No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 192

Oh my god! Did Mr. Goodwin really just drink from the same water bottle as Eleanor?

When Eleanor glanced up, she caught sight of Ian setting down the now-empty bottle. She turned and realized with disbelief—it was the one she'd just been drinking from, and he'd finished it without a second thought.

Assuming she must be thirsty, Ian reached for a fresh bottle from the table, twisted the cap open for her, and offered it with a quiet, attentive air.

Eleanor wrinkled her nose and looked away, refusing to take it.

This little scene didn't go unnoticed—Eleanor's young assistant, sitting nearby, stared wide-eyed. What on earth was going on between Mr. Goodwin and Miss Sutton?

After all, Ian was the kind of man who made the entire conference room tense with a single look, and yet here was Eleanor, daring to give him the cold shoulder.

Of course, Roland and his team were too busy discussing solutions with Jude Vaughn to notice anything out of the ordinary.

The meeting dragged on until half past seven, only wrapping up once they'd finally hammered out a workable plan.

"Everyone must be starving by now! I've already made dinner reservations—let's all go out and eat together," Roland suggested with a genial smile.

Jude Vaughn turned to Eleanor. "Care to join us?"

She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm heading home." These business dinners were never her scene.

Jude turned to Ian. "How about you, Mr. Goodwin?"

"I'll pass as well," Ian replied.

Roland hurried over, eager to show his appreciation. "Mr. Goodwin, would you please join us? I feel terrible that we've had to trouble you over all this."

Ian declined with a polite smile. "Let's save dinner for another time, Mr. Yeaton."

Something about his tone brooked no argument. Roland gave a deferential nod. "Of course. Another time then, and safe travels."

Eleanor made her way out to the front of the building and unlocked her car parked by the curb. As she slid into the driver's seat, she saw Ian approaching.

But Eleanor remained unmoved. Everything he did was for Vanessa's sake. Of course he was anxious about the lab; he had every reason to be.

With no response from the back, Ian fell silent. They pulled up to a red light. Eleanor rolled down her window, catching the sound of laughter outside—four college-aged girls were waiting to cross.

"Damn, he's gorgeous!" one of them blurted out.

All four girls unabashedly stared at Ian, breaking into excited whispers.

Eleanor couldn't help but admit, even if he did nothing, just Ian's looks alone could leave people breathless.

Suddenly, the girls noticed the silhouette of a woman in the dim back seat—a face they couldn't quite make out, but somehow the mysterious presence only added to her allure.

In that instant, Eleanor found herself the target of their envy.

And in the rearview mirror, a pair of eyes lingered on her, their expression unreadable and impossible to decipher.