No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 330

Eleanor was about to hand him her phone, but Mansfield Ellington shook his head. “No need. I can’t bear to use this fountain pen. It’s perfect for my collection.”

Eleanor paused, a little surprised. “But a pen is meant to be used. Isn’t it a shame to just keep it locked away?”

She’d been hoping this pen might bring him a bit of good luck.

Mansfield’s long fingers traced the polished barrel, a smile glinting in his eyes. “Alright, you win. If you want me to use it, then I’ll make sure to put it to good use.”

His gentle gaze met hers, and Eleanor quickly looked down, sipping her lemonade to change the subject. “The view from this place is incredible.”

Mansfield nodded with a smile. “Absolutely. You can see the whole city from up here.”

He started talking about his upcoming leave—he was heading back to base that evening and probably wouldn’t be back for another six months.

Eleanor smiled with a hint of teasing. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full, too.”

“Miss Sutton, if you ever have the chance, you’re welcome to visit our base.”

Eleanor blinked in surprise. “Really? I could actually visit?”

“Of course. Our base collaborates with Meridian Dynamics, and you’re their lead researcher, aren’t you? That makes your team one of our official partners.”

Eleanor nodded thoughtfully. If the opportunity came up, she’d love to see it for herself.

Lunch was delicious, but every now and then, Mansfield’s reluctance to leave flickered across his face. Still, duty called—he had to return to his post.

When the meal was over, they strolled together to the parking lot. Mansfield walked her to her car, hesitating as if he wanted to say something more.

“Mr. Ellington, I guess this is goodbye for now.” Eleanor stopped by her car, turning to face him.

His eyes lingered on her face, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Miss Sutton…”

She blinked. “Yes?”

If only things had been different back then—

As she waited at a red light, her phone rang. It was Joy, asking if she had time to meet up.

Eleanor checked the clock. There wasn’t enough time to return to the lab, so she turned the car toward Joy’s place.

At the café, Joy was chatting about her holiday adventures when she suddenly remembered something. “Hey, did you catch the Spring Festival gala this year?”

Eleanor shook her head. “No, I’ve been buried in work at the lab.”

“Vanessa performed,” Joy said.

Eleanor paused, her spoon still in her coffee. “Oh?”

“She really stole the spotlight. Her fans practically made her go viral.” Joy glanced at Eleanor. “Seems like it’s not just her team pulling strings behind the scenes—”