Chapter 259
She trusted Xavier’s character completely.
Xavier stepped into the room, pausing as Eleanor quietly closed the door behind them. He turned to look at her, his gaze lingering on her face as he spoke softly. “Eleanor, there’s something I’ve always wanted to p>
“Mr. Vaughn.” Eleanor cut him off, her tone polite but firm. “I don’t want to talk about personal feelings right now p>
Xavier managed a rueful smile. “I understand. That was presumptuous of me p>
A cool breeze drifted through the window, carrying a hint of night’s chill.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at the screen-it was from Joel: “Tomorrow at 10 a.m., Dr. Smith has specifically requested a one- on-one with you. Top floor conference room p>
Eleanor stared at the message in surprise for a few seconds before replying, “Understood. I’ll be there on time p>
Xavier noticed the subtle shift in her expression. “Something up p>
“Someone wants to meet me tomorrow,” Eleanor replied with a small smile.
Xavier grinned, genuine admiration lighting his features. “Looks like your research has caught the attention of the international medical community. That’s fantastic news p>
He reached into his pocket, producing a hair tie and holding it out on his palm. “By the way, this is yours p>
Eleanor blinked, immediately recognizing the familiar accessory. “Is this really mine p>
“Yeah. You dropped it at Miss Shannon’s concert the other night. I picked it up,” Xavier said, his gaze lingering on Eleanor, emotions clear in his eyes.
Eleanor’s breath caught for a moment. She reached out and took the hair tie back, her voice soft. “Thank you p>
A fleeting shadow crossed Xavier’s face, but he quickly covered it with a smile. He was moving too fast, he realized. She’d only just finalized her divorce-this wasn’t the right time to confess his feelings.
“No need to thank me. I just hope you don’t treat me as a stranger, Miss Sutton. At the very least, we’re friends now p>
Eleanor looked up and smiled, her answer gentle. “Yes, we’re friends p>
“I’ll let you get some rest. Goodnight,” Xavier said quietly, turning to open the door and leave.
Eleanor let out a quiet sigh of relief, then went about her nightly routine before finally settling into bed.
The next morning, Eleanor arrived at the small conference room on the top floor right at ten o’clock.
She knocked lightly and stepped inside, only to find the room empty.
Puzzled, she stood there for a moment-until footsteps sounded behind her.
Turning around, she was surprised to see not Dr. Smith, but her ex-husband, lan. “What are you doing here?” Eleanor frowned.
lan closed the door, his gaze intense. “I arranged this meeting p>
“What is that supposed to mean?” Eleanor’s voice was icy.
“We need to talk.” lan took a step closer.
Last night, she’d refused to discuss anything with him over text, and now he’d orchestrated this? Joel’s message had definitely come from Dr. Smith himself. Could lan know Dr. Smith personally?
Eleanor bit her lip, still clutching the carefully prepared research materials to her chest. Annoyed, she shot back, “I told you, there’s nothing left for us to discuss. Don’t waste my time p>
lan paused, eyes narrowed as he studied her.
Did she really consider meeting him a waste of time?
“Dr. Smith’s lab is funded by my company. He’s doing some research for me, and he asked me to introduce you. He’ll be up shortly to discuss your work,” lan said, turning to leave.
Eleanor stood frozen in shock for a few seconds. Dr. Smith’s lab was one of lan’s investments? Then again, medical research was a booming field these days.
A few moments later, Dr. Smith entered with his assistant. Eleanor immediately shifted gears, greeting him and shaking his hand.
They sat and talked for a good fifteen minutes. Dr. Smith praised her research for its groundbreaking value, then shared some of his own findings, pointing out a few promising directions for her work.
As she listened to his candid insights, surprise flickered through Eleanor. But she quickly realized this was lan’s doing. He’d wanted Dr. Smith to help her.