Chapter 931

Through the glass window, he could see the scene inside the collection room.

As Vanessa extended her arm for the nurse, her eyes were fixed on lan, her expression one of delicate vulnerability. Ian, however, merely stood to the side, hands in the pockets of his trousers, his posture rigid. He watched the procedure with a detached focus, his presence feeling less like support and more like silent supervision.

Ten minutes later, the door opened. A nurse supported the pale-faced Vanessa, who seemed to radiate a fragile aura. Ian followed them out, one hand still in his pocket.

“lan, can I rest for a bit before I go?” Vanessa asked, clearly in no hurry to leave. “The car is waiting. Go home and rest,” lan said, his tone final. He walked past her and headed down the hall in the opposite direction.

“Miss Shannon, let us walk you out,” a nurse offered gently.

Vanessa’s frail posture instantly straightened. “That won’t be necessary. I can see myself out,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of disdain. The two nurses, sensing her dismissal, took a step back.

Vanessa picked up her purse and headed for the elevator to the main lobby. She smoothed her hair, and though her face was pale from the blood draw, she maintained her elegant composure.

As she stepped out of the lobby, Gavin met her. “Miss Shannon, I’m here to take you home p>

Vanessa accepted the courtesy without protest, though she settled into the car with an obvious air of displeasure as Gavin held the door for her. He, in turn, drove her home with professional diligence.

Back at the lab, Eleanor was heading to an upstairs laboratory. She had just stepped into the elevator when a long arm blocked the closing door. She looked up as lan strode in. At six-foot-two, his presence made the space feel instantly smaller. He glanced at her cold profile.

“I’m sorry about what just happened,” he said in a low voice, referring to Vanessa’s behavior in the collection room.

Eleanor acted as if she hadn’t heard him. The elevator chimed and the doors opened. She walked out.

lan followed her, his voice more urgent now. “Eleanor, you have to see that my relationship with her is just… a transaction.” He bit out the last word, stressing it with a raw intensity.

Eleanor’s steps faltered. She slowly turned, her gaze landing on lan, her expression one of cool, detached understanding, as if his confession meant nothing to her.

Her lips twisted into a derisive smirk. “I’ve said it before. She bought your mother ten years of life. It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. You got what you paid for p>

“It’s not what you think,” lan said, his

voice urgent and pained. “Between

her and me, it’s always been an

exchange of resources. There was never any of the

the sordid.

sordid

involvement you’re imagining p>

Eleanor laughed as if he’d told a joke. “Does it matter what I think? What you

trade with her is your business. What she wants is hers. What does any of it have to do with me p>

She turned to leave again.

lan moved swiftly, his tall frame blocking her path. “Eleanor he said, his voice raspy.

Her smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare. “Can you please not waste my time p>

“We need to find a time to talk. Properly,” Ian insisted, his eyes locking onto hers, filled with a grim determination.

Eleanor’s brow furrowed. “The only relationship we have is as Evelyn’s parents. That’s it. I have zero interest in your past or present dealings with Vanessa. Now, move p>

But lan’s arm remained, barring her way. His deep-set eyes held her

captivez à storm of clear yet complex emotions churning within them:

urgency frustration, pain, and an

almost obsessive persistence.

“We’re more than just Evelyn’s parents,” he said, his voice low and raspy, yet filled

with an undeniable force. “We have never been just that p>

Eleanor’s patience was wearing thin. Her voice rose, sharp and impatient. “Ian,

I’m asking you to get out of my way p>

“I know you don’t believe me, and I

know you

don’t care, but I have to

say this,” Jan said, practically gritting his teeth. “There has never been

anything romantic between us Not in the past, not now,

favore never

will be. Everything I’ve done for her has a price tag. It’s a clean ledger p>