No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 495

Vanessa strolled over to Henry’s side, catching him as he tucked his phone away, his gaze fixed on the VIP suite. Through the glass, she could see Eleanor deep in conversation with the sales manager.

“Henry, what are you staring at?” Vanessa nudged him, following his line of sight. A flicker of jealousy flashed in her eyes as she teased, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for Eleanor’s charm too!”

Henry quickly averted his gaze, scolding her with mock annoyance. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh, come on. Isn’t that the type men like? The cool, intellectual type who’s always got her nose in a book?” Vanessa pressed, her tone light but probing.

Henry didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he locked eyes with her. “You really don’t know what’s on my mind?”

Vanessa froze, her playful mood fading. She glanced at her watch, changing the subject. “Where on earth is Faye? She’s been gone forever.”

Henry saw her sidestep the question and hesitated, then reached out and clapped her gently on the shoulder. “Vanessa, actually, I—”

She cut him off abruptly. “What did Ian want with you just now?”

Whatever Henry had been about to say died on his lips. He withdrew his hand, stuffing it into his pocket. “Mr. Brown invited me and Xavier out for dinner tonight. Wanted Ian to pass along the message.”

“Typical. The three of you never miss a dinner invitation. Everyone knows you’re thick as thieves,” Vanessa said with a half-smile.

Henry let out a resigned laugh. “Yeah. I hope we stay that close for the rest of our lives.”

Inside the VIP room, Eleanor signed the final document and looked up at Xavier. “Thank you for everything today.”

Xavier, however, looked a little put out. Just moments ago, when it was time to pay, he’d tried to hand over his card, only for Eleanor to stop him.

He’d really wanted to buy this car for her, even if he knew Eleanor hardly needed the money. Ian had already set her up for life—she could do nothing and still never run out. Technically, that fortune was meant for Ian’s daughter, Evelyn, but Eleanor had full control over it now.

“If you really want to thank me, just take me out for dinner sometime,” Xavier said, only half-joking.

Eleanor blinked in surprise, then laughed. “Deal. My treat.”

Xavier grinned. “I’ll hold you to that. No backing out.”

She smiled. “Wouldn’t dream of it. But you’ll have to work around my schedule.”

“I know, I know. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your busy life,” Xavier replied.

After Eleanor finished the paperwork, she was told she could pick up the car in three days. As she stepped out, she saw Faye returning from her test drive, clearly happy with her choice.

Faye chatted with Vanessa and Henry about how smooth the drive was. As she turned, she spotted Eleanor and her group coming out. Faye arched an eyebrow; she’d once envied Eleanor for her staggering eight-billion-dollar inheritance. But now, with her own father’s company going public and her family’s net worth skyrocketing, things had changed. She and Vanessa were the only daughters. Vanessa would eventually marry Ian, making her even wealthier, while Faye would inherit the Yeaton fortune herself. She’d have more money than she could ever spend—and like Eleanor, she’d be the heiress to a powerful family.

“I’m so sorry!” she blurted out, not yet seeing who it was.

“No problem,” came a low, familiar voice.

Eleanor spun around—Ian was looking right at her.

She ducked her head and sped toward the conference room. A few minutes later, Ian entered too. Simone vacated the seat at the head of the table for him, but he waved her off and pulled out the chair beside Eleanor instead.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Simone announced. “As the lead for the new clinical trial, I’ll be overseeing the project.”

The air conditioning sent a cool breeze through the room. Ian caught a faint trace of jasmine in the air—the same shampoo Eleanor had always used, unchanged after six years.

“Ian, do you have any suggestions?” Simone asked.

Ian looked up. “No objections. But the safety protocols for the participants need to be more detailed, and we should be prepared for any unexpected drug reactions—emergency measures have to be in place.”

His comments made Eleanor knit her brows. How did Ian know so much about this? Had he been studying medicine? Or had he picked it up somewhere along the way?

Simone nodded thoughtfully. “Good point, Ian. We’ll make sure to plan those details carefully and strengthen the safeguards.”