Eleanor glanced over the document, signed her name, and handed it back. Ellington couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Mr. Goodwin?”
“I don’t know,” Eleanor replied.
“I’ll go find him for his signature, then.” Ellington pushed open the door and stepped out.
Eleanor, feeling a little restless herself, checked her watch—it was already half past eight. She decided she’d better leave early to pick up her daughter.
She stood up and had barely opened the door when she heard Ellington’s voice in the hallway outside.
“Have you seen Mr. Goodwin?”
A staff member answered, “Mr. Goodwin is in Suite Four.”
Ellington started to thank her, but the staff quickly added, “Mr. Ellington, Miss Shannon is resting in Suite Four.”
Ellington paused, caught the implication, and replied, “I’ll find Mr. Goodwin later, then.”
Eleanor’s expression stiffened for a moment before she strode toward the staircase.
As she made her way downstairs, Xavier wove through the guests to intercept her. “Eleanor, are you leaving already?”
“Mr. Vaughn, I promised my daughter I’d pick her up early tonight, so I should head out.”
Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly. “I’ll walk you out.”
After Ian’s warning earlier, Eleanor had noticed a few guests glancing between her and Xavier, some even whispering behind their hands.
She stepped back and smiled politely. “Mr. Vaughn, I actually need to stop by a friend’s place first. Let’s catch up another time.”
Eleanor bit her lip, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about us. And I definitely don’t want you dragged into any gossip because of me.”
Eleanor truly valued Xavier as a friend and wanted to protect his reputation.
“But I’ve never cared what people say,” Xavier said firmly, taking a step closer.
Eleanor’s look grew more earnest. “Xavier, you’re a good man. You deserve someone wonderful.”
Xavier grew anxious, clearly not expecting her to be so considerate on his behalf.
“Eleanor, what matters to me isn’t what others think—it’s you—”
Before he could finish, Ian appeared on the balcony with an older gentleman. Ian glanced at the two of them and offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry, are we interrupting?”

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