No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 375

A little later, Vanessa posted a photo of the bracelet in her social circle.

“Thank you for the thoughtful gift—I absolutely love it! ❤️”

She didn’t mention any names, but everyone in her circle immediately caught on and started playfully teasing her in the comments.

—“Wow! Amethyst, huh? Someone’s making a serious commitment!”

—“Congrats, Vanessa! Looks like something big is on the horizon!”

—“Your family is always so generous. That bracelet must be worth at least a million!”

Vanessa scrolled through the flood of well-wishes, a smile tugging at her lips. Lately, Eleanor had been making things difficult, and it had been a long time since she’d felt this genuinely happy.

That night, after Eleanor finally coaxed her daughter to sleep, she headed to her study to work on some files. Her phone buzzed with a new message.

She glanced down—Joy Thatcher had sent her a text. “Ellie, did you see Vanessa’s story? She just posted a bracelet worth seven figures.”

A screenshot was attached.

Eleanor stared at the familiar amethyst bracelet in the photo, momentarily stunned.

Wasn’t this the very gift Magdalen had mentioned preparing for her earlier this evening?

How did it end up with Vanessa?

After a moment’s thought, the answer became clear. Even if Magdalen hadn’t promised it to Vanessa, Ian could have given it to her. The bracelet’s color suited a younger woman, after all.

Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

On Sunday afternoon, Jude Vaughn called, reminding her to dress up for the next day. The new lab’s opening ceremony was tomorrow, and she had a seat reserved for the ribbon cutting—government officials would be attending as well.

“Got it, Jude.”

“You’re our star scientist, Eleanor. The lab needs its best face forward,” Jude teased.

Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Not at all. Everyone says so.”

They chatted about some lab details, and as they wrapped up, Jude added, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Goodwin will be there tomorrow too.”

Eleanor had already guessed Ian would come. With government representatives present and as the lab’s largest investor, he’d have to be there to host.

The next morning, after dropping off her daughter, Eleanor headed straight for the new research center.

The building stood on a sprawling campus in a designated industrial park—imposing and modern, its architecture radiated high-tech sophistication.

Eleanor arrived at the ribbon-cutting in a tailored suit, her hair swept up to reveal her graceful neckline and lending her a poised, intellectual elegance.

“Miss Sutton, right this way.” An usher led her to a front-row seat.

Jude Vaughn came by to chat, and Eleanor noticed quite a few members of the press in attendance.

She was about to respond when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a familiar figure—Ian, walking in with two middle-aged men. Dressed in a charcoal suit, he stood out among the government officials.

Their eyes met for a fraction of a second before Eleanor looked away.

Jude introduced the two men as representatives from the other major pharmaceutical firms backing the lab.

The ceremony began promptly at ten.

She described him as a man completely devoted to his work.

Eleanor felt a pang of nostalgia, recalling the strict way her father had raised her, the high expectations he’d had, always hoping she’d follow in his footsteps. He must have been so disappointed when she chose marriage over her career.

If he could see her now, would he finally be proud of what she’d achieved?

“Tomorrow’s Memorial Day,” Simone reminded her gently. “Don’t forget to visit your parents’ grave.”

Eleanor nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

When she returned to the lab, her assistant, Darcy, hurried over. “Ian’s here. He’s in the conference room, looking over your files.”

Eleanor bit her lip, then pushed open the door. Ian was seated at the table, his long fingers flipping through her latest research report, brow slightly furrowed.

She set her own folder down, her tone calm.

Ian glanced at his watch. “Try not to be late next time.”

Eleanor barely acknowledged the comment. “If you have any questions, just ask.”

He closed the file and smiled. “Aren’t you supposed to brief me? You know I can’t follow all the technical stuff.”

If that were true, he wouldn’t be poring over her data so intently.

Eleanor knew better than anyone how quickly this man learned.

She turned on the projector. “Let’s get started.”

Her presentation was concise and thorough, the numbers clear. But as she explained a crucial parameter, Ian interrupted, “This figure’s down from last month. Why?”