Chapter 913

Eleanor was taken aback. “It’s fine, Gavin. You can go home p>

But Gavin shook his head. “Mr. Goodwin insisted. He said you’ve been working too hard and shouldn’t drive while fatigued p>

Eleanor was, in fact, exhausted. She had felt dizzy when she stood up earlier. It was better not to push her luck.

“Thank you, Gavin,” she said, accepting his offer.

It was after ten when she finally got home. As she walked in, Joslyn rushed over to take her bag. “Ma’am, you’re back so late p>

Eleanor noticed the silence and immediately asked, “Where’s Evelyn? Isn’t she back yet p>

“Mr. Goodwin took her downstairs to play. They should be up any minute now,” Joslyn explained.

Eleanor then realized Princess was gone too. Ian must have taken them both out.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she told Joslyn. “In ten minutes, go downstairs and knock on his door. Tell him to bring Evelyn up p>

“Of course,” Joslyn nodded.

Eleanor went upstairs to wash up.

Twenty minutes later, her hair dry and dressed in a comfortable cotton pajama set, she was applying skincare at her vanity when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Assuming it was her daughter, she smiled, ready to read her a bedtime story.

The bedroom door opened. She turned with a smile, but it froze on her face when she saw who walked in.

It was lan, carrying their sleeping daughter in his arms.

“She tired herself out playing and fell asleep downstairs,” he explained in a low voice, his eyes lingering on Eleanor’s makeup-free face and her pajamas.

A beat too late, Eleanor realized what he was seeing. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest; she never wore a bra to bed after a shower.

Her movement drew his eyes to her chest for a fleeting second before he forced his gaze away, carrying their daughter to the bed. He gently laid her down and carefully pulled the covers over her.

By then, Eleanor had grabbed a robe and wrapped it tightly around herself. lan looked up and saw her bundled up, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. They had once been the closest two people could be; now, a chasm wider than one between strangers lay between them.

“Joslyn was downstairs feeding Princess, so I brought Evelyn up myself. I’m sorry,” he explained quietly.

Eleanor pushed the issue aside and went straight to the point. “It’s late. You can go now p>

lan’s gaze fell on Eleanor’s pale face, a hint of worry in his eyes. “About the lab… don’t put too much pressure on yourself p>

She had no intention of accepting his concern. “I’m capable of managing my own work,” she said flatly.

lan stood in silence for a few moments, as if wanting to say more, but in the end, he just nodded. “Alright. Get some rest p>

He glanced at their daughter’s peaceful face on the bed, then quickly looked back

at Eleanor before turning to leave. With his hand on the doorknob, he paused. “I’ll take Evelyn to school tomorrow p>

Then, he quietly opened the door and left.

Eleanor let out a breath and took off the robe, returning to her skincare routinez Under the soft light, her thick, dark hair framed a face with delicate features and eyes that held a cool, clear depth: S to’

After she was done, she turned off the main lights, leaving only a dim night light on. She picked up her phone, planning to read the news to help for fall asleep, She sawa headline about Garth Elfington diplomatic trip abroad, which made

her think of Mansfield, oma mission

in a foreign country.

His current work was so sensitive that she couldn’t even send a simple message

to check on him, for fear of compromising his safety. The urge to reach out was strong, but she forced it down.