Chapter 746
lan stared at the message from Henry, his eyes dark and unreadable. His long fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before he finally replied with a single word: “Okay p>
He pocketed his phone and turned toward the elevator. Gavin hurried to catch up, lowering his voice. “Mr. Goodwin, do we need to make any changes to your schedule for tonight p>
“Cancel everything I have this evening,” lan replied coolly.
Gavin nodded, instantly recognizing his boss’s foul mood.
Clearly, this had something to do with Eleanor refusing to even glance his way earlier.
After so many years working for lan, Gavin had learned not to presume too much, but he could still read a few of his boss’s moods.
Meanwhile, Eleanor and Ellington returned to the Vesper Joy Hotel for lunch. Afterwards, Eleanor made her way to the conference room to hear updates from her executive team.
Seated at the head of the table, Eleanor’s gaze was steady as she scanned the faces of her managers. “Let’s begin p>
The Director of Marketing stood first, switching on the projector. “Ms. Sutton, regarding last quarter’s smart upgrade project for the hotel, we’ve completed roughly one third of the work so far p>
Eleanor nodded, listening intently. From time to time, she interrupted to ask pointed questions.
Ellington sat beside her, jumping in quickly to clarify when the discussion veered outside her usual area of expertise.
“Ms. Sutton, we still need to optimize the cost controls for this proposal. According to the current budget-” the CFO interjected with concern.
Ellington glanced at Eleanor; this wasn’t a decision he was authorized to make, so the Finance Department had been stuck debating it for days.
“Budget isn’t the issue,” Eleanor cut in firmly. “What I want is a plan that genuinely improves the client experience, not one that lowers our standards just to save a few dollars p>
Ellington’s eyes flashed with admiration. Eleanor truly had the makings of a leader -elegant and composed on the outside, but resilient and decisive beneath the surface.
And that was exactly what he’d always thought of her.
The CFO nodded in understanding, dropping the matter.
At three in the afternoon, Eleanor wrapped up the meeting. She glanced at the time-too late to head to the lab now-so she requested a smaller conference room to catch up on emails.
Ellington arranged for coffee and pastries to be brought in, closed the door, and left her to work in peace.
By five o’clock, Eleanor arrived early at the school and waited in the car for her daughter to finish class.
Just then, a white sports car pulled into a nearby spot. The driver’s side door opened, and Serena stepped out.
She’d clearly seen Eleanor’s car before parking. Swinging her bag over her arm, Serena strode straight toward her.
Eleanor watched her approach, her eyes turning cold. She still hadn’t confronted Serena about the things she’d said to her daughter last time.
Serena stopped by the driver’s window, where Eleanor had lowered the glass halfway. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Can we talk p>
Serena folded her arms and waited. Eleanor grabbed her purse, stepped out, and shut the door behind her, fixing Serena with a frosty look. “Say what you came to say p>
Serena lifted her chin, her tone deliberately arrogant. “Eleanor, I’d advise you to stay away from my brother. The two of you are divorced-don’t make things any messier p>
Eleanor let out a short, cold laugh. “Maybe you should deliver that message to your brother instead p>
Serena scoffed. “Don’t think I don’t know you invited him to dinner again on Christmas Eve p>