No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 503

The smile vanished from Eleanor’s face in an instant. Evelyn wriggled free from her grasp and dashed toward Ian. “Daddy!” she called out.

Ian knelt down, scooping his daughter high into the air before hugging her close. “Were you good today?” he asked, his tone gentle.

“I was very good! Even Great-Grandma said so!” Evelyn replied proudly.

Ian chuckled, tapping her chubby cheek with his finger. “That’s my girl.”

“Evelyn, say goodbye to Daddy. It’s time for us to head home,” Eleanor called, eager not to linger any longer than necessary.

Ian carried Evelyn to Eleanor’s car, carefully buckling her into the child seat with practiced, gentle hands.

As Eleanor pressed the gas and drove away, Ian remained where he was, watching the car until it disappeared down the street. Only then did he turn and walk back inside the house.

That night, Eleanor cradled her daughter in her arms and read her a bedtime story. Halfway through, sleep crept in and claimed them both. Eleanor, running on little rest these past few days, slept soundly through the night, holding her daughter close.

The next morning, Eleanor dropped Evelyn off at her summer program. As she parked, a sleek silver Bentley pulled up beside her—Xavier was there, bringing Vivian.

The two little girls, hand in hand, skipped inside together. Eleanor turned to Xavier. “Vivian’s in the summer program too?”

Xavier gave an exaggerated sigh, though there was warmth behind it. “Yeah. She learns so much more here. My mother spoils her rotten, and I’m worried she’s going to end up completely pampered.”

Eleanor laughed. “That’s just how it goes with grandparents.”

“How’s your project going these days?” Xavier asked, his expression turning earnest.

Eleanor smiled wryly. “It looks like I’ll be busy for a while yet.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Just do your best,” Xavier said, meaning every word. Eleanor’s work was unlike anyone else’s—he wished he could help, but there was little he could do.

“I should get going,” Eleanor said, opening her car door.

Xavier watched her drive away, standing in place until her car was out of sight. Across the street, in a white sports car, Serena witnessed the whole exchange. Jealousy tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She’d only meant to catch a glimpse of Xavier from afar, but instead, she saw him laughing and chatting with Eleanor, lingering long after Eleanor had left.

“One day, leukemia won’t be a death sentence anymore—we’ll have a real treatment,” Simone said, her excitement palpable. But she couldn’t help circling back to something that had been on her mind. “Ian, when you first invested in this research, was there someone you wanted to save?”

There was a brief silence on Ian’s end. “I saw the business potential in the project,” he answered calmly, giving nothing away.

Simone sensed he was dodging the question and let her curiosity rest. “No matter the reason, we couldn’t have done it without you. Without your support, Eleanor might never have finished this research.”

“Professor Langley, please look after Eleanor for me. Don’t let her overwork herself,” Ian said quietly.

Simone hesitated. “Ian, I won’t pry into your personal affairs, but if you have time, you should check in on her yourself. Otherwise, Eleanor might—”

“No need,” Ian interrupted, his voice cool. “Whether she resents me or hates me, it doesn’t matter.”

Simone could only reply, “Alright, I’ll say no more.”

That afternoon, as Eleanor was sorting through paperwork in her office, a message came through from Joy Thatcher—a link.