No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 21

That evening, as they sat at the dinner table, Ian informed Eleanor that he'd be away on a business trip for the next week. Eleanor didn't bother to ask where he was headed. Evelyn, on the other hand, burst into tears at the news that she wouldn't see her father for a whole week, refusing to eat until Ian promised to bring her back a present.

Over the next several days, Eleanor juggled her workload while spending as much time as she could with her daughter. The new lab was coming together faster than she'd expected.

Friday came in the blink of an eye. After dropping Evelyn off at school, Eleanor headed straight for Ashford Medical University; she had a meeting there that afternoon.

The moment she stepped into the lobby of the research building, her gaze fell on a familiar figure standing near the entrance, deep in conversation with someone. Eleanor's eyes widened in disbelief as she recognized the man.

Joel.

He wore a light camel trench coat, and as he spoke, his long, slender fingers idly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. There was a gentle, refined smile on his lips.

Sensing someone's gaze, Joel turned and met Eleanor's eyes across the lobby.

Her vision blurred with emotion. Joel walked toward her, his expression warm. "Ellie. We meet again."

Eleanor quickly composed herself. "Joel."

He gave her a thoughtful once-over, lips quirking in a soft grin. "I never realized before how much you resemble your father—especially those eyes."

Eleanor laughed. "What brings you here, Joel?"

"I heard they're building the world's largest genetic testing facility here," he replied. "I couldn't resist coming to see for myself. And—I'm here to finalize my appointment."

Eleanor's excitement was impossible to hide as she stepped closer. "You're joining the team?"

Joel nodded, a smile breaking across his face as he adjusted his glasses. "Yes. I've decided to be part of the project."

"Welcome. I'm so glad we'll be colleagues." She reached out, and they shook hands.

But Faye knew that in medicine, merit was everything. It was only a matter of time before Eleanor was out of her depth.

At the meeting, Joel received a warm, almost ceremonial welcome from the research team. No one had expected the young star of the medical world to willingly return and join their project—it was both shocking and exhilarating.

"Ellie, we're throwing a welcome party for Dr. Kingsley this Saturday night," Jude Vaughn said, grinning at Eleanor. "You'll come, won't you?"

Eleanor smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"With Dr. Kingsley on board, we've got even more confidence than before."

Joel finished chatting with a group of senior doctors and made his way over.

Jude gave him a friendly wave. "Dr. Kingsley, I've got to run, but let's catch up properly at the party tonight. Drinks are on me."