Chapter 854
Back at the lab, Joel Kingsley had been so buried in work he hadn’t even had a moment to check his phone. When he finally returned to his office and glanced at the screen, he frowned. He had three missed calls, all from the same person: lan.
Though he had no desire to call back, Joel knew he couldn’t ignore him. He dialed the number.
“Joel, are you busy?” lan’s voice was clear in the otherwise silent room.
“Mr. Goodwin. Is something wrong?” Joel asked directly.
“How was Eleanor when you left her place last night?” lan’s tone was low and serious.
“If you truly cared about her, Mr. Goodwin, you would stop doing things to upset her. Stay away from her,” Joel replied, a warning edge in his voice. He didn’t know what lan and Eleanor had discussed, but it had clearly left her distraught. He figured it was some personal, emotional matter. Since lan had chosen to divorce her, he had no right to keep meddling in her life.
“Joel, please, just keep an eye on her for me. If she feels unwell in any way, take her to the hospital immediately,” Ian requested, his voice tight. He paused, then added, “It’ll be another two days before I’m back in the country p>
Joel sighed. “I’ll call her in a bit to check on her p>
“Thank you,” lan said formally.
Joel couldn’t resist adding, “My care for Eleanor is a personal matter, Mr. Goodwin. It doesn’t involve you p>
Joel was reminding lan that he had forfeited any right to be concerned about Eleanor’s life.
A brief silence hung on the line. After a few seconds, lan’s voice returned, devoid
of its earlier edge. “You’re right. As her friend and colleague, please, just make sure she’s okay p>
“I will,” Joel confirmed.
lan hung up first. Joel lowered the phone and immediately dialed Eleanor’s number.
“Hey, Joel,” she answered, her voice sounding surprisingly light and carefree. “How are you feeling now? Any discomfort?” he asked, concerned.
“I’m fine. Did I scare you last night? I’m sorry about that p>
“Don’t worry about it. Just call me right away if you feel anything,” Joel said, lan’s urgent request still echoing in his mind.
“Okay. I’m out having dinner with Evelyn. Have you eaten?” she asked, her concern for his well-being evident. Joel had grown noticeably thinner recently, thanks to the new project.
“I’m just about to grab something,” he replied with a small smile.
“Good, go eat. Don’t starve yourself p>
Joel decided not to mention lan’s call. Any news of him would only serve to upset Eleanor, and there was no need for that.
Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Serena stared at the scene by the window. Xavier was leaning in, talking animatedly with Eleanor, while the two children played beside them. Anyone looking at them would assume they were a happy picture-perfect family. The sight was a bitter pill to swallow. Not wanting
to be seen, she put on a hat to
obscure her face. The humiliation she’d felt from Xavier’s rejection was
still too raw for her to face him.
Miles away, lan had just ended his call with Joel when he was summoned into Dr. Smith’s office. He emerged fifteen minutes later, his brow furrowed with a weary gravity. He was about to takea break when his phone buzzed, A WhatsApp notification lit up the screen.
“Brother, it looks like someone’s in a hurry to find my niece a new daddy p>
He tapped the message and saw that his sister had sent him a series of photos
twenty minutes earlier. The images hit him like a punch to the gut.
There they were, in a high-end restaurant: Eleanor and Xavier sitting across from each other, the children laughing beside them. Eleanor held a teacup, her
expression completely relaxed, while Xavier’s gaze rested on her soft and full of affection. The entire scene radiated a harmonious, blissful warmth.