No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 435

Meridian Dynamics, Conference Room.

Eleanor stood at the head of the table, guiding the team through her PowerPoint presentation. She was wrapping up the final phase of the Garrison Bradley experiment, and come next week, she’d be returning to her own research project.

The door swung open, and Joel Kingsley strode in.

Eleanor shot him a concerned glance, but Joel just offered a reassuring smile. “Go on, don’t let me interrupt.”

Faye’s heart skipped a beat. Joel was finally back. She hadn’t seen him in days, and, truth be told, work had felt strangely empty without him.

She sneaked a look at Joel, only to notice that after he sat down, his eyes never left Eleanor. A surge of resentment welled up inside her.

When Eleanor finished her summary and took her seat, Joel leaned over. “Come to my office after this, Eleanor. We need to go over the handoff.”

“Of course,” Eleanor nodded.

As the meeting broke up, Joel and Eleanor headed toward his office. Eleanor noticed the red veins in his tired eyes and couldn’t help but say, “Joel, are you sure you don’t want to take a couple days off before coming back to work?”

“I’m fine,” Joel replied with a gentle smile, adjusting his glasses. “I know you’re eager to get back to your project. Let’s take care of the transition first.”

Eleanor felt warmth bloom in her chest. “Thank you, Joel. You always look out for me.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he replied, smiling softly.

They spent the next half hour discussing all the details of the transition. Faye walked by the office several times, each time catching sight of them deep in conversation. She never even got a chance to check in on Joel herself.

When Eleanor finally emerged, Faye seized the opportunity. She found an excuse to step inside, and seeing the exhaustion etched on Joel’s face, she asked, “Joel, if you need any help with anything, just let me know, okay?”

Joel removed his glasses and rubbed his brow. “Why would I be? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“And that’s not all,” Faye said, her frustration mounting. “The CEO of Vaughn Group—Xavier—is rumored to be interested in Eleanor, too. She’s got history with her ex-husband, Mr. Goodwin. It’s like she’s stringing all of them along—”

Joel’s head snapped up, his eyes sharp. “Faye, who Eleanor is, and how she lives her life—that’s not for you to judge.”

Faye paled. She could shrug off criticism from anyone else, but Joel’s words cut deep, as if he’d plunged a knife straight through her.

“Understood,” she muttered, turning away and leaving the office. Out in the hall, she simmered with confusion and jealousy. Why did all the remarkable men always gravitate toward Eleanor?

What was it about her that drew even someone like Joel to her side? Even a Major from the military couldn’t seem to resist her.