Chapter 991

Throughout the meal, Xavier would occasionally serve Eleanor food, always using the shared utensils. Seeing her accept the food he gave her filled him with a quiet

joy.

They finished dinner around eight and settled the bill.

As they left the main hall, Xavier noticed that lan’s table had been cleared; he was gone.

Eleanor gave the empty table a cursory glance as they walked out of the restaurant and started their walk back to the complex.

As they were crossing at a crosswalk, just as Eleanor stepped off the curb, an electric scooter swerving through traffic shot past in front of her. Xavier instinctively reached out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the side away from the road, keeping his hand on her as they crossed.

Eleanor was startled. The pedestrian light only had nine seconds left. She let Xavier lead her quickly across the street. When they reached the safety of the complex entrance, he let go of her hand and looked at her.

“Thank you,” Eleanor said with a grateful smile.

However, this entire scene was witnessed by a pair of intense eyes from inside a black car parked nearby.

lan hadn’t left. He and Gavin had a transnational video conference back at the office, but it wasn’t for a little while yet.

He had been watching them since they left the restaurant, observing their conversation as they walked in the evening light. He saw Xavier’s natural protectiveness and the smile Eleanor gave him in return.

Now, they were walking side-by-side into the complex. Eleanor was saying something, and Xavier was leaning in, listening intently. They looked like old friends, or perhaps… lovers.

Inside the car dan tore his gaze away, his expression unreadable. But the hand resting on his knee was clenched into a tight fist, the veins on its back standing out. The rise and fall of his chest betrayed his inner turmoil.

Just then, Gavin returned with a bottle of water, opening the driver’s side door. “Mr. Goodwin, your water p>

“Back to the office,” lan said, rubbing his temples.

“Mr. Goodwin, if you’re tired, maybe you should go home and rest. We can postpone the meeting until tomorrow,” Gavin suggested, concerned. He knew his boss had given blood several times recently and needed rest.

lan twisted the cap off the water bottle and took a long drink. “No. Tomorrow has its own work p>

Gavin said no more, starting the car and pulling away from the curb.

When Eleanor and Xavier returned to the Vaughn residence, the two girls had already finished their dinner. Though they were sad to part, they said their goodbyes. Xavier would be taking Mrs. Vaughn and Vivian to a safe location to wait out the custody battle before returning which meant Vivian would have to withdraw from school for the time being. Eleanor’s heart ached for Vivian, but she knew it was a necessary precaution.

“Mommy, I want to go downstairs and play with Daddy for a bit,” Evelyn said when

they got home, remembering her father lived just below them.

“He’s not home,” Eleanor said, instinctively stopping her.

Evelyn’s face fell, but she knew her mother wouldn’t lie. Eleanor wasn’t sure if lan was back, but he seemed to have a cold, and she didn’t want their daughter to bother him De Smith was in the middle of his research using lan’s blood, and he might need to give more samples soon. For now, he was the only viable donor in the Goodwin family.

Vanessa had become a secondary, backup option.