me, don’t get any ideas. Her husband’s a heavyweight in investment banking. Out of your league p>