Chapter 961

So, even if they were to meet, Eleanor couldn’t do anything to her. In fact, she might even have to beg, just like lan did.

At this thought, Vanessa felt a sudden, eager anticipation to have a proper conversation with Eleanor.

Just then, another wave of dizziness washed over her. Vanessa clutched her head, gasping for breath. A glance at the clock showed it was three in the morning. For the past few nights, she had been tormented by insomnia, unable to find any peace. She had even increased her dosage of sleeping pills. She walked to the master bedroom, opened the bottle, swallowed two pills, and finally climbed into bed.

The next morning, Eleanor drove her daughter to school. After watching Evelyn disappear into the campus, she headed to the laboratory.

When she arrived, lan wasn’t there yet.

Dr. Smith approached her. “Mr. Goodwin went to visit his mother. He’ll be here shortly. El, get your materials ready. We’ll tell him the good news when he arrives p>

Eleanor nodded and went into the lab to get started.

Serena was chatting with a nurse, her spirits visibly lifted. The red blotches under her skin had started to fade, which was enough to make her happy. Just then, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Vanessa.

“Serena, it’s been a while. Are you still busy p>

“Vanessa, long time no see. What have you been up to?” Serena replied.

“Just busy with work. How have you been p>

“I’m doing great,” Serena typed back.

“We should get together for dinner sometime. I miss you p>

Serena stared at Vanessa’s friendly message and blinked. An idea had been taking root in her mind lately-a long shot, perhaps, but one she was determined to pursue. She wanted to get Eleanor and her brother back together She had even started collecting evidence to support her cause.

“Sorry, Vanessa, I’m really busy right now. Maybe some other time p>

“Okay, let me know when you’re free,” Vanessa replied without pushing.

Serena let out a breath of relief, but a question lingered in her mind: was her brother really in love with

Vanessa? Based on the evidencenet

she had gathered the

way he

looked at Eleanor-she realized he had never looked at Vanessa like that.

At the hospital, Gina’s condition had improved over the past two days. She was eating breakfast when she looked up and saw her son walk in. Her initial joy quickly turned to shock.

“lan, your hair—what happened to your hair p>

lan offered a calm smile. “It’s nothing, Mom p>

“Let me see. Come here and let me see,” Gina said, horrified. Her son was only twenty-nine. How could his hair already be showing signs of gray? And so noticeably, too. She had only seen him two days ago.

lan sat down beside her. Gina reached out to touch his hair, and tears welled up

in her eyes. She knew her condition had worried him for a decade. This had to be

the result of immense stress, and she was overcome with guilt.

“Mom, it’s really nothing,” lan said, handing her a tissue. “I just haven’t been

sleeping well. It’ll be fine after I get some rest p>

believe him. This

But Gina didn’t be

wasn’t just from lack of sleep; it was from anxiety and emotional

exhaustion, from shouldering the burden of her and her daughters genetic illness, from worrying about Evelyn’s future and the entire family.