Chapter 1168

Joel gave a slight nod and said no more. He knew that Eleanor had intentionally hidden her dreams and ambitions during her marriage, aspiring to be a good wife and mother. But she was never meant for that role; she was destined to shine in her own field.

Perhaps lan understood that now, but it was too late. The Eleanor he knew was already a dazzling success in her career. It was never her marriage to a tycoon that defined her, but her own abilities.

Gavin watched his boss stand there, rooted to the spot. Though he didn’t know what he and Joel had discussed, an unusually heavy, almost somber aura now enveloped him.

“Let’s go,” lan said a moment later, glancing at his watch. He had a meeting at Goodwin & Co. next.

After getting in the car, Gavin turned back and asked, “Mr. Goodwin, will you still be attending the Sun Valley conference this year p>

It was a highly exclusive, three-day summit for the world’s top finance and tech giants. One of its strict rules was a complete ban on personal communication devices, effectively cutting attendees off from the outside world. Gavin remembered the last time his boss attended, he was completely unreachable for three full days.

As lan’s core confidant, he knew all too well the unprecedented crisis Goodwin & Co. had been facing at that time.

A competitor, manipulated by international capital predators, had launched a series of malicious attacks on Goodwin & Co.’s core business, sparing no expense and causing the company’s stock to plummet for days.

When his boss returned from the conference, he brought back six major international partnership agreements, solidifying the foundation for Goodwin & Co.’s global expansion.

He still remembered the immense psychological pressure his boss was under during that period. He had called the Sun Valley Conference “the only visible path to break through the darkness p>

lan rubbed his brow. The last time he attended the Sun Valley Conference, his complete isolation from the outside world had resulted in twelve missed calls from Eleanor. His daughter had developed severe pneumonia and had to undergo a lung lavage procedure.

When Joslyn had told him about this recently, the belated fear and intense guilt that gripped his heart were so strong that it still made his chest tighten. He had missed the moment his wife and daughter needed him most, leaving Eleanor to face it all alone.

Now, that same powerful self-reproach washed over him again, threatening to overwhelm his reason.

This time, however, he couldn’t afford to hesitate.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil of emotions, and his gaze became

firm and sharp once more. “I’m attending p>

Gavin nodded. “Understood. I’ll respond to the invitation today p>

lan looked out the window. His attendance this time wasn’t just about the future of Goodwin & Co.’s business empire. The brain-computer interface project was entering a critical phase and the pressure from the board, the need for further R&D funding, and the global promotion of civilian applications were all at stake. This conference was crucial for securing the capital and top-tier international partnerships needed for Goodwin & Co.’s technological future.

And Sun Valley was the fastest, most effective platform to leverage those resources.

At eight in the evening, Eleanor returned home. Joslyn greeted her at the door. “Ma’am, have you had dinner p>

“I ate at the lab p>

“Mr. Goodwin and Evelyn have eaten as well. He’s in the study now, helping Evelyn with her writing p>

Eleanor put down her bag and quietly walked to the study door. Through the open doorway, she could hear her daughter’s young but serious voice as she practiced her speaking skills.

lan was patiently correcting her pronunciation and sentence

structure. Eleanor leaned against the

doorframe, watching the father ar

and

daughter under the lamplight, not wanting to disturb them.

Evelyn pointed her little hand here and there, asking lan to teach her the names of everyday objects in foreign language. Soon Evelyn happy taughter filled the room, followed by lan’s low words of praise.